Graphic Design Project: Tattoo Zine

Research zines and develop a 20-page zine on the topic of your choice.

Course:

Communication Design for the Strategist

Project type

Design analysis

Zine creation and production

Individual project

The assignment

Overview

Select a topic, then develop a zine whose layout, color, and style enhances the content.

Topic selection

I am intrigued by the style of American traditional tattoos. In looking into the history of this style, I decided to focus on the “tattooed lady” phenomena.

Project goal

The focus of this project was developing layout and design skills, conducting in-depth topic research, and enhancing project management skills.

Ideation phase

Topic development

I find American Traditional tattoos to be fascinating, and am intrigued by how many of them are both timeless and of the era in which they arose. After exploring various possible topics on this theme, I decided to explore the phenomena of “tattooed ladies” that were popular in travelling circuses at the turn of the 20^th century.

Gathering inspiration

One of the early assignments was to select a magazine to be used for an in-depth analysis of design choices. After researching many magazines, at both the school library and at the amazing Casa Magazines shop, I selected Kinfolk Magazine. I chose this because of how its history meshed with the history of my chosen theme: Kinfolk was created as a reaction against the Seattle grunge aesthetic; the tattooed lady phenomena was a reaction against the limited options available to women of that era. I also liked the juxtaposition of the highly refined style of Kinfolk with the highly edgy style of my chosen topic.

Maud Stevens Wagner, famous Tattooed Lady (Public Domain image, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18907110)

Maud Stevens Wagner, famous Tattooed Lady from the turn of the 20th Century

Click to expand images

Research phase

Click to expand images

Topic research

While initially looking into the style of tattooing that is now known as American Traditional, I determined that the phenomena of “tattooed ladies” provided a rich area to explore. I learned that many (though certainly not all) of the women who embarked upon this career did so because it represented a rare career path for working-class women of the era. Not only were they able to take ownership of decisions made about their own bodies, this career allowed them to travel, earn a living, and often escape abusive relationships.

Magazine analysis

I spent a great deal of time analyzing how Kinfolk used page layouts to strengthen each story’s theme and topic. My goal was not to emulate their style, but to observe, examine, and document it, and to identify 20-30 points of inspiration to present to the class.

Surprising find:

Although the portrayal of tattooed ladies generally involved a victim narrative, this was often simply a means of maintaining respectability in the Victorian era. Many aspects of this career path actually provided a woman with more autonomy, freedom, and income than their society generally granted them.

Points of observation:

Single font on this page
Mix of ALL CAPS and lower case
White text on images
Design reads as TV/movie credit: stands out from next page
Prior image flows to this image: feels transitional, start of something new
More than one type of paper used: physical indication of change
Two fonts, one very bold, with huge amounts of empty space: clean, fresh, transitional
Plain page embodies “wind” theme of article
Article has no intro: forces you to leave the last article abruptly
Large empty space on one side: the white is what stands out
Layout forces readers to engage, but still looks interesting
Image highlights features of a drink not traditional in the US: modern take on old tradition
Image takes priority over the recipe on the left; clear instructions
History/culture explained, not just the recipe: fun descriptive writing
Personal opinion incorporated while staying consistent
Modern layout that feels calm, clean and natural
Page number is visible, but doesn’t disturb page flow
Image feels warm, bright
Heavily contrasts from text (left)
Shows subjects’ personality
Staging feels home-like, not busy
Image is different from others: feels less staged, more personal, less curated
Text is subtly the subject
Empty space on blank page feels clean, not boring
White space provides place to rest thumb between credits & text body: empty space serves a purpose
Some spreads are cohesive; some show L-R break to indicate transition to next topic

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

In researching this topic, I discovered that becoming a “tattooed lady” was often as much a story of female empowerment as of being taken advantage of and gawked at as a “circus freak” sideshow act. While we would judge the decision to follow this route very differently through today’s lens, at the time, it was a bold choice that a woman could take that would provide the opportunity to maintain autonomy over her decisions and her body, earn a living, and – often – provide a way to escape an abusive marriage.

Design development

Design ideation

Using the points of inspiration I identified in the research phase, I created rough sketches of page layouts designed to fit the text and images I wanted to include.

Content sourcing

I identified images and articles found during my research that would fit the theme and would work well together to describe the history of the tattooed lady phenomena and show how its influence is still felt today.

Typography and color palette

I selected the font Hintown for titles and accent text, as it evokes the style of turn-of-the-century circus posters and is gritty yet at the same time elegant. For body text, I chose the Sublime font. This easy-to-read font is modern, but also pairs well with Hintown.

Click any image to open slideshow

Design and critique phase

Draft layouts

Based on my layout sketches, I created drafts of the cover, back cover, and inside spreads.

Peer critique

Each week, our project was posted on the wall for critique by classmates. After presenting my concept and first draft, classmates provided feedback on the project’s strengths and weaknesses.

Revise and iterate

Taking this feedback, I continued to refine and develop my zine. Although the feedback significantly influenced my final design, I also had to learn when to trust my instincts.

Finalize and present

The final phase included an in-class presentation to describe my research process, explain my content and design decisions, and discuss lessons learned.

Two sample spreads from initial zine prototype

Final Zine

Click the image below to launch an electronic version of this zine:

Related project

Below is the video I created in the next phase of the class, presenting a broader overview of the American Traditional tattoo style:

Summary

Key tasks

Historical research
Ideation
Page spread development
Sourcing content
Creating content
Digital prototyping

Deliverables

Background research
Mood board
Page spread mockups
Completed zine
Verbal presentation

Tools

Adobe InDesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop