Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Establish grid system and typographic hierarchy
1–2 weeks (2 hrs/day)
Establish a grid system for your editorial project (magazine spread, book chapter, or long-form digital article). Define: grid columns (number and gutter width), baseline grid (leading and vertical rhythm), and your typographic hierarchy (minimum body, subhead, heading, caption, and pull quote styles). Apply the grid and hierarchy to a minimum of four test spreads.
Proof required
Submit your grid specification document (grid parameters, type styles with point sizes, weights, and leading values) and four test spread screenshots or exports showing the grid applied.
What gets checked
- Grid parameters are fully specified — not 'I used a grid in InDesign'
- Typographic hierarchy has minimum five styles (body, subhead, heading, caption, pull quote), all defined with values
- Four test spreads show the grid applied consistently — not ignored when it becomes inconvenient
Common mistakes
- Grid system is invented per spread rather than defined first — inconsistency is the result
- Typographic hierarchy has only two or three levels — not enough for complex editorial layouts
- Baseline grid ignored in practice — type floats rather than sitting on the grid
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check grid is fully specified — ask student to name their column count, gutter width, and baseline grid unit
- Verify typographic hierarchy has five or more levels — fewer indicates complex layout hasn't been considered
- Ask student: what happens to your grid when you have a full-bleed image? If they don't know, the grid hasn't been tested
Design and produce eight completed editorial spreads
3–4 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Design and produce a minimum of eight editorial spreads using your established grid and typographic hierarchy. Spreads must demonstrate range: at least one text-heavy spread, one image-led spread, and one hybrid spread with pull quote, caption, and infographic elements. All spreads must use real (not placeholder) text and images.
Proof required
Submit your eight spreads as an exported PDF (print-ready, 3mm bleed where applicable).
What gets checked
- Eight spreads present using real content — no Lorem ipsum or placeholder images
- Range is demonstrated — text-heavy, image-led, and hybrid spreads visible
- All spreads use the established grid — not individually re-invented
Common mistakes
- Placeholder text remains in final layouts — indicates layouts were not completed
- All spreads are similar in structure — range was not explored
- Grid is abandoned in complex spreads rather than used to solve the layout problem
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Count: eight spreads with real content — placeholder text or images indicate work is not finished
- Check range: text-heavy, image-led, and hybrid all present
- Ask student to open the grid overlay in one spread and show how a complex layout element relates to it — inability indicates the grid was not consistently applied
Submit layouts for professional editorial critique
1 week
Submit your eight spreads for review by a tutor, designer, or editorial professional. The review should challenge hierarchy decisions, grid consistency, and content-layout relationship. Document specific feedback and produce a revision note (minimum half page) identifying at least three changes made or justified as intentional departures.
Proof required
Submit: (1) critique session record (date, reviewer, specific feedback points — minimum half page), (2) revision note (minimum half page: three changes or justified departures).
What gets checked
- Critique record documents specific layout challenges — not 'the layouts look good'
- Revision note identifies three specific changes with layout rationale
- Justified departures from reviewer feedback are explained with design reasoning — not dismissed
Common mistakes
- Revision note lists changes without explaining why they improve the layouts
- Justified departures are defensive — 'I liked it the way it was' rather than a design argument
- Only cosmetic changes are made — fundamental hierarchy or grid issues unaddressed
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Check critique record documents specific layout challenges
- Verify revision note identifies three specific changes — general 'I improved things' is not a revision record
- Ask student: which spread changed most significantly after the critique and why? Inability to answer indicates the revision was superficial
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