Draft of Contents Page

Here is my draft of my contents page. I have kept to the house style with colour and font to form a sense of continuity between the front cover and contents page. I paced Poppy Scarlet who is my featured artist as the biggest part of the page as this is the leading article and one that the audience will probably have most interest in. I also decided to feature a quote from the article to entice the consumer to read this article. I used three different fonts within this pull quote. The main one being the font that is part of the house style but then I used a serif font in italics for 'Right' as these combined convey a style that has traditional connotations which matches the meaning of the word, then for 'Wrong' I used an eroded and damaged sans serif font to portray the damage that is associated with the word.  I decided to use a different photo to one from the front cover to create a sense of variety throughout. I placed her in the corner to allow articles to be able to be placed around efficiently. I then added three more images to balance the text and images to convey that there is more, but to also draw the viewers attention to these articles. The two images of the live concert and the busker I kept in a square as I feel that the image of Poppy Scarlet isn't very linear so to balance this out I would keep the images square, but also buy keeping them this shape it fills up empty space which is to convey the busy and chaotic side of the alternative genre. I also felt that by restricting the other parts of the contents page to their columns it implies the free and rebelled spirit of my artist that she is breaking the columns. I kept the use of red very minimal and used it mainly for the folios so these would stand out and assist the navigation of the magazine. The navigation of the magazine is important as it can affect the attitude towards it, if the consumer struggles then this will create a negative attitude which could push them to not buy the magazine again. I also changed the colours of type for the featured articles to highlight them and to make them more striking to the reader so they would look at these articles. I compact every other article into one column to make space for the images but I feel that these are too black and there is no way to differentiate between title and caption. I will change the colour of the caption to separate these, but I will keep to the house style. I won't use red as it will distract from the folios and make it harder to navigate, I will try white and experiment but I really don't want to distract from more important parts of the magazine. I placed the social interaction parts in the bottom right corner to allow them to stand out although I find that these are out of the way and could not be seen I really like how they fit in the bottom right corner and merge into the border so I will experiment with moving this into a more prominent box where they are more likely to be seen. I find the picture for the article 'Can we have some more CD's please' isn't very obvious or clear to what it is so could cause some confusion to the viewer. I will take a clearer image that will be more obvious and see whether that will bring any more improvements. I feel that this image doesn't conform to the house style of the linear squares although it is a straight lined shape, so if I take another image I will see whether I can stick to the square shape.

Hot Seating Feedback

For the hot seating exercise I presented this front cover 

The main points raised were:

What do you think of the colour of the cover lines and the overall colour scheme?

• "I like how the colours match the image colour but I don’t think the cover lines stand out as much as they could." 
• "I like how it all fits together. Thanks to the small colour scheme"
• "The colour of the cover lines are good they match the red in the t-shirt and on the lips. It goes well."
• "Black and red is simple and effective, but perhaps the blue of the jeans could be incorporated somehow? This would further aid the consistency of the magazine."
• "Make the reds the same but otherwise, I like it a lot."

What do you like about my front cover?

• "I like the opaque images behind the main image"
• "I like the opaque effect of  the front cover but I do think it’s a bit in your face."
• "I like the other low opacity images behind the main one."
• "It would definitely stand out on the shop floor. The busyness really suits the type of magazine"
• It isn’t my style of music but I know people who do like this genre and I could definitely see them buying this.

What don't you like about my front cover and how could I improve it?

• "Whilst it would stand out at a news stand and the colour/font use doesn’t really draw my eye to a particular cover line"
• "I don’t like the Poppy Scarlet font and I think it could be bigger"

Overall I gained positive feedback from hot seating but here is a list of points that I feel that I will need to address:

• Work on making my cover lines standing out. Feedback said that they liked the colour of my cover lines but they didn't stand out enough, I could work on this by looking at size and spacing to enhance the cover lines. It is vital I address this as the cover lines are one of the core things I will rely on to draw the viewer in to the content and to make them become a consumer. If the cover lines aren't being eye catching enough then it could affect the sales of my magazine.
• I could add one more colour to the scheme by adding blue but this contradicts other information of liking a simple colour scheme so I will have to experiment and decide or possibly hold another way to collect data such as another hot seating or possibly a focus group to see what they, my demographic, prefer. Another part of the colour scheme that seemed to bring comments is the different tone of red which implies that me trying to implicate a 'top secret' stamp wasn't received so therefore I will need to make it more obvious and add a line around it or change the colour altogether.
• There was also a point raised about the 'Poppy Scarlet' font being too small and them disliking it, although I can make type bigger I doubt I will change the font altogether as this was only one opinion and no one shared the  same, I understand that there will be a minority that will take a dislike to certain elements of my design so I should investigate whether there is a strong dislike to the typography or whether it is just a lone opinion.

