The document discusses the design choices made for various pages in a music magazine coursework project. For the front cover, conventions were kept in the standard order to be easily recognizable, but details were added to distinguish it from competitors. The contents page took a traditional layout focused around a central image but included unique design features. A double page article spread used a generic layout but contained unexpectedly humorous and unconventional article content. Photographs were taken by the author and edited to fit the underground indie theme.

2. 
To begin with I am to analyse my front cover and talk of the features I have used and the way in which I have
used them.
For my front cover, I have used features and conventions in an orthodox manor to assure they are noticed by
potential buyers. Although I did not want for my magazine front cover to be categorised with the more niche
music press, I came to the conclusion that if I were to rearrange the standard order of conventions, it would
be highly probable that they would not work as effectively as if they were in the usual expected order. This
subject to the preference that is to maintain an order allowing one to use the magazine with ease. This as
appose to the desire for change. I foreseen that keeping conventions where they are supposed to be, would
work in my favour allowing me to maximise the exploitation of my intentions on the page. However despite
the location of features on my page being generic and expected, the appearance of them themselves differ
from the majority of the contemporary music press setting my design apart from the rest thus making my
product more noticeable, thus increasing the probability of my product obtaining the greater sales figure. For
example, the attention to detail on my masthead I find to be necessarily intrinsic, greater so than the vast
majority of other music press. I find it of great importance for one’s product to be easily distinguished from
its competition thus allowing for recognition, identity, a better aesthetic and a greater chance one will buy
that product as appose to its competition. In terms of development then, I have implemented detail, necessary
detail I emphasise that little of the music press today demonstrates on their front covers. My product differs
from the rest and is greater distinguishable subject to detail showing elaboration and development in the
sense of appearance, not location of my conventions. My design despite the detail and extra features, takes an
artistic approach yet still shows clarity as conventions and features are easily identified against the abstract
background.
Front Cover

3. For my second piece of coursework I designed and created myself, I took a more traditional or typical
approach one might say in deciding on the appearance. I used a typical layout where vast majority of the
contents is based and fitted around the main image at the centre. That main image that I chose was one
relating to the main cover line on my front cover. I used my own imagery taken first hand by myself. The
imagery displayed include shots taken at gigs of the likes of Miles Kane and the Boxer Rebellion, both
moderately renowned bands in the UK. As you may see then I wanted to achieve the best possible outcome
for my product and went to the extent of attending some local gigs simply for the photography of that, that I
wanted to use in my media products. I believe I have used an adequate amount of contents on my contents
page that relate to the topic in hand. I have displayed in a sophisticated fashion, eight sections/pages to my
contents page which some contain a small briefing on the topic and some a rather substantial insight into the
story inside, referring here to the blurb on Kyle at the centre. I have also contained within the page an editors
note which consists of a small briefing on the contents of the magazine stating to a certain extent the quality
of the magazine. The editor’s note I have derived also uses a picture of myself pulling a rather peculiar face.
The face I pulled is meant to coincide with the nature of the magazine, that being one that is apart from the
rest with an atmosphere which could be described as proactive. I have used a traditional rather sophisticated
serif font style that I believe can be easily read by all. I believed maintaining a traditional font style was of
importance as I believe going as far a setting the font style apart from that of the competition, may give the
impression the target audience is so specific, many may think my magazine would not appeal to them.
Finally my background. Here I have created something that is referred to as a grunge texture. A distorted
textured background that usually refers t photography of textured surfaces such as rust, rock and so on. So to
conclude with for my contents page, I have taken a traditional approach to its appearance to assure again my
intentions are exploited adequately. However conventions I have used differ from the rest again like my front
cover, this to assure my magazine maintains its identity and isn’t categorised with the competition. So in
terms of development then I have maintained a traditional appearance to the page yet also implemented my
very much unique design features into that.
Contents Page

4. My final piece of coursework, my double page spread could be categorised as very much generic when
referring to the layout. However the orthodox fashion in which the layout seems to be, is by no means
matched within the contents of the article. Starting with the article then, I took the approach to such a task
which I assume will no doubt differ from the competition. My article may consist of mutual humour as well
as humour unique to me. The article is based on humour as I believe humour is probably one of the most
favourable characteristics for entertainment. Personally, reading something humorous is of a greater
preference to me than reading something informative and boring. I emphasise I do not only enjoy reading
humour but much prefer so. Despite the article’s comical nature, the contents will inform one on frequently
asked questions about the subject, Kyle McGurk. I have written the contents in a sophisticated yet colloquial
manor to insure the nature of my humour is delivered successfully. The colloquialism of the subject’s reply’s
means they are easily understood and applicable to real life situations. Therefore alongside with the
colloquialism, the article itself is relatable in a witty and also amusing way. I developed the typical read of a
band interview from being particular and concerned only with music, into a read that didn’t pin point as
much aspects of music and style, by this I mean in this article, unlike much of the niche music press there is
out there, the contents appears not to be solely based around music, but the subjects antics and pretences
along the way. So concluding for the article, what I have derived is a traditional interview with a performer
consisting of text that talks of music and is formal while colloquial at the same time, but with additional
features like much humour, different, more interesting topics I believe, some obscure and abstract, all this
coinciding with the character and his essence. In short the interview fits the subject in terms of the topics and
the way it reads. The layout I have used on my double page spread as already mentioned I find generic.
However I have added my own touch on things with the charred look around the outside of the spread
which can be compared to the grunge texture I created before on my front cover and Contents. The idea I had
for my double page spread was to keep the layout and appearance to a fairly minimal composition in order to
surprise the reader when they began to read as the appearance would not match to that of the contents of the
article. I believe this is an innovative approach to the double page spread which delivers humour,
information and some surprise making for an exciting read.
Double Page Spread

5. For the imagery on my magazine pages, I have taken all f the shots myself with either my
phone camera or my Olympus. The photographs of Kyle have all been taken with the
Olympus as I believed it to be of great importance for these shots to be resolute with a
sense of clarity to give the page itself an overall better aesthetic. Like much of the
contemporary press today, I have chosen to edit all of my shots myself using the plug-in
tool in Photoshop called Camera Raw. This allows one to alter levels such as exposure,
clarity, vibrancy and so on. All the photographs then of Kyle have been edited in such a
way that they show off a negative atmosphere in an attempt to link into the article itself
and the issue it is based on, that being the fame deprived Kyle McGurk who has come to
reclaim it. The photographs of Kyle have been taken in a friends house subject to little
resources or venues we had at our disposal. However I believe the shoot’s location links
in with the underground indie theme that I have based my character around. The shots
on the cover line were all taken with my mobile and have not been edited. Some are of
close friends while some of famous musicians I got to see first hand. The images that are
used on the double page spread along the right side of the page that appear to be in the
format of a polaroid photograph, again I took myself and are of Kyle my subject. I created
these polaroid templates myself in Photoshop in an attempt to personalises the layout
just some as the composition as already I have previously stated is very much a generic
one.
Imagery