Feature Article Research & Planning

a. Design Principles, Conventions & Elements

A feature article is a long-form, visually appealing piece that blends informative content with storytelling. Compared with news articles, it uses strong visuals, spacious layouts, and clear hierarchy to guide the reader. Core design principles include:

• Headline: Bold, compelling, larger than any other text.

• Stand-first: Short paragraph under the headline summarising the story and setting the tone.

• Columns: 2–4 narrow columns for easier reading.

• Pull Quotes: Key quotes enlarged in decorative fonts to break up text and attract attention.

• Captions: Concise, informative text under photos.

• Byline & Credits: Author, photographer, designer.

• Visual Rhythm: Alternating text blocks with images, panels, or infographics to maintain interest.

  
  

These conventions create a clear reading path and make the article feel premium — which fits my magazine on media & diplomacy.

b. Text Writing Principles & Elements

According to classic feature-writing guidelines, a strong feature article should:

• Open with a hook — an anecdote, striking quote or statistic.

• Develop a narrative — even if it’s factual, it should read like a story rather than a list of facts.

• Use sub-headings to break sections into digestible chunks.

• Integrate voices — quotes from experts, interviews, case studies.

• End with impact — a reflection, call to action, or return to the opening image.

  
  

Tone: conversational but authoritative. Length: 800–2,000 words. For my magazine, this means combining policy insight with human stories and accessible language.

c. Types, Inspiration & Examples

Common types of feature articles:

• Q&A / Interview (direct conversation with an individual)

• Profile (deep dive into one person or organisation)

• Editorial (author takes a stand, supported by facts)

• Trend Piece (how a movement, product or behaviour is spreading)

• Photo Essay (images tell most of the story, supported by captions)

Inspirational Examples

• Monocle profiles on soft power & embassies.

• Foreign Policy long-form stories on disinformation.

• Dazed feature on global youth movements.

My Choice: For my magazine I’ll create a hybrid feature — part trend piece, part Q&A with a young digital activist who influences diplomacy online. This aligns with my magazine’s vision of showing the intersection of media and international relations.

2. PLANNING — My Feature Article Concept

a. Concept & Form

Working title: “From Memes to Movements: How Young Voices Shape Diplomacy”. Why this format: A Q&A with analysis gives authenticity and multiple perspectives; it matches the branding of my magazine, serious yet youth-oriented.

b. Text & Fonts

• Headline: Perhaps Modern serif (Playfair Display or Didot).

• Body text: Clean sans-serif (Lato or Helvetica Neue) for readability.

• Pull quotes: Script or bold condensed sans-serif to contrast body text.

Of course, I am not necessarily planning to keep the fonts this way as they play a crucial part in the visual aspect of the magazine, so they should be matched properly after the whole concept is thought through.

c. Visual Elements

• Photography: Full-bleed images of protests, social media screenshots, portraits of the interviewee.

• Illustrations: Minimal line icons representing hashtags, globes, and speech bubbles to reinforce the theme.

• Color palette: Pastel pink + navy accents, still matching my initial idea and logo.

• Layout: Two-page spread with left page dominated by portrait photo, right page starting the text, pull quotes breaking the flow.

The following image is a kind of a sketch that I made in order to visualise better all the text from above:

In short: My research shows that a feature article is more than text; it’s an immersive, story-driven layout. My planned article will follow the key conventions (headline, stand-first, columns, pull quotes, captions) but also use a youthful pastel aesthetic and digital-culture visuals to match my magazine’s brand.