Masthead Development

Here I looked at different fonts in the different names and developed them into final designs ready for use on my magazine. I started by looking at a range then narrowing it down into a final logo, although this is what I want for my magazine it may be slightly different on the final piece due to me aiming to use Photoshop whereas these fonts have been made through Dafont.

1. I dislike this design due to the sketchy and  roughness of the font, it looks like it has been drawn which adds an unprofessional tone. I feel that the connotations of this typeface is doodling which is something you do when you are bored/in lesson at school, this  is outside my demographic of those who choose to be in education, I feel this font my lack a tone of maturity that my audience have. It is important that my masthead reflects and appeals to my audience as this is the first thing that is seen on the newsstand and also the biggest, most eye catching part of the magazine. The thickness is bold which is very good for catching attention and it is Sans Serif which means that it has a modern tone to it. It is a very unique style to the font yet I dislike the doodling as it gives off the wrong connotations. I feel the spacing is too close together and that my masthead should be spread out across the magazine so it can be easily read on the newsstand, to draw attention and to fill the space on my front cover. It is 3D which adds to the miscommunication in the meaning yet even if this font wasn't 3D there wouldn't be anything special about it, the 3D part is the thing that adds individuality to the font.
2. I quite like this font as it is incredibly unique and can contrast with a patterned background. This font is unique and throughout my research I haven't seen any other masthead like it, this will allow it to stand out and attract attention, therefore not blending in with the other music magazines. I also think that this font reflects my audience as unique and individual which also conveys the whole basis of my magazine as treating each reader as an individual rather than an overall group.
3. This style of the font has been coming in and out of fashion for a while, it conveys the American college font. I dislike this font due to the ins and out of it being in trend as when the font it out of style it could affect peoples first impressions. Also due to it being American and my audience being British it removes the personal tone and gives the impression that my magazine is trying to fit in with the style or try to make my audience more American and try to change them.
4. I also dislike this serif font as it has a very western style font, it gives a country and western genre which means it is misleading about the genre of music. It also misrepresents my audience as I feel that this font would appeal to an older audience rather than my demographic.
5. This font is more rough and rugged which I dislike as it decreases the professional and sleek look. I want my audience to feel that they are purchasing a well established magazine.
6. I quite like the way there are silhouettes edged out of the masthead, this makes the design very unique and individual yet removes a kind of impact due to some sides being removed and the contrast lessened. I also wouldn't know what to edge out of the letters that would reflect my audience or the genre of the magazine. I could possibly add a silhouette of a guitar as this is the main instrument in my music genre.
7. I really like how there is another outline to this font but there is a feel that the font is made out of fabric, yet this adds a feminine side due to the stereotype surrounding textiles. It also wouldn't have anything to do with the subject matter of the magazine, this is therefore misleading for the viewer.
8. I dislike this serif font as it is very masculine, it is an army stencil font so therefore conveys the stereotype, by having a masculine style this would alienate the female viewer. I feel that there is no sharp edge to the font causing the professional tone to be lost. I really like the outline outside the font this sections this off from the rest of the magazine and causes attention to be drawn to the name. Although I dislike this font it is very bold which is what I am trying to aim for through a masthead.
9. I quite like the difference in this font and how the lines are in different places, although I like the unconventional letters it comes across in a very art-deco style which isn't hip and trendy, it also suggests that this is an art magazine more than a music magazine.
