한국의 근대초기 잡지 표지디자인의 특성

Background Korea Design recently have been developing fast. It is important to writethe history of design in this situation, for design history is a threshold for design practice. This article researches the characteristics of magazine cover design in Korea’s early modernperiod. This study could provide a arguable perspective on Korean contemporary graphicdesign through looking back its starting point. Methods The characteristic aspects of the magazines which published from 1876 to1910 in Korea were categorized and analyzed through their various significances focusedon cover and contents pages. The analysing main elements are sign, symbols, illustration,typography, page layout and colors. These elements were researched under the relation oftheir formation, and its social and cultural meaning. Results The particular points of magazine cover design in Korea’s early modern periodare as follows; Firstly, decoration and symbolic visual elements were used along withillustration. Secondly, diverse Chinese typographies were shown especially around thetitle. Thirdly, professional design perception seemed to emerge even though it wasrare. Fourth, magazine design played a part in differentiating the readers’ identities. Fifth, generally red and green were used often for the cover and contents pages. Theenlightenment movement which was asked under the oppression of colonial period canbe said to be basic factors for shaping the substance of the magazine design of this era. Conclusion The starting point of Korean magazine design is effected by the periodicalcircumstance, the restraint of colonial situation. It exposed strong nationalistic tendency. This perspective suggest a controversial perspective on Korean graphic design.