re-uploaded

1. Evaluation
Alicja Morawska

2. Research
When starting my research I already had a few ideas for what type of magazine I wanted to make, which
allowed me to focus my time in the areas that I already knew a lot about, as I have been a consumer of
products similar to what my final product is like over the past four years, giving me an insight into what the
audience expects from photography, content, style and conventions. I based my research around magazines
that generally fall into the same category and I now see how that could be seen as a weakness in my research,
as it limited where my inspirations and ideas came from, all being the same style and not diversifying where I
was looking, even if did mean I could develop a stronger knowledge of the brand identity that I was looking at.
I looked at kerrang which was admitadly the strongest influence for the design of this product and the research
that I did helped greatly in understanding the aesthetic, what I would need for the photography to achieve
what I wanted to make as well as the writing style and language.
My research on Mojo was also useful as it showed me a similar product that was much more stripped down
compared to the loudness of kerrang that comes with it's much younger audience, and allowed me to take
aspects from it that I feel elevated my product in maturity without actually moving it away from the target
audience.
I do however feel like I should have looked to other places than Q magazine, as it's audience is so far away
from what I wanted to be the readership for my product, and I feel like I would have benefitted much more
looking at a publication with a smaller ciruclation that fit my profile more. I feel like if I had done this I would
have taken less time trying out different ideas that were meant to bring up the sophistication of the product
that ended up being scrapped as they didn't suit the audience that I wanted to cater to.

3. Planning
I came into this project with a general idea for what kind of product I wanted to create,
knowing that it was something that I had done before unlike the other projects on this
course, allowing me to pass by the point of teaching myself the different necessities that
make up a front cover, how it should be laid out and what everything on the page is called.
During planning I said that It would be easy for me to get the photography that I needed as
I knew that I could get subjects for the images that suit the style and although that is still
true, people aren’t reliable and a definite weakness to my planning is a lack of contingency
plan for my subject dropping out, as it put getting a main image on hold and meant that
during production I had to work around the lack of image to try band get as much done
without it as possible and then edit once I was able to fill the space. It meant working
almost backwards as generally the first thing on the page is the image, but I think this also
allowed me to focus on what I wanted the masthead, blobs and banners to look like
individually rather than making them work around the image, not giving enough attention
to the different aspects that make up a cover and expecting the photography to be
enough to make an attractive front cover. My mood board I feel was very appropriate in
relation to my final product, not focusing only on other magazines and what they looked
like but looking at things that you would expect the target audience to be interested in like
festivals, bars, gaming and cinema, meaning it included what other parts of the readers life
would look like. From the mood board I was able to bring out a general colour scheme that
did end up being used for the cover as well as a lot of ideas about what styles to use. I
think I could have spent more time looking into other parts of the readers life.

4. Time Management
Out of all of the projects done this year, my time
management has been the best during this
rotation, stemming from a calmer private life but
also from having the confidence in knowing what
I'm doing with this project and having more
interest in it, as it’s something that I would be a
part of the audience for. My research PowerPoint
was lost between switching machines and had to
be rewritten later but overall my PowerPoints that
were expected to be completed were done within
the given time. When it came to my experiments I
know I should have definitely spent less time on
making the cover look good and more time
working on the double page spread, as this was
my first time working on DPS and with InDesign,
but at the time I was sticking to what I was
comfortable with and focusing on ensuring that I
still knew how to make a cover that I expected
from myself. As stated in the slide before I had an
issue with getting a hold of someone to be the
subject of my photography for the actual product
and that meant the cover ended up taking a lot
longer than it should have and the double page
spread was done outside of the set time given for
production and I know that contingency planning
is something to focus on during the FMP.

5. Technical Qualities
Masthead - The effects I used in my work are
drop shadow and gradient overlay. I found that
without the gradient the colour was too solid
and blocky and didn’t look right with the
darkness of the page. The drop shadow I wanted
to include to lift the masthead from the page
and add additional depth. On the other hand the
existing product also uses a drop shadow as the
white would blend too much with the lighting
from the main image. Where I’ve used a
gradient to break up the solid colour, Kerrang
used a shatter effect on top of their well known
masthead.
Posters - with these examples the placement of
the posters that are featured on the cover are
quite similar in that there’s additional
photography tucked into the top right corner,
taking up some of the space from the top
banner as well as covering some of the
masthead. My main poster at the bottom of the
page takes up less space and the text that goes
with it is in a separate box whereas in the
Kerrang version, part of the poster has been
cover with the text in order to take up less
space.
Main Image – what can be said about both
images is the use of lighting as a major part of
the aesthetic qualities of the picture. The image
of Green Day’s front man comes from a live
performance and uses stage lighting and creates
a ‘halo’ effect behind the subject. My model has
a cyan light cast across half of his face in a
photoshoot and there was some adjustments I
had to make to bring the colour out more
without brightening the background and making
it hard to place white text over, as personally I
didn’t want to use text boxes to make the cover
lines visible like Kerrang has done
Blobs - in my work I’ve used one blob in top left
corner, advertising a chance to win tickets to a
festival. I’ve used a drop shadow to add depth
and layers, an inner shadow that creates the red
design on one half of the ellipse that I feel makes
it more interesting than a simple solid colour
shape. Kerrang’s blobs are similar in that they’re
straight to the point and simple but not so
simple that they chose to stick to one solid
colour block.
Tear away - something I wanted to include that
the existing product hasn’t in this issue, however
has done in other examples. Something I like
working with is the use of a tear away across the
bottom of a page. In this piece I chose to the
standard paper rip that a lot of magazines use,
creating the outline of the rip, adding a colour
overlay and a white inner shadow to outline the
shape. I wanted to use this as it gives a literal
layer to the page that can be used for depth.Barcode – obviously being an existing product,
Kerrang has to feature a barcode on it’s front
page. I wanted to add it to my work simply for
the purpose of making it look more realistic as a
product that one could find in a newsagents.
Something that was pointed out to me that I
would like to use in future products is including a
price tag on the front cover, something the real
publication has done but mine fell short on due
to simple overlooking.

6. Technical Qualities
Border – both of the spreads have some kind of border. I
wanted to include mine because I like the way that they
frame the page. I created mine using the rectangle tool for
the shape, adding the right diagonal dash texture over it to
make it more interesting than a solid colour. I then put a grey
colour overlay on top with a yellow inner shadow to get the
effect I wanted it to have. In the existing product they have
made a border out of what looks like Hollywood style
dressing room mirror lights, differentiating from the solid
block border I used. This suits the colour scheme of Kerrang’s
double page spread whilst still framing the page without a
solid line going around the outside.
Blob – both pages have a very similar blob in the same
location, fitting into their individual color schemes. They
serve their purpose of informing the reader of what
information can be found on the page and filling the
empty space next to the subject of the photograph. I
made the shape by deleting the parts of a rectangle that I
didn’t need and adding a darker inner glow, with a drop
shadow that the existing product also used to lift it from
the page and make it seem as it it were above the rest of
the page.
Article Title - the biggest difference between the two
products here is that Kerrang’s uses a pull quote from the
article as the title, whereas my work has a title and a pull
out added separately above it. Both titles use a text box to
make the titles stand out against the page, using different
colors to empathies certain parts. I wanted to make the
name of the band stand out hence the use of white with
the rest of the title being black.
Layout - these two products have very similar layouts, both
having the subject of the main photograph to one side of
the screen, with text filling the opposite page as well as the
border. Some differences are the use of additional
photography to break up the block of text in my work as
well as the title and pull quote placement. Something I
wanted to avoid that was used in the existing product is
having anything going across the middle of the page, as in
the bottom screenshot when placed in a physical magazine
the black text box doesn’t line up on either side due to the
crease of the pages.
Text – the article written in the existing product has an
introduction to the interview, the questions have been
marked out by having a white highlight behind the text and
have been organized into left aligned columns. This give the
reader a chance to find out what the article is about before
they start reading as well as making it clear where each
question starts. In my work I've set my article into two
justified columns of text as I wanted to make it more
structured. I didn't’t want to use a highlight or text box for
the questions to make them stand out so instead used the
accent color of the page for the text.
Additional photography - in my work I used extra shots of
the models to give me something to break up the text on
the right page, as I didn’t want the page to be entirely filled
with text and nothing else. I feel this worked effectively and
allowed me to have a more interesting layout to my page.
The existing product doesn’t have a need for additional
photography to break up the page as their subject take up
the entire left page and the title is what stops the right side
from being a block of text.

