The document provides an evaluation of the contents and design of a magazine cover and first few pages. Key points include: - The masthead uses a serif font to look formal but the letters are thin and bold for modern look. A subhead is also included. - The lead image could be improved with a lighter background to make the cover less dull. - Cover lines use transparent black boxes to stand out against dark colors while maintaining a modern look. - The contents page mimics the cover design but could have better pictures. Page numbers have creative treatments like circles. - Comparable magazines like Vogue and Grazia inspired some design elements but with brighter colors. Overall, brighter

1. Evaluation for contents and front
cover page

2. Front cover Back Cover

3. Masthead
For the masthead of the magazine I used a
font off ‘Dafont.com’. I thought the
masthead would look better if the writing
was behind the models head, but in front of
the main background, as it looks more
professional and smart. The weight of the
letters was a thin, but bold writing style
so it gave the magazine a modern look, was
simple to read, and nothing that big or
bright. The typeface is serif, which makes
the writing look more old fashioned, but
also formal, which gives the magazine a
good impression that its serious and not a
joke.
I used a subhead to add to the
masthead, using the same font, but in a
smaller size as its just telling us that
it’s a new edition magazine. I also think
that this just added to the magazine and
gave it a better appearance.

4. Lead Image
For the lead image, I used a picture of a
friend. It was a medium-close up, which I
think worked well as the back ground wasn’t
to fussy. The only think I would have changed
with the picture was probably to have a
lighter background, as I think the whole
picture maybe makes the front cover look a
bit dull and plain. Especially for
students, I think it would have been better
if it was more colourful as that would
probably appeal to students more, as this is
probably a bit grown up as the colour scheme
is rather bland.

5. Cover lines
For the cover lines, I decided to have a
black box around the writing, but reduced the
opacity so they were transparent. I felt this
gave the magazine a modern view, to make up
for the classic, old style serif writing. I
made the writing white so it would stand out
more, against all the darker colours on the
main page and background, but used the same
font as the masthead and subhead so it would
all fit in.
I added the picture of the Starbucks cup, as
this related to a story in the magazine, and
added something else to the front cover, to
make it less plain and boring. Also, because
this was a main story in the magazine.

6. Contents page
I wanted to make the contents page
have roughly the same style as the
front cover, by using the same
fonts, and giving it the ‘modern’
look. I also kept the colours plain,
like on the front cover so it
wasn’t too different.
The header was the same text, just a
different colour, and I added the
black background, and didn’t fill
in some on the letter to give it a
different and modern effect.
As the Starbucks page was meant to
be one the main stories, I made this
a bit bigger than the rest so it
would stand out. I put a picture of
a Starbucks cup to add to this, and
made the Title of the Starbucks text
green to match the Logo.
I added random lines to the page to
try and make up for the white space,
which I think worked well because it
made sections for different parts on
the page.

7. Contents header
For the Contents header, I used the same
text that was used on the front cover.
This helped relate the contents page to
the Front cover, so it wasn’t totally
different, and you would realize it was
for the same magazine. I left two of the
letters white, instead f changing in to
black with the writing to give it a more
modern effect, and makes it more
fun, and not so serious and perfect. The
colour scheme is again, plain and simple
so its clear and stand out.
Pictures
I tried to take pictures that would
relate the articles on the magazine,
such as the picture of the people
was to show that the magazine was
saying ‘hello’ from the student
union. The pictures help fill the
white space, and might encourage
people to look at a certain article,
if they like the picture.

8. Page numbers
For the numbers, I knew I didn’t want
them to be displayed boring and
simply, as I felt I needed to add some
fun to the magazine as I thought it was
a bit boring. I used the same effect as
I used on the front cover by adding a
few dark boxes around some of the
writing for the contents page. I did
this because I felt it matched well
with the front page, and added some fun
to the page.
I made the numbers for the contents a
bit more imaginative and put black
circles round some so the numbers stood
out more. Some had larger numbers than
others and I rotated some of them to
give it a less boring and fun effect.

9. Analysis
Before I started constructing the magazine, I made plans, and flat plans to decide what I
was going to include in my magazine, which really helped, because otherwise I would have no
idea what I was going to do! This ensure that I figured out what kind of pictures I wanted
to use, the text, articles and colour scheme.
What worked?
I think the bits that worked well was, on the front cover, the black transparent boxes. I
think these gave a really nice, simple, but modern effect to the magazine. I think they
worked especially well as the colour scheme was quite dark ,so I couldn’t have used just
black writing on its own, because it wouldn’t have shown up, and white writing with no
background would have looked very boring!
I also think that fun page numbers looked good as it made a better appearance to the
page, and was a bit different to normal magazines. I also like the way the Starbucks
lettering was the same Starbucks logo colour as it matches in really well, relates to that
article and adds a new colour into the page.
What didn’t work?
Think that I thought didn’t work as well was maybe the lead image. It was all very
dark, and would have been much better if it was brighter. Also, on the contents page I think
I could have made the pictures better, maybe to add in with the colour scheme, as I think
they made the page look a bit strange and random.

10. What was difficult?
I found the contents page the hardest to do, as all the layers got very confusing, as there
were so many to be working with! Making the page numbers, especially the ones with the
black circles around was very hard, as I had to make sure I linked the layers, and got them
in the right order, so the number could actually be seen.
I also found thinking of pictures hard, as I had no idea what I was going to do! Once I had
figured out what pictures I was going to do, and that I was going to relate them to the
articles, it was a lot easier.
When I was working out my flat plans, and what I was going to include in in, I got very
confused as I had no idea what to include, especially as there were so many options, and so
much that I could include, so I had to try and reduce my list to just a few!
Working out the pages numbers was also very confusing because I had to make sure I left
space for advertisements, so I had to miss out many numbers. And also, I had no idea how
many pages I should have included as all magazines have different amounts.
What was easy?
I found using Photoshop easy as I have no gotten used to it, so I managed to get through
things quite quickly after I had thought up ideas as I knew how to display them and sort
them out on Photoshop.

11. What have I learnt?
I learnt a lot of things about doing this magazine, such as what to include, and especially
that I need to leave space for advertisements, as I never really realised until I was
constructing the magazine!
I also learnt stuff about the front cover, like the identifier, left 3 rd, cover lines, lead
image, banners, flash boxes and the masthead. I knew roughly what these things were, but had
no idea what they were actually called, and with some of the, why they were actually used.
What if I had more time and money?
If I had more time and money, I would have got a better picture, brighter and with a more
inventive background. Also, made the colour scheme a lot brighter so the magazine doesn't
look as ‘old’

12. What magazines can I compare to mine
to? Obviously, my magazine is nothing like these two, but
different elements make bits similar. Vogue’s magazine
title has a serif writing style which is thin but with
bold parts, which is like mine, and also has a simple
colour scheme. Although each magazine has different
colour titles, some are bland and plain, like this
one, and like mine.
Grazia magazine has the title the same as mine in the way
that its behind the models head, but in front of the
background as such. Also the yellow boxes are the same as
mine, but they used a brighter colour to lighten up the
page.