- The student learned many important lessons in magazine design by comparing their initial school magazine to their final music magazine project. Their early magazine lacked proper formatting, clear cover lines, and consistent photo quality, while their later magazine followed industry codes and conventions more closely.
- Through the process, the student gained experience using design software like Photoshop and QuarkXPress. They also improved their photography skills by practicing various shots for articles. While organization was still a challenge, the student was able to produce a higher quality final magazine that showed clear progression from their initial work.
3. My school magazine was not following a
variety of the codes and conventions for
example; the title can not the title cannot
just be put in the middle of the magazine it
either has to be stretched out and fill the
top of the magazine or if it is a one word
title then it should be put in the left hand
corner.
Also, the date and price is just way too
big. Usually should be at least 10pt
and not 14pt so its hidden but still able
to see for the audience.
I have also failed in the way that there is
too much writing which also means it is
giving off way too much information. The
amount of writing makes the magazine
look extremely cramped and the font sizes
are so random.
As you can see I have used a small font
on my magazine and by turning it on the
side gives the magazine an edge, and by
putting it up against the barcode it saves
more space.
4.
5. Direct
Address
The front cover uses direct address, which speaks to the audience as if it
is looking at them and that would usually draw them in, as it creates a
relationship with the customers. It generates new business leads and
sells. As well as, with the existing customers which will increasing the
customers loyalty as the direct address can speak to them on many
different levels.
6. Although, on my school magazine I did use
direct address, except the quality of the pictures
was not as good as my music magazine (As you
can tell by looking at the fuzziness of this
cropped pictures). That made the school
magazine seem less professional then the
music magazine, and seems that it does not
want to make a good magazine for the audience
which I learnt and made sure the quality of my
pictures were at a high level so that it would
increase in buyers, this also shows in my music
magazine that I had improved in my
photography skills as I followed up with the
knowledge of different angles to add a nice
effect when it came to putting it on my
magazine.
7. Cover lines
Furthermore, on the school magazine some of the cover lines are hard to read as
the colours would sink too much into the background which would make it harder
to be seen from a distant from the audience and lose out on profit whereas on my
music magazine I used a fine line of the opposite colours so that the cover lines
would stand out and look professional, and this would make a huge change and
this will allow the audience to notice the cover lines from the distant and they can
then know that they would want to buy the magazine when it is jumping out on
them, And some cover lines on the school magazine are too big and overlap in
some areas and this can make the magazine look unprofessional, the colours
seem little tacky in the way that I’ve changed the font size and made some bolder
thinking that it would look good when instead it looks extremely jumbled up.
8. This then allowed to me to not do that on my music magazine and I set it out so
that it was spread out keeping the same colour in each cover line and changed
certain words to blue this added a good effect where the blue would stand out
and due to the questionnaire that I did they chose the colour blue so by the
audience choosing that colour I added it onto the magazine this would allow the
audience to feel as if they are a part of the magazine that we listened to them.
9. School magazine
Also, on the school magazine I am missing
certain codes and conventions which are;
the position statement which is the little
writing that goes under the title as a little
slogan for the magazine, the main cover line
is missing this is where the cover links to the
image on the front cover, the barcode on the
bottom of the school magazine is too big to
be a barcode so its breaking that when it
should at least be the size on my music
magazine which I realised and then made
sure that I changed it to fit the codes and
conventions.
10. Comparing
Moreover, from the front cover of my school magazine its more or less the fact that
by looking at both of my front covers my music magazine just looks a whole lot
more like an actual magazine then the school magazine you can just tell how much
I have actually improved whilst working on this coursework from the colour,
photography skill, following all the codes and conventions and following all
instructions that I was helped with.
12. Following on, the contents page has definitely
improved massively in the way that in looking at
my content it looks so rubbish in more
description it only contains 9 featured articles
when it’s suppose to contain 20 articles
minimum and the regulars should not be in the
middle of the magazine and only containing like
4 regulars.
13. Improvements
Which from my improved magazine I have followed
my mistakes and I have made about 22 articles and 8
regulars which has been set out in a nice order with
the band/artist in a bolder way so the reader can
notice where their favourite artist is. Also, I have kept
both ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’ to one column which
then allows there to be more space for the 5 pictures
to go when on my school magazine I only have 4
pictures which don’t even link to the features or even
make sense in that matter, it doesn’t really give the
readers for the school magazine to have many
options to even look at really, and the pictures are in
a rubbish condition which from improvement, I
learned lots of different angles which is reflect onto
my music magazine, content page and gives it that
interesting touch.
I am still proud with the content page that I have
produced, as even just by looking at both my school
magazine and music magazine I know that I have
improved which I am glad that my skills have
progressed.
14. Photoshop and QuarkXPress
By using the different programmes QuarkXPress and Photoshop means that I
know have more confidence when I need to work on these programmes again
as future wise I will know what I’m doing, as I did have a small idea on how to
use Photoshop since I had used it before whereas I had never used
QuarkXPress before so that was good to learn some new things and on
Photoshop.
16. Although I didn’t do a double paged spread for my school magazine so I
couldn’t exactly improve but I did experience the fact I can make a double
paged spread which I found good because we got to experience what it was
like to be a journalist since we had to interview a member of a band and
then write out the article. As well as that we needed to take pictures of the
band which was interesting, felt so professional whilst doing it all.
17. Conclusion
I found that what I was actually good in was my photography skills
as I understood the different shots and that helped when I was
taking the pictures for my magazine, content page and DPS I had
definitely taken some interesting shots that was fun to explore, and I
enjoyed taking the pictures as it was fun to boss my model around
and try some new things. What I didn’t do too good through this
experience would definitely be my organisation skills as I only had
my work backed up on my memory stick and I would keeping losing
it, Also didn’t do to good at keeping to some of the deadlines that I
was given but I have improved there as I actually enjoy doing some
of the work so it isn’t really that stressful than I thought it would be.
But overall, I have certainly made a product that has been improved
in the last 6months which is definitely a good outcome as it is
pointless to do something and not have improved from it.