7. Aesthetic QualitiesMain image – my product features photography from a
photoshoot, which is not uncommon in similar already
existing publications. The reason I chose this image is
because of the interesting blue light being cast on half
the face although I wish I’d taken it closer to the source
to make it more intense. The image works well with the
color scheme and the layout of the page, including the
masthead which I found can cause complications when
working on my experiments.
Color Scheme - there are four main colors I chose to work
with; yellow, white, red and black. I feel like these shades
compliment each other well but still stand out against each
other enough to make sure that each aspect of the page
makes a powerful impact. I knew I wanted to make the
masthead yellow which I feel limits where else it can be used
as over using the same shade can lead to the masthead
being lost, something I wanted to avoid as it’s an important
part of why a potential reader might pick up the magazine. I
knew I wanted to use red somewhere on the cover and
decided that it would make a good accent color for the
bottom banner of the page. Since the main image is so dark,
there wasn’t much question over white being the text color,
it stands out and is easily readable which I feel is the most
important thing to think about when choosing a font color.
Fonts – most of the fonts used on this page were
downloaded from the internet as nothing in the set fonts in
Photoshop fit what I was looking for. The masthead font is
actually called Headliner no. 45 and was chosen because of
how bold it is and the small irregularities across the letters
which I felt fit the magazine more than a clean cut font.
The font used for the cover lines and most of the writing
across the page is done in the font Rockwell. I like this font
because it’s blocky, easy to read and looks like a typewriter
font, which I found in my research appeals to the audience
due it’s authenticity.
The other fonts on the page were selected for the purpose of
being featured as the logo fonts for the bands that were
written about.
Wither - Eras Demi ITC
The Steelworks – Hurson
Code Zero - Agency FB
Posters - something that gets overlooked in print projects
and that I knew I wanted to include was promotional
material for the subjects featured in the magazine. In a lot of
similar existing products you can find free posters inside for
the fans of bands to be able to display their support without
having to pay for big expensive prints. In magazines such as
Kerrang!, the front cover will show and inform the reader of
what posters can be found inside the issue. The two posters
shown on the cover were made using images that were
taken as possible main images for the page. It makes the
cover look more realistic and allows for additional images to
be added without disrupting the layout.
Cover Line Placement – the cover lines surrounding the
subject of the main image were given their places in a way
so that they were easily readable, set to align either to the
left or right of the page depending on which side they were
on. What I felt most important with the placement is that
they don’t disturb the model on the main image, as it would
take attention away from them and make the layout look
untidy. The main goal for the placement was to do it in a
way that would mean that the cover could look good as it’s
own independent print.
Bottom banner – The yellow banner spanning across the
bottom of the page was put there to separate the red tear
away so that it didn’t take up as much space in one solid
color as well as give space to the text that informed the
reader of what other bands/artists are featured in the issue
whose articles did not make it on to the cover lines. This is
done in most magazines with stories that although will be
found interesting by a large proportion of the readers, are
not the biggest articles found in that particular issue and
therefore aren’t given space to be featured on the actual
cover.
Blob – in the top left corner of the screen is a blob that
spreads over the top banner of the page informing the
audience that inside this issue there is a chance to win
tickets to a major music festival. It fits the color scheme of
the page and has the appearance of a sticker to stand out
against the top banner.

8. Aesthetic Qualities
Color Scheme - for the double page spread I
wanted to continue a similar color scheme to the
one I used on the front cover to work towards
creating a brand identity. I went against using red
in this piece because after experimenting with it
in different ways I decided it clashed against the
purple lighting in the main image. I used white
for the text again due to the contrast it would
give against the dark background of the main
image. Once I put the article onto the page in
InDesign I realized that having all of the text be
white made it look very blocky and unseparated
so I chose to change the questions being asked in
the interview to the yellow that’s used
throughout the page and I’m very happy with the
result. I wanted to use the yellow more
prominently in the double page spread as I felt
that if I used too many different colors the page
would become too contrasted and loud.
Border - something I found during my research
and included in my pre-production layout was a
border to frame the page, as I wanted to be able
to use it to give it depth and visible layers by
being able to cover parts of it with photography
and blobs. I’m happy with outcome and the
textures I used on it, which resemble the metal
grate flooring used on performance staging to fit
the theme of the magazine.
Fonts - there are only two fonts used in this
spread, both of which had already been used in
the front cover. The font Eras Demi ITC was used
for the article title as it was font I picked for the
band Wither, however everything else is done in
the font Rockwell.
Blob - I had planned to use this in my pre-
production as it gives the reader a quick bit of
information about what can be found on the
page from the second they open the page due to
how English speaking people naturally read from
the top left of a page. It also takes care of the
empty space that would have been in the top left
corner without it.
Main Image - before going to take the pictures I knew
how I wanted it to be set, photographed from just
above the floor, subject of the photo entirely on one
side so that I didn’t have to worry about the spread
crease getting in the way of the image. After working
on my front cover I wanted to work with coloured
lighting again so that I could add something different
and exciting to the photography in a simple but
effective way, as well as include something different in
the colour scheme without adding it to other aspects
of the page in big blocks of solid colour.
Pull Quote – I took a part of the article I’d written that
I thought would seem interesting to a reader for the
pull quote. The main thing to be said about this is the
way I’ve placed the actual quotations. I tried a few
different ways of adding them to the page but decided
that having them in the accent color of the page as big,
bold marks across the writing, as I wanted it to stand
out as the pull quote and I think it’s been effective.
Additional photography – something I wanted to avoid
was having one side of the page be block of writing so
the pictures featured on the right side of the work are
there to break up the space more as well as give the
reader more to focus on. The picture on the bottom is
from the same photoshoot and fits the tone of the
page perfectly, whereas the top image comes from a
different place and had to be edited slightly so that the
brightness didn’t take away from the other aspects of
the work or look out of place but I think both of them
fit their purpose very well.
Text – I wanted to keep one side of the page clear
of article text, thinking about how it would look if
it were in physical magazine. the questions of the
interview I made a different colour to break up
the text as well as make it easier to read.