10. I really like this font due to many different styles brought together, it has a 3D effect which causes the masthead to stand out, I also like the way the letters have been spaced out, due to BEAT being such a short word it wouldn't take up much room at the top of the front page, if I space the letters out it creates more impact. I like the 3D effect but it's achieved by many different lines rather than a whole block, this subverts the stereotypical style of a 3D type.
11. I also really like this font due to the sleek lines and strong black will stand out due to the high contrast that would be created. I also like the way that the holes are filled in on the letters, this is subverting the conventions of a typical bold font, this reflects my audience as individual and the kind if people who subverts conventions.
12. Although I like the pixelated effect on this font and the retro style, it gives off the wrong messages. The pixelated effect gives a video game format and would suggest that the magazine was a gaming genre rather than music. It also suggests a retro style which can be considered old fashioned which is opposite of what my magazine is aiming for.
13. This font is well spaced and stands out, although it looks professional I feel that this font is too common and there is no clear individual style that would be recognized if it was on its own, the masthead is the first thing the viewer sees on the newsstand so it must have its own unique traits.
14. This type is similar to 13 only not as bold, I like this font but due to it not being conventional but the font doesn't stand out and wouldn't be easily read at a distance therefore putting my magazine at a disadvantage to others.
15. Previously all the fonts have been sans-serif but this one is serif, I dislike the serif font as it can have connotations of old fashioned which is not what my audience want, I also feel that the serif font removes the modern and sleek feel in a masthead. The letters on this font are really close together therefore giving a chic style that would be expected in a typical ladies fashion magazine although I wish to subvert conventions I feel that using this font will mislead the viewers at the news stand.
16. I quite like this font as it stands out and is unique from other designs, although this font wouldn't work if I wanted my lettering spaced out as the lines wouldn't have the same impact as when they are parallel to each other.
17. This font carries a similar style to 11 only it isn't filled in, I feel that to draw the eye my masthead has to be filled in and has thick lines, this could be filled in with a pattern but could cause struggle with the reader.
18. I quite like the spacing of the font and how it has followed the typical conventions of a 3D font apart from the angle has changed, this increases the amount of black and therefore causing it to stand out more. The 3D effect causes the masthead to look modern therefore reflecting the magazine.
19. This font is in a handwriting style which removes the modern tone that I want to achieve. Even though this font stands out it doesn't convey the trendy, sleek or professional tones which is needed as the masthead has to reflect the audience and the content whereas this design draft does neither.
20. Like design 19 this font has a handwriting style but this is more quirky and unique, although this reaches one of my briefs it doesn't stand out so therefore cannot be used, also this design doesn't have any unique traits causing it to be easily recognized, a masthead needs a motif which can be used throughout the magazine and I feel that this doesn't have an individual feel.
21. This draft is also similar to 19 yet this font is even worse due to the unclear writing where the T looks like a J this would definitely add an unprofessional tone to the overall magazine.
22. I quite like this design but I feel that is unsuitable for my music magazine. The font looks like paint therefore can be confused for an art magazine rather than a music magazine, due to this there are no sleek smooth edges which removes the professional style to the magazine.
23.  This font is similar to 22 but there are scribbles over the top, this can add confusion and remove the professional feel to the magazine that my readers desire, the scribble can confuse a viewer at the newsstand and can make me masthead less clear so therefore I should avoid any obstructions to my designs.
24. This design is very bold yet can appeal to different types of people, some of my demographic will have good connotations to the graffiti style but others may carry negative connotations which will impact on the first impression and can put them off on the magazine.
25. This design has a handwriting and doodle feel to it which removes the professional feel to the magazine and also can confuse the viewer on the genre as doodling can come across very arty, this font carries no musical connotations and also doesn't reflect the title or the intentions of the magazine so therefore misrepresents the magazine.

