Inside FIG Magazine
A walkthrough of my creative process, from grainy textures to chaotic spreads.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a project walk-through… so I figured, why not today?
For this one, I’ll be walking you through how I created FIG magazine. There’s no question about how much I love editorial design (and if you’ve been subscribed for a while, then you already know this). FIG was brought to life from this idea I had to create an intersection between fashion and music.
Below is a write-up I created to explain the heart of the piece:
Blending editorial storytelling with cutting-edge visuals, FIG explores the cultural dialogue between sound and style, showcasing emerging and established artists, designers, and creatives who shape the scene. Each issue is a curated experience, fusing surreal aesthetics with sharp editorial design to capture the rhythm of modern expression—from the stage to the street.
I started by pulling together some reference imagery and inspiration. For this project, I wanted it to have that indie mag feel, the kind that would stop you in your tracks and make you pick it up in a shop. I love messy spreads packed with imagery, showing how real people actually stuff their bags, rather than those overly curated “what’s in my bag” posts. Think Jane Birkin stuffing her bag with everything: casually glamorous, jam-packed with books, makeup, receipts… just lived-in.
This whole thing came from the image of a fan picking up a magazine about their favorite artist and sitting on the floor, devouring every page. That feeling of grabbing your favorite band’s latest album, or watching your favorite designer’s fall collection come to life. You know the feeling...
I’ve been stuck on nostalgia lately, so I also wanted the pages to have a tactile, analog feel.
Next in the process: the messy, catch-all Illustrator file.
This is where all the mood board pieces live—along with early ideas and bits of exploration. A space where I can create freely before polishing everything up.
When I’m starting this kind of document, I play around with color palettes (you can see what I landed on above), test out different fonts, adjust letterforms, just tweaking until something sticks.
The pixel-style font was really calling to me. It felt like the perfect reflection of how most of us consume culture today: online. It’s tasteful, casual, and polished in just the right ways.
Since I was exploring a few different moods and themes in this magazine, I wanted the logo to reflect that too—which is why I ended up mixing fonts and styles to land on the final mark.
For the first issue, I wanted that nostalgic film-finish vibe. I pumped up the grain on this image, and it captured the feeling I was going for: casual, candid, and cool. I want to know where she’s going, what she’s wearing, what she’s into… don’t you?
Then comes my favorite part: designing internal spreads.
I’ve only had a few clients so far who want to dive into fun, chaotic layouts (but I’m definitely looking for more, so if that’s you or someone you know, let’s talk!).
For this spread, I pulled in an article I wrote back in 2018 about how music shapes our emotions, memories, and daily routines and honestly, it still rings so true.
Since I’ve been obsessed with “what’s in my bag” style design, I wanted to take a stab at it myself. Every piece in this spread was individually cut out and collaged together in Photoshop. I layered them, added slight shadows, and created areas of visual interest.
TBH, this was also inspired by New York Minute—specifically Roxy and her style. I feel like she’d be into this magazine.
The next spread is more organized and less chaotic. My inspiration? Photo booth strips. I also love pages with darker backgrounds, sometimes high-contrast black-and-white spreads are just too hard on the eyes. That’s the beauty of passion projects: you get to experiment and explore ideas with no rules.
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Nothing makes me happier than flipping through a magazine and seeing a statement page. Whether it’s a really good ad or just a fun, unexpected layout, they're always so fun to look at. It takes me right back to my teen years, when I’d rip pages out of magazines and plaster them on my walls.
I wanted to recreate that feeling here. I also got to play around with writing quick poems and little inspiring quotes, which I love doing.
The last spread I created gives a behind-the-scenes look at a fashion shoot. I wanted to talk about what the models are wearing, share details about the photographer, and showcase some candid, behind-the-scenes shots that leave you wanting more.
I also created my own version of this spread from the moodboard because it just fit the vibe. I love that it features a clothespin to nod to fashion, a ticket that feels like it came from a concert, and of course, the signature F from the logo.
And of course, it wouldn’t feel complete without a glimpse of what the social presence could look like. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do (both personally and for clients): curating a brand’s digital vibe.
Choosing photography and visuals that tell your story is so important, and honestly, so fun.
One day, I’d love for this project to expand into a real, tangible magazine with way more spreads and featured writing. But for now, it’ll continue living rent-free in my head.
I wish I had saved more of my process and design variations for each spread, but alas, I didn’t. If you’re curious about why I made certain choices or want to talk more about the design side of things, feel free to reach out. I love chatting about all things design.
If you’ve made it this far… thank you. You’re a star!
Until next time,
Bailey