The document discusses the learning and improvements the author has experienced from an initial school magazine project to developing a full music magazine product. Some of the key lessons learned include gaining more confidence with design software like Photoshop, improving editing skills, learning about magazine conventions, and understanding magazine distribution. The author's design work for the music magazine is seen as more professional compared to the initial school magazine, with stronger use of layout, images, and typography. Overall, the preliminary school magazine project helped the author gain experience that improved the quality of their subsequent music magazine design work.

1. 7. Looking back at your preliminary task [the school magazine], what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

3. I have learned a lot since the preliminary task and I have become more confident with using new technologies such as Photoshop. My editing skills have improved and I have become more efficient. Through the research stages I have learned a great deal about the conventions of music magazines and have then been able to apply them to my own magazine designs to make them as successful as possible. I have also learnt about the different ways in which magazines are distributed and what the effects are. Generally, I have a greater understanding of the magazine industry. In terms of using the blog I have learned how to add different types of files, organize posts accordingly and use other programmes such as Sound Cloud and Slide Share and then embed them on Wordpress. Therefore I have demonstrated that I can use a variety of programmes to enhance the quality of my blog which I may not have known how to do before.

4. After learning how to use a variety of different tools on Photoshop I am now able to create more professional designs. My school magazine was very basic looking when I look back. I like the use of colour but the text wasn’t strong enough on the front cover. It was also out of line and the colour scheme didn’t really work. I tried to use a font on my second magazine cover which looked like handwriting to fit in with the school theme. However, it looked thin and was difficult to see against the image. My school contents page looks bare. I did not fill in all of the space provided and therefore it looks lacking in information. I only have 3 coverlines underneath ‘features’ and ‘every month’ and although my school and music contents page were based on the same ‘Q’ magazine there is a clear difference in quality. I also feel that my coverlines are more interesting on my music magazine and on the school magazine they don’t seem to be ‘catchy’ enough or make a statement.

5. However, with my music magazine I have worked to the best of my ability and made a design which appeals to my target audience, is attractive, eye catching and professional. I concentrated a lot more on mise en scene for my music magazine and wanted the colour scheme to be uniformed and run throughout so that the three pieces fitted together and could be recognized as one. I also thought more about what the models should be doing in the images to attract my target audience, what clothes they should wear and their facial expressions. I considered representation a lot more and asked my target group questions so that their opinions could influence my work. I also think I have taken photographs of a higher quality and have edited features such as the lighting so that they look more professional. The only part of mise en scene that I considered in the preliminary task was for the models to be stood outside school in their uniform. My mastheads are more interesting as I used Dafont to experiment & see what worked well and I think overall the layout is much more structured and professional.

6. Overall the preliminary task was helpful in learning about how to use software such as Photoshop and by doing this I have created some successful designs for my music magazine. I think my work has become much more professional and I have become more comfortable with the technological aspects of design.