Here I experimented with different fonts and placed them on a photo off Google which will be similar to what I'm aiming for so I will know what the fonts will look like on the cover of my magazine.

Now I move on the AMPLIFY designs and I will go through the same process again to try and have a design for my masthead.

1. I really like this masthead, it is sleek and sharp meaning that it looks professional yet it holds an individual style which will be recognized at the newsstand. I like how it is Sans Serif as I feel the majority of Serif fonts have connotations of old fashioned or chic in the majority of contexts so I prefer Sans Serif so the right message is portrayed. It is quite thick meaning it will stand out at the newsstand. The unique style will allow it to have a higher recognisability factor. The spacing is just right as it isn't too squashed yet isn't too far apart as AMPLIFY is quite a long word it would be read quicker if it was closer rather than spaced apart but as BEAT is quite a short word therefore meaning that it would look better if it was spread out more. This font isn't 3D which isn't a problem and I feel for a longer title a 3D title may be too cramped and may ruin the professional tone. The disadvantages of this font is that I feel it isn't sleek enough, some of the lines are thicker than others and some parts aren't level, this removes some of the fluent tone I want but I can improve the font yet keep the individual style of the filled in spaces for my final masthead.
2. This font is similar to number 1. It has a thinner weight which is a disadvantage as it wouldn't stand out as well as the masthead. This is a sans serif font which adds to the modern and sleek tone. There isn't much individuality about this masthead apart from the lowercase i which is incredibly similar to Apple products such as the iPhone and iPod so this is another point that this isn't unique and also there is nothing mind blowing about a lowercase letter in the middle of the word it doesn't make the viewer remember the masthead. The spacing is really close which makes it look cramped and unprofessional. When I look at this font I think of comics which is a bad connotation to have as it can mislead the viewer on the genre of the magazine and the viewer could mistake the music magazine for a comic book, also comic books are stereotypically aimed at boys which could alienate girls from purchasing the magazine. Although it looks like a comic book font it can also be known as retro which can look stylish on a magazine yet due to the connotations it would be too misleading on a newsstand and would look strange on the contents or double page spread as it would be so different from the house style.
3.This font has the perfect thickness as it isn't too thick that it looks bulky and is hard to read and it isn't too thin so it doesn't stand out on the front cover. It is sans serif which I like due to the modern connotations. There is no unique factor though and there is nothing that could be remembered through the masthead which is a huge downfall in the type as there needs to be an individual tone that reflects my audience and can be remembered when seen. The spacing is also ideal as it isn't pushed together yet it isn't miles apart the balance is just right. It isn't 3D but this is a positive thing as it can look unprofessional if it is all squashed together and when a font is 3D it can take up a lot of room which isn't what I want.
4. The weight on this font is very thick and it will draw attention at the newsstand although I feel that this font is a bit too thick and can look bulky and sit unnaturally on the front cover. It is sans serif which has modern and sleek connotations yet I feel that the thickness and unlevelled parts remove this from the font. The connotations of this font I think are caveman and prehistoric due to the bulkiness to the font and how it resembles writing in a marker pen. There is a unique style to the font which is good but there is nothing that will make the viewers mind remember that masthead. The spacing is just right for a masthead as it has got a good balance between too close and too far. This font is also similar to number 1 which I quite liked.
5. The thickness on this font is just right for it's style, it will stand out on the front cover. It is sans serif and the spacing is ideal. Although there is nothing unique about this masthead but I can experiment and attempt to make it more unique.
6. This font is very similar to number 5 but the font is more curved, I prefer this as there is more individuality to this font, although I will have to make some attempts to try and make the type more individual and memorable. I prefer the L of number 5 than of number 6 so I might swap them over.
7. The thickness of this font is perfect and it will stand out on the front cover, although it is a serif font which takes away the modern feel and adds a western tone which can confuse the viewer to thinking that the music magazine is a western genre. I can take inspiration from the use of a larger first letter, last letter and the use of lines, this adds individuality to the font and even if the font isn't very unique by adding this it can create a memorable masthead.
8. This font is extremely bulky and would be very narrow on the front cover of my magazine. It is serif which removes the modern and sleek style, it is also 3D which makes it bulky and the masthead would have to be made smaller at the sides where would disproportion the masthead making it look unprofessional. Although the font is unique I feel that it is too formal to be used on my magazine.
9. This font reminds me of the magnetic letters you'd get for children this means that this font is too immature for my demographic and will put them off. I dislike how there isn't a bold sleek black and that there are 'scratches' in the masthead, this removes the professional tone. Although like font number 7 the use of lines adds an individual style to the font which I could use to make a simple font look unique then it would portray exactly what I want.
10. This font isn't very clear due to it being made out of newspaper but this is very unique yet can make it very hard to understand what it says which is a risk I can't take for my masthead. Although this inspires me to try having a more textured font and to try it out on an image.
11. I dislike this font for being so distorted. It has connotations of the Sex Pistols which is a punk rock band this can be misleading for the viewer and can misinterpret the genre of the magazine. I also dislike it as there is no modern or sleek feel it looks very rough which I don't want on my music magazine and it wouldn't suit my demographic.
12. This font is similar to font number 11 in the way that it is very unique but has a very punk feel which can confuse the viewer on the genre of the magazine. I dislike the fact that there are no smooth lines and it is very scratchy which doesn't truly represent the alternative rock genre. With the zig zag running through the font can obstruct the font and I dislike the way it does this as the masthead should be as clear as possible.
13. I also dislike this font as it is very thin and the use of an arrow for an i is a good unique point yet it isn't really memorable and it doesn't have any direct connotations to music. I feel the font is a bit weak due to the thin weight and the way it isn't the first font you see. The way the letters are at slightly different heights adds an immature tone which doesn't suit my target market.
14. This font is very thick in weight but it works and this thickness adds to the unique style. I really like how the i is set out. I like the big blocks of black at the start and can imagine them up against the side of the magazine, the block for the y should be the other side so it could go up the edge of the other side of the front cover. I will edit this font so the letters will blend and be fluent as the masthead.

