Thoughts on House Style

Today I researched House Style and how it effects the formation of magazines. I learned that House style is the way a publication chooses to publish in matters of detail—single quotes or double, use of capitals and lower case, when to use italics, and so on. (Wynford Hicks and Tim Holmes, Subediting for Journalists. Routledge, 2002). The house style of a magazine refers to the specific usage and editing conventions followed by writers and editors to ensure consistency in a particular piece of work. These rules apply to the way words are spelled, graphic design, formatting, and more. House style is used by almost every publishing agencies and organizations to give each magazine a specific layout and design. 

I think that the idea of having a House Style is important in creating uniformity in the style of publication, which can help to build the brand because it is now more memorable. For Instance, if Essence magazine is known for their colorful cover page with large mast headings and uniform aspects in certain spots, then audiences can easily make associations between the specific layout and the brand. I believe that house style is very effective and makes it so that consumers don't have to look around and search much because they know what to expect the cover to look like. this in turn, can help to grow the brand and increase sales.

Just like any medium of publication, genre is a big deciding factor when it comes to style and design. In particular, for house styles in magazines the genre of the magazine can make all the difference. Different magazine categories tend to have different house styles. This change in house styles depends on the impressions that certain magazine genres seek to convey. For example, a magazine specializing in decor, design and renovation might have a very colorful house style filled with aesthetically pleasing graphics and large text to appeal to its intended audience. On the other hand, formal publications, such as current news magazines might have a more formal and minimalist house style with few large texts and pictures to leave room for more information. Adhering and adapting house style according to genre is crucial because if an invalid impression is given off to the public, people may doubt the magazine's credibility.

After my research, Ive gained a new perspective on the designing process of magazines. Learning about the thought process that occurs when magazine creators are developing house styles, shows the intricacy and attention to detail put into each piece of work ultimately growing my appreciation for magazines.