The document discusses the design choices made for a college magazine. The student changed from a flat design to one with the masthead at the top in a more recognizable position. Images and text are arranged following the rule of thirds. The college logo is included for brand recognition. The primary audience is 16-19 year old college students, with a secondary audience of 15-16 year old prospective students. The student learned skills in blog design, image editing in Photoshop, and applying these skills to future projects like a music magazine. They were happy with the college magazine overall but would make the additional text more readable.

1. What have you learned from creating
your college magazine?

2. Explain the thoughts behind the design
for your college magazine?
• The design behind my college magazine changed from the
previous flat plan that I have created. This is because my
flat pan was slightly unrealistic in having the mast head at
the bottom of the page. I made the decision to rearrange
the masthead to the top in it’s more recognisable position.
I chose to focus the main image in centre and the text
around it as this would follow the rule of thirds which
would be familiar to people who purchase magazines. I
have incorporated the Sunderland College logo on my
magazine in the top left hand corner. This is due to the fact
as soon as a customer see’s this magazine, they will
instantly know who has produced it and what the content
featured will be related to.

3. Who is your audience by age, gender and audience
code? How does your magazine link to that?
• The primary audience for my college magazine would be College
students ranging for 16-19. They would be interested in this
magazine as they might want to see what upcoming events and
trips will be happening through the college.
• The secondary audience for my college magazine would school
students or school leavers who age around 15-16. They would be
interested in this magazine because they might be considering in
attending this college and would want an insight of what this
college is about.
• This magazine would be genderless as it would be primarily
informing you of all the information that is currently happening in
college. However, occasionally the articles may target one sex more
than the other such as the HELP section as they try to target
particular issues with school which may only effect a certain group.

4. What have you learnt about using blog
doing this task?
• I have learned a various amount of things
from creating my blog at the beginning of
September. Having no prior experience to a
blog of any kind I have learned how to
correctly construct and produce a blog which
appears in an informal and readable way. I
have learned how to successfully attach
images, videos and text. In addition to third
party websites such as slide share and
animoto.

5. How did you edit your images? What skills have you
picked up by doing this?
• I edited my images on a software called
Photoshop. Similarly to my blog, I have had no
experience previously with Photoshop so
creating my college magazine was a very new
experience. I edited my front cover by
changing the contrast and the brightness so
that my image became more aesthetically
pleasing. I believe I have became more IT
literate as I developed all these skills that will
benefit my course.

6. How will you use these skills in creating your
music magazine?
• I will transfer the skills I have learned from
producing my college magazine over to my
music magazine. My new understanding of
how to edit a photo using Photoshop should
allow me to create a better quality magazine
that I originally would have done without
these skills. I can now successfully apply
colour filters and contrast effects to give my
image a better look.

7. Are you happy with your College magazine? Give
an honest appraisal of it
• I am happy with how my college magazine turned
out. I believe I chose an appropriate main image
to represent my magazine as the student
featured is one who attends this college. The
colours I have used at the bottom of the page
contrast well with each other as the black writing
stands out with yellow banner behind it.
However, If I could change the colour of the other
text, I would change it to a colour that is more
easy to read because the black text in some
regions fades into the background slightly.