Here I added more to my drafts as I did for BEAT so I could easily decide the masthead I'd develop when I have access to Photoshop.

To further my understanding of alternative music then I decided to look at guitar which is often how alternative music is recognised by. When I was looking at the ins and outs of the instrument I saw parts like body and neck yet when I looked at the equipment I came across plectrum which is often shortened to pick. This inspired me to try pick as a title as it can have two meanings, it can have the music meaning but it can also mean to have a choice therefore meaning that my magazine is the one to choose. I decided to go for the title PICK alternative because there are no strong music connotations in pick and also suggests that you should choose alternative music. This title will get abbreviated to just PICK but alternative will remain on the logo. Below are some drafts for logos/mastheads.

Below I have developed my designs even more so I can see what they will look like over an image.

 

Music Magazine Name

I opened a poll to find out which name would appeal to my market the most. The options were Amplify, Beat, Encore and Alternate, I shut the poll after 48 hours of being online but found that there was no clear result. 0% voted for Alternate so I will not consider this name anymore but Beat, Encore and Amplify received 33% each meaning that there was equal interest in these options. To solve this problem I will collect more data using a different method and then analyze the results.

Name Poll

What would your ideal music magazine be called?

Amplify

Beat

Alternate

Encore

Poll Maker

I narrowed down the names from my brainstorm and made a poll through the online Poll Maker so I can embed this into different social media sites and gather information easily and all at once.

Learning How to use Poll Maker

Here demonstrates using PollMaker to collect data which is a lot more efficient of me previously taking tally charts or using SurveyMonkey for one question. I can easily embed this and distribute it across many sites such as Facebook or Twitter to ensure that the maximum amount of people vote, thus giving me more reliable results.

Pre-Production Planning

I used Mind42 to produce a mind map of all possible names, I will take a poll of the most appropriate names from the brainstorm with my target audience and this will decide the final name for my music magazine.

Research of other Alternative Products

For more design inspiration I decided to look at other media products within the alternative industry and briefly analyse so I could understand more about the genre.

Learning How to use Mind42

Here demonstrates my new skills picked up through the mind mapping system of Mind42. This allows me to convey my trace of thought online instead of looking slightly less professional by scanning it in.

Learning How to use Issuu

Here demonstrates me being able to use Issuu, I really like how this is presented as a magazine which makes my work transfer more fluently. Issuu also gives me the choice of how to upload documents from Word or PowerPoint and how I want my reader to perceive it.

Press Release

Secondary Research - Design Inspiration

Follow Charlotte Barnard Design Inspiration on Pinterest To see the full annotation and pins click on See on Pinterest  All annotations are my own. 

Learning How to Use Pinterest

Here demonstrates my new skill of being able to use Pinterest, which will now allow me to illustrate my design and style direction. I like how it is a mood board yet it can still be annotated so I can explain what parts of the image I like and dislike.