9. Audience Appeal
Chance to win – I wanted to include this in the
cover as it’s promotional material that caters to a
majority of the target audience. Although some of
the younger reader would not be able to benefit
from the chance to win tickets to a festival, its
available to the 16+ group and it can entice the
readership to buy this specific article to find out
how they can be entered into the competition.
Posters – I feel like this is something that would
attract the younger part of the audience for this
kind of product as it is not uncommon for young
music fans to buy magazines that can provide them
with a cheap way of expressing their music taste
( teenagers covering their rooms in posters of their
favorite band). I know that this was a personal
reason for why I bought these kinds of magazines
and from my research I know that the culture
hasn’t died. it may not appeal to the older readers
as much as it’s less likely to be a decoration choice
that they make but the photography featured can
still be appreciated by all members of the audience.
It’s commonplace for the bands that are featured in
articles to not only go to the publisher for an
interview but also for a photoshoot that
accompanies their article.
Cover lines – an important aspect of any magazine
is having the cover feature what the most
interesting articles of that issue are. It allows the
reader to know what’s inside before they buy it.
Something typically found in the audience of music
magazines is readers who buy each issue every
week, however you do still find more casual readers
who will only buy the article if it features a big
article from one of the bands they enjoy. This is
important because it means you can gather more
readers by giving them a preview of what they’re
buying.
Bottom banner – the articles that weren’t deemed
as one of the bigger stories of the week and didn’t
make it on as a cover line of the page can still be
found at at the bottom of the page, for the fans
who want to find out what else is in the issue
before buying the product. This gives a place for the
smaller stories to still be displayed to the audience
before purchase.
Masthead – I wanted to give the product a name
that made it clear what the magazine was about.
There are publications who have been able to avoid
this by being released decades ago and have made
a reputation for themselves that allows the general
public to know what the magazine is about even if
they’ve never bought it themselves such as Rolling
Stone. I chose the name headliner as it’s a clear link
to the live music scene and will give the average
member of the public an idea of what the product
is simply by the name.
Photography – the subject of the photo would
easily appeal to the younger audience as it’s
someone they can relate to, in comparison to a
teenager buying a magazine featuring a band from
the 70’s, which whilst is not unheard of it’s less
common in todays society. The blue light being cast
across the models face is an interesting feature to
the photography itself and could potentially bring
new readers to the publication. Another part of the
audience that could be affected is that of
heterosexual women and homosexual men, as
having a subject of ‘desire’ on the cover is a
common selling point to audiences ranging from
fifteen to late twenties.

10. Audience Appeal
Tour Announcements – having a blob in the corner
of the page allows for the reader to quickly be
given information about what's going to be on the
page as it's where our eyes naturally go when
reading. The appeal that this gives to readers will
generally be for those who are fans of the band,
however could also attract other members of the
audience who have less interest in the band itself
but more out of genuine curiosity.
Main Image - the main image has a lot of aesthetic
appeal to the audience, more primarily the female
readers. The subject of the photograph is someone
that can be the whole spectrum of the target
audience age group can relate to. Something I
wanted to think about when making this spread
was the visual appeal of the left page, as the purple
lighting makes the photography stand out more
rather than the typical in studio photoshoot, and
due to the lack of article text on that side of the
spread, it allows the readers that have an invested
interest to the band that's featured to take the
page that's centered around the artist and use it for
something such as decoration should they want to
do so. This is more likely to appeal to the 15 to 19
year old members of the audience who want to be
able to express their music taste in any way that
they can.
Additional photography – the images that were
added to break up the columns of text add more
content to the page. To the readers who skim the
pages and do not have much interest in the article
itself are more likely to pay attention to the images
and their descriptions below each of the pictures.
Article Title - the title of the page can affect viewer
readership due to the interest in the article that it
can bring. Simply including the name of a band or
artist in the title of an article is going to bring forth
the readers who are already followers. As for other
members of the audience it's an attention grabbing
title that leads the readers to an article that will
inform them about a change in the music scene, an
important aspect for any consumer of this kind of
product.
Text - I wanted to ensure that the text
wasn't overwhelming on the page. It's a simply
story that reintrudouses an artists into the current
music scene. The text is in equal columns and
shorts spans of text that are easy to read and
wouldn't put off potentilal readers who didn't have
the time to read a long article.
Pull Quote – the pull quote is an easy way of
gathering interest from a reader who is passing
through the pages, as it excludes a part of a
sentence that represents the story that it comes
from in a short and effective way. It allows the
reader to gain some kind of understanding about
what the page is about before they commit to
reading the entire article.