Round 1 Element Layouts

Moving forward with our research and identity designs we were assigned to do spreads made for print. These are a few of the layouts that I created. After really digging in and analyzing these, I am not pleased at all. These are just a few of the many iterations I did and happen to be the most "successful."
These all rely on the page as a frame too much. Going into this I had the idea of harmony, unity, stability, and sterility. The only problem with this is that it came across as static. These layouts are stiff and visually unappealing. They don't excite the eye or engage the viewer in a memorable experience. The first two images are the last two layouts I created in this round. I feel like a started to stumble upon something in these. If I would have pushed a little further after those two I think I would have had a solid first round to expand on.