Primary Research - Audience Profile

Primary Research - Audience Profile

Learning How to Use Windows Movie Maker

Here I have learnt the basics of Movie Maker such as adding effects, transitions and images. This will assist me in the future to making videos aimed at portraying information.

Learning How to use SlideShare

Above is a progression of me using SlideShare. Through learning how to use SlideShare I can now present Word and PowerPoint documents online whilst keeping their format and design. 

Survey Three Results

Learning how to use Prezi

Here demonstrates all the different skills I have picked up through learning Prezi, I have learnt a variety of skills such as how to embed videos, add symbols and how to add diagrams within the presentation, all of which are a lot more interactive and interesting ways to present information, a whole lot more interesting than using slideshows such as PowerPoint. Through learning to use Prezi my audience will be a whole lot more engaged in the information I am presenting them with.

Third Survey

My third survey focused more on the VAL's (values, attitudes and lifestyles) of my possible reader, I asked typical questions such as what are your hobbies or do you have a job, this is so I can know information about my audiences habits and behaviour therefore I can tailor my magazine to suit them thus attracting the demographic to become readers. I will also be able to use their interests for magazine competitions and adverts but I can also take inspiration for my design for example colours or whether to go for a linear or curvy layout. 

 

 

Survey Two Results

Second Survey

Looking at my first survey I feel that some questions needed more detail or I missed some out so I created another two surveys which answered all the questions I wanted an answer to.

I asked the normal What is your gender and age? So I could see a pattern, e.g whether a younger age range would go to live music over the older market. I followed this with a comment box asking why, whether they didn't want to or if it was a factor of money this would have a huge effect on my magazine as whether to feature live music articles, offers on discounts for tickets and even affect the price of my magazine as if they don't have much money I can't charge too much otherwise no one would read my magazine. I then asked how interested they would be on a scale of one to ten in reading a music magazine, this would give me an idea of the age range to aim my music magazine at, I also then went on to ask why did they pick this number so I could find out any flaws within the music magazine industry and use this in my magazine to gain readers. Finally due to me not giving a I don't read music magazines option this made the last question on this survey gave inaccurate answers on my last survey so therefore this time I will find out valid results to report on. I will then look at elements of the popular music magazines within age ranges and find out what elements they have that could inspire my design.

 

Primary Research - audience

Survey Results and Analysis

My Survey

Using Social Media to Gather Responses for my Questionnaire

I use social networking sites regularly to connect with friends and to see any major events. Yet I was new to using these sites as a way to increase responses and make my data more accurate.

I was given a link by SurveyMonkey which I used to give people a direct route to my questionnaire to add time efficiency and ease for the people answering it to ensure them that this would be a quick and easy process.

Tumblr

I added a link to my blog on Tumblr so it would appear in peoples feeds who followed me on this site. It also appears at the top of my blog so when people visit that site then they come across the link which hopefully brings people in to answer it. I added tags which means that when someone searches that tag they can come across my post and hopefully cause them to answer my survey. This broadens my audience as my friends and followers can enjoy the same things and share the same characteristics, by adding labels I broaden the people answering it as they won't be influenced or share the same personality that would be within a group of people. Most of my followers on Tumblr are into the same music and artists as my blog has a specified genre of music, so results from this group of people could be very similar.

Twitter

I then used Twitter to broadcast my survey, by having a simple short tweet and a link. I have kept it brief as the whole aim of Twitter is that statuses and other social networking is kept short and brief. I didn't add any tags as there was not enough characters to add them, but I feel that if I did add tags then it would clutter my tweet and make it look complicated therefore unappealing and a bit like spam.

Facebook

I then went to Facebook to broadcast my survey. I put the link in with my description which I put as a status. I put it as a status as it is the one way that the majority of Facebook use to communicate, it is simple and short which makes it look like the survey is simple therefore looking more attractive to answer.

