1. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT
TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE
PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THIS
PRODUCT?

2. THE BEGINNING
At the start of this task my knowledge of technology was
very limited to the basics, such as uploading single files
and a very basic understanding of programmes such as
Photoshop and InDesign. The majority of my work was
done on an Acer desktop computer, with some of it done on
a laptop.

3. PHOTO-SHOOT
For my photo-shoot I used a Nikon D40. During my first
attempt of my photo-shoot I knew how to zoom due to my
basic understanding. Throughout the duration of my shoots I
learnt how to edit the brightness of the picture. I also
managed to use the gridlock feature, this places grids onto
the screen when taking the photo, so you can easily locate
the centre of the shot. This was useful when attempting to
align my model centrally.

4. TEXT ON THE MAGAZINE
All of my text was copied and pasted into word and spell
checked to avoid grammar and spelling errors. I also used
synonyms to see if there was a better alternative to the
words I already wrote.

5. PICTURES ON THE MAGAZINE
Once my pictures had been uploaded onto the computer, I opened
them up in Photoshop CS6. Before this I have never had any experience
of this programme, so it was all new to me. I began by removing the
backgrounds from the images using the quick selection tool to do this.
But I gradually learnt it would not work this way every time, so I had to
use the pen tool to remove the background for increased precision. I
then used the air brush tool to remove any imperfections from the
image. I also used the sharpen edges tool to get a crisper image.

6. INDESIGN
After I edited the pictures on Photoshop, I imported them into InDesign
to be placed into the magazine. As I have never used this programme
before it was quite difficult at first, but I learnt how to put all of the
text into columns without using separate text boxes. I also learnt how to
use the kerning tool to remove gaps in between my text, as well as the
stretch tool.

7. EDUBLOGS
By using the blogging site, ‘Edublogs’ I was able to communicate ideas
through to people and measure responses which helped me in the
development of my magazine. Using the site to blog all the processes
in creating my magazine really helped as I was able to keep up to
date with all my work. I was able to post any developments whenever I
wanted. It also came with the advantage of being able to look at other
blogs. I could create ideas and develop similar designs from others.

8. YOUTUBE
YouTube was one of the most important websites I used as I was able to
find tutorials on how to use certain features of Photoshop and InDesign
that I could not use. One of the tutorials was on how to remove the
background from an image -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTZ1HnGzm6E

9. SOCIAL MEDIA - TWITTER
Previous to this task I was very familiar with social media
as I own accounts and use them on a regular basis. I
realised that it would be useful to use these websites to
get feedback and distribute my magazine directly to my
target market.

10. CREATING AN APP
Previous to this task I had no knowledge on how to create
an app. I knew that apps were very popular so I thought it
would be good to create one as my research shown that 7
in 10 people in the UK had a smart phone. I found this
easy to use website which made the process to create my
app very simple and quick. My app is now available to
download in the Android market.

11. CONCLUSION
To conclude, thanks to the making of the product, I have learnt how to
use some complex techniques about how to use Photoshop and InDesign
at a high standard, and where each tool comes in handy. But also
through tutorials on YouTube, all these forms of technology are
responsible for the three products I have created.