Contrast, Balance, & Harmony

This ad was designed to fit the style of Whitewall Magazine, a magazine dedicated entirely to luxury watches. I designed it for my Publication Design class, in a series of nine ads. I chose this one, specifically, because of the great contrast of the red watch against the stark white background. It makes the watch just pop! The elements are placed somewhat asymmetrically, which gives it a dynamic feel. But each side of the ad is equally weight, leaving it balanced. The clean use of white space, along with the alignment of the elements, gives it a harmonious feel.

One thing that adds to the harmony of this add, that can't be seen, is the style of the magazine in which it would run. Because the magazine caters to those seeking high-end, luxury watches, the content is very clean, smooth, and striking. There is nothing crowded into the pages; nothing gaudy to find. To fit the culture of the rest of the magazine, the ad had to follow the same format.

Readers of Whitewall magazine love watches and have money to spend. Ads need to appeal to this demographic. The ads need to have class and style. Readers need to feel like the watch would fit their style, lifestyle, and culture. This creates harmony on an entirely different level.

All of the above elements give it harmony and balance; within the ad, within the magazine, and within the culture of the readers.