Instagram 

I then used Instagram to also promote my survey. I took a simple picture of a postcard saying smile and then added a filter, using a real picture will interest my audience and look less like spam which is generally avoided by the majority amount of social media users. I added tags so more people could access my survey which meant a wide amount of different people could put in their input meaning that I get more accurate results as like Tumblr I could have followers that share the same interests as I post very similar pictures so this could make my survey inaccurate or unreliable.

Overall looking at the type of language that I used it was informal as all these social networking sites are full off informal lexis. If I was to use formal lexis then it might alienate my audience and make them not want to answer my survey. If I used formal lexis it might look like I didn't post the survey and that I had been hacked or have spam this would make my audience avoid answering the questionnaire.

Looking at how I used social media to broadcast my survey to gain more answers looks exactly the same to how I post normally but I have learnt that you shouldn't always be formal when you ask for something to be done that is more sophisticated than gossip or friendships as this can create a barrier between you and the people you want to reach.

Learning how to use Survey Monkey

To gather my audience research and to get a wide and accurate representation of my target audience to be able to produce a valuable product design that would appeal and achieve its purpose I used the online site SurveyMonkey. I had never used SurveyMonkey before so I have gathered and developed skills that before I had never acquired before.

I first had to decide the name of my music magazine and decide the category of my survey. As my survey is for my music magazine I have put it under the category of 'Market Research', I decided against placing it under 'Education' as it may affect my results if people know that it isn't for a real product free for the public to use. I called it 'Music Magazine Survey' because it is straight forward and might appeal people to answer it as it conveys as a very simplistic survey which would be completed quickly. 

I then get to design the layout of my survey. I got to decide the boldness of the title and the colours that were in the survey. This is important as it has to look visually appealing as some people might not fill it out due to it not looking visually appealing.

I then started to add questions. SurveyMonkey produced some suggestions so I used them, this then set up the answers, I added an 'other' which gives them a chance to disclose this information or suggest other genders that they are. I made this question compulsory to answer as it is key to being able to categorize my results. I only gave a certain number of characters if they specified 'other' as this restricts them to giving unhelpful answers, although they still can it is harder for them to as I have restricted the characters.

   

I then came across another problem. Due to me only having a free basic account there is a limit on questions. I then had to incorporate some questions into one another for me to get all the data I required, for example two questions I had was 1. What is your gender and 2. What is your age, I then made these two questions into one by increasing the categories (e.g male 13 or below, female 14-16) that they could answer. I also had to eliminate questions which weren't going to give me the exact answers I needed, one of the questions I removed was 'how often do you log onto social networking' I did this as I felt that a previous question 'what social networking sites do you use' gave me a similar answer and that me not knowing the amount of times a person logs on to a social media site is less important than knowing what music magazine they currently read. 

Primary Research - Magazine Analysis

 

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

How did you attract/address your audience for your contents page?

Although the original principal of a contents page isn't attractive for any other reasons apart from finding out the content I tried to make it more appealing to my audience. I enlarged pictures and text to subvert conventions and make it more interesting. I invested colour to create a more eye catching result, as the use of pictures filled with colour intrigues the eye and causes it to catch my audiences attention. I aimed to attract my audience by enlarging the pictures and text to make it bigger than anything else to draw the attention to the articles which would mostly interest my audience. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In what ways does your contents page use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this produce?

How did I attract/address your audience?

I attracted and addressed my audience in many ways. The use of colour is very important when representing my target market, I used a bright red which has connotations of lively, this symbolises my target audience and causes it to be eye catching and fun, this is the aim for the majority of my target audiences life so therefore attracts them more. The use of slang and colloquial language relates to my audience on a one to one basis, my target market use this lexis to their friends, this connects to them more and lets them relate to my magazine, therefore attracting them to my magazine. I used a retro font as this can quite often be a fashionable trend among my target market, so this causes them to be attracted to my magazine more. Like I brought up in my last question I also mentioned major events among my target audiences calender, freshers week is a huge event to my target audience so this causes them to be intrigued about it, so therefore by using this as a cover line then this instantly attracts my target audience.

