ok...

For starters I'm not a large blogging person, it's one part of the Internet that seems to niggle at me slightly.
Some people these days can spend so much time and effort recording useless tripe on places like Facebook it has
put me off reviewing even my own work that I have up on some image hosting sites like deviant art.
People walking around taking pictures on their IPhone, populating there own space/blogs on such sites wanting people to know what they are doing
and where they are every hour of the day I find a little infuriating.

I've been asked to do a review on a Website out of a selection of 5 sites and have chosen to tackle one on the
Website for [link] as I found it a tad comical.

Baseline is an International TypoGraphics magazine which has an online site and store



ty· pog·ra· phy (t-pgr-f)
n. pl. ty· pog·ra· phies
1.
a. The art and technique of printing with movable type.
b. The composition of printed material from movable type.
2. The arrangement and appearance of printed matter.


Baseline's web designers what are you doing!

Your Website to me just does not reflect your team and its philosophy.

To take a direct quote from its current online site,

"Baseline’s philosophy is holistic. It stems from a firm belief that design and layout should spring from, and be in balance with, the contents."

Although some of the pages are straight and to the point providing people with the relevant information that they
need should they wish to contact or even make a purchase online, the complete feel of this journal/magazine is not reflected by its online presence.

I of course can understand that certain companies like to work with a type of ethos that only reputation can provide. From my point of view
I am a possible new viewer of the works that go on within this publications pages, be them online or in my hands.

Either way it seems to me that they are missing the point when it comes to truly representing themselves online especially in this day and age where a great deal of people spend most of there time online trawling or trolling through forums and Websites.

Works that are contained within the pages of this Website do not have any impact online whatsoever.

The lively pages for me are the education, subscribe and special offers sections, they have well spaced images on my screen but a bored font style breeds monotony of thought.

The about/contact section of its pages lacks excitement and if I was in its contributors link, I would seriously wonder what going on.

For a magazine that has a and I quote "high editorial, design and production standard for which the magazine is renowned, I can not see it at all in its online site.

Why is there no animated type on your Website.
Allow your representation online to be flooded with what it is that your all about.
Moveable type, I don't see a great deal of this on the site.

It's History and award section, when first loading in scrolls writing past your eyes at an incredible rate.

Most books you read left to right in the western world. The scripting and font relevant to the appropriate historical front cover images, load up right to left.
It seemed to confuse and disorientate the reader...

"and be in balance with, the contents."


yup I'm seeing a pattern emerging that's for sure..




From a purchasing perspective you can hardly make out the type and pictorial layout in some sections. Although these pages of their Website seem to be the most interactive.

Finally, the arrangement and appearance of printed matter.

Is it only me here that finds this a little ironic? surely it seems strange to have a statement like this on a site that clearly has poor judgement in its type and colour that go so disastrously well together.

The purple background Editorial page, the Advertising, with it's black on cool blue and Philosophy sections are a perplexing strain on the eyes to understand.

From a quick glance I find baseline to be stark and incredibly difficult to read. it's choice of colour's behind it's texts have made me squint to make out the written word.

On a side note if minimalism is the Key word for this site I am of course clearly impresse.
This is my first look at and review of such a subject in quite some time.
Although these are some hacking comments into this magazines Website, my apologies to anyone that it offends.

P.s my sarcasm alas does not improve with age like a fine wine. ^ ^