Flat plan and grid for my contents page

Here is a picture of my grid and flat plan for my contents page

My improved front cover

How does my media front cover represent particular social groups

Newbie College Evaluation

Ways my front cover followed, developed and challenged real magazine covers

Newbie College Evaluation

My Contents Page

Basics of InDesign

Above is the basics I have learnt through InDesign these skills are vital to create a document but I feel that at some point I should improve my knowledge of the programme to create more interesting and professional effects as these skills are very basic for a publishing magazine.

My Completed Magazine Cover

This is my completed magazine cover I added background shapes the same colour as the guitar to keep a theme for this cover. I added these shapes to make the cover less formal as if it was formal then this wouldn't appeal to my audience. It is important that this appeals to my audience as if my target market don't like or find the cover appealing the they won't read the magazine. I used the same colour as my guitar as I wanted to have an ongoing theme to make the magazine look more pleasing to the eye, which is also a key concept if I want to achieve the aim of providing a college magazine that is read by the whole student community. Also I used red as it is an eye catching colour and will make it more likely that people will see this over other magazine. I will use the same shade red on the contents page and if I was produce a whole issue then it would be repeated throughout as it would contribute towards a house style. I decided not to use many cover lines or buzz words as I find they clutter and ruin the front cover although this is generally convention to convey the contents of a magazine, this means that I will have to provide more information on the articles within my college magazine to make up for the lack of cover lines on my front cover. I have followed convention as the one cover line I do have is on the left, this is to do with the way the magazine will first be presented as the right side will be covered so if I did place any cover lines on the right then these would be covered and unseen. I also decided to put my bar code in the bottom right corner as when it is presented to be picked up it won't be seen, also by placing it in the corner is allows it to be discrete and not ruin my design. I could have improved my front cover by including the information that shows its free and you won't have to charge for the magazine. This is a huge flaw in my cover as it can put off people picking it up as they can be confused to whether money can be exchanged which I know from my audience research that my target market lack money as quite often their money has to go towards college supplies or if they are in accommodation then they will have to spend it on food. So I have learnt that for future projects that I must make sure that all needed information is provided before I finish the project. 

Magazine Cover Adjustments

When looking back at my magazine cover I found it a little bit plain so I wanted to make it a little bit more unique and interesting.

I solved this problem by adding patterns around my model, this allowed the magazine to be eye catching and individual. I added and placed every single shape onto the cover to ensure that everything was equally spaced and wasn't too busy. 

I used red for the pattern because it matches the colour of the guitar and allows the cover lines, masthead and other parts of the magazine to stand out. I left a space and moved the bar code so it was more discrete and could be used. 

Skills I have Learnt while Designing my Front Cover of my Magazine

I have learnt new and various techniques by experimenting with Photoshop while designing my front cover.

I started off with my image which I proportioned and moved to a suitable and eye catching place, which I learnt to do when I had a tutorial of Photoshop. I then adjusted settings like the sharpness, brightness, contrast, hue and saturation to achieve a professional quality image. 

This is my original image, there has been no editing to it or cropping.

This is my edited image. I have brightened the picture to make the picture to make it stand out more, I have increased the saturation so the colours are more definite and are more striking. I also increased the sharpness so my model would look more definite and separate from the white backdrop. I also adjusted the contrast and the brightness so then my picture would look more defined.

I then added my coverlines, mastheads and slugs, these were edited on by using cooltext.com and then copying and pasting into Microsoft Word, cropping off the pieces I didn't want and then copying them into Photoshop then arranging them according to my flat plan and what looks appealing to the eye.

I have added the cover lines in the house font style which is reversed out, I  tilted the mast head to give the magazine a more relaxed tone. There is only one cover line as I feel that if I used too many cover lines then the whole magazine would be cluttered and look untidy. I also added a bar code by making the white transparent but I placed this out in the corner so it was on its own and not very noticeable.

I found that due to the lack of cover lines there was a huge white space to the right of the cover. Although this is the side of the magazine that wouldn't be seen when presented in a shop it still made the cover look empty. I resolved this by moving the image to the right.
 

I have moved the picture to the right, this has given me my completed magazine cover. I decided not to use  a  lot of grabbing techniques or cover lines as this clutters the cover page and I think that less is more and would appeal to the audience more. When I do my contents page I will include more information of what's in the magazine but I will obtain the 'less is more' tone.

Photoshop Skills that I have Learnt

Recently I have learned numerous techniques to do with the software Photoshop and how to edit photographs in numerous and different ways. One of the basic techniques I have picked up on is how to create a new document and how to size the desired picture I want without it being out of proportion. 

This is my image in Photoshop which has been proportioned so it is an appropriate size so it keeps its sharpness.

Another skill I have picked up it how to change the hue and saturation of my picture, so I can change the colour and the lightness of the photo.

I have changed numerous properties to my picture. I have altered the hue which has caused the red in the picture to turn  pink. I have also modified the saturation to allow the pink to be more striking. I adapted the lighting slightly so the image would become darker overall.

 I have also picked up a skill which can allow me to distort photographs to make them look more fun and relaxed rather than them being more serious.

I have distorted my picture to make the body look really small compared to the guitar and the legs.

Another technique that I am now aware of is how to use the lasso tool. 

I have used the lasso tool to remove the neck of my guitar but I dislike this process as it is very time consuming and fiddly. It also doesn't produce the best results.

I have gained how to use the quick selection tool. 

I have used the quick selection tool to delete my models head. I preferred this to the lasso tool as it is quicker and much more precise. If I ever need to delete parts off photos then I will use this tool as I preferred it to using the lasso.

The last technique that I have learned is how to fill a section of a deleted part of the photo.

I have filled the head, which I deleted by using quick selection, with the paintbrush.

Audience Profile

Second Survey Analysis with Charts conveying Results

Second Survey Analysis and Charts

Learning How to Use Scrid

Above is the progression of learning how to upload documents to Scrid which is another piece of software that enhances my presentation of my work making it more interesting instead of reading a typical blog post. Scribd can also assist me by portraying my work whilst keeping a certain style, therefore making my work look presentable.

Improved Audience Profile Survey

I have redone my survey to involve questions that involve the audience more so I can find out more of their habits and what they like, this will allow me to design and create a college magazine that appeals to my target audience. I have kept some questions from my previous questionnaire as I see them as important to include them as they are a key basic to a student magazine.

Remake of Student Survey for College Magazine

Results and analysis from my student survey

Audience Questionnaire

Questionnaire for College Magazine

1.        How old are you?

14-16                       17-19                       20-22                       23-25                       26+

2.        What gender are you?

Male                        Female

3.        Do you buy any magazines?

Yes                           No

4.        If a magazine was free would you pick it up?

Yes                           No

5.        In preference order, your favourite being number one and least favourite number four. What do you find the most appealing about magazines?

Images
Interviews
Adverts
Articles

6.        What three genres of magazines are you interested in?

Woman’s Interests (e.g. Cosmopolitan)	Men’s (e.g. GQ)	News (e.g. Time)	Teen (e.g. Mizz)	Fashion (e.g. Vogue)
Lifestyle/Fitness (e.g. Shape)	Home and Gardening (e.g Home and Gardening)	Sport (e.g. Match)	Music/Entertainment (e.g. Q)	Gossip (e.g. Heat)
If other then please list

7.        What would you find most useful in a student magazine? Pick your top five and number them 1-5, 1 being favourite and 5 being least important to you out of this selection.

Accommodation		Fitness
Beauty		Food
Budgeting		Health
Competitions		Jobs
Cooking		Money
CV		Revision
Discounts		Top Tips
Experience		Travel
Fashion

8.        If you were to pick up a college magazine, how often would you want a new issue to be published?

Weekly                    Monthly                   Termly                     Yearly

9.        What is the one thing that you feel should be included in a student magazine?

 

10.     Would you want the college magazine to be aimed at the whole student community or would you rather have a magazine aimed at a specific group of people (i.e photography students or business students)

Overall Student Community                                     Specific group of students