Critical Evaluation of Second Draft of Front Cover

I have printed off my music magazine front cover draft so I can see problems that will need to be corrected. I think that overall my music magazine does convey the right information as it informs the viewer of the contents of the magazine without them having to pick it up. I think I could have improved the information conveyed by including a more well known band than Little Comets in the skyline as this artist isn't iconic for the alternative genre and is taking up space that could be more useful for a famous local of national artist which could draw in more viewers as they are more likely to be recognised. I quite like the style of my front cover but it could be altered by moving the cover lines more to the left as I was too paranoid that they'd be cut off that I placed them too far in which goes over my model in some occasions, them more towards the edge. When looking at the cover lines I can see that there is an issue with the colour with the font colour, I feel that it is too dark and is almost contending with the models t-shirt which conveys the front cover as too busy rather than sticking to simple and spaced out. The colour is also too dark which makes it harder for them to be read at a distance between the viewer and  the news stand this is paramount that I increase the tone of the colour so it can be easily read as the left third is the one of the very few parts that can convey the contents of the magazine. I also need to align the cover lines so they are parallel and some aren't further in than others, in my printed version I can see that I was too cautious in placing my cover lines and that I can move them back to add a more professional tone on my magazine and to make my publication look more fluent. I feel that the choice of font suits the magazine, I have used one particular font as part of the house style which matches the masthead and is clear and easy to read but then I have used more unique fonts for the Poppy Scarlet and Unplugged, I do this to draw attention to this article and to make my front cover less boring and more eye catching by using this font it adds to the personality of my artist, the 3D monochrome font has connotations of modern and contemporary which reflects upon the artist but with the Unplugged font it reflects upon the article itself. I used a raw and rough font which suggests stripped down and without any of the publicists restricting information therefore conveying that all of the article is Poppy Scarlet which will draw the viewer in due to this stripped back and informal interviews which are so uncommon in the music magazine industry, this informal attitude will allow the reader to relate on a personal level to the musician which was the overall aim for my publication. I also used this font in bright red to stick within the house style and it also produces a similar font to the famous 'Confidential' stamp this will imply to the viewer that this article is exclusive and 'for their eyes only' therefore drawing the viewing in to become a reader. To improve this effect I could make the font bigger to fill more space, this would draw attention therefore emphasising the exclusivity that my music magazine would be offering over others in the same market. Looking at my background I feel the tone is just right but my model is too dark, this affects the whole cover as it makes the fonts look too dark and don't stand out, it also effects the fluency making it obvious that the image had been edited on Photoshop therefore making it less like a professional publish, if I were to reduce the contrast between the image and the background then the professional feel would be raised therefore increasing the chance that the viewer would purchase the magazine. With my masthead I feel that it is quite clear and easily read due to the simple design but this could be improved if I extend the bottom line of the L as by having this part obscured the viewer of the magazine can get confused on whether it is an I or a L therefore making it less clear and harder to read, this is not the first impression I want to create for Amplify I want a nice fluent impression with no struggles to ensure that the viewer will be persuaded to become a reader. There is a slight obstruction with the model over the masthead but the masthead remains clear and easy to read. There is a barcode and I have placed it in the bottom right hand corner between the line and the edge of the page, this looked fine on the screen but after seeing it in print I see that it was too squished down and the numbers beneath are impossible to read this means I will have to find a new place for it that won't obstruct the cover yet be easy to read and scan. I placed the month underneath the masthead so it was clear and easy for the reader although it was slightly obstructed but this was fine as the month could still be made out while the magazine remains on the stand, so therefore
the viewer is instantly informed of the issue. There is a price but due to the font I used this meant that there was no pound sign for that font so I used one from another type, this looks unusual and I need to find a way to replace it as it ruins the fluency and professionalism of the cover. I didn't place an issue number on the cover as I felt that this would be irrelevant and by adding to the text it would distract away from the main image, cover lines, which is what is mainly relied on to sell the magazine and simplistic approach towards the design as if my magazine was too busy then it could confuse the viewer and put them off purchasing the published product. I think my cover appeals to my audience for many reasons. For example I have used modern font which is sans serif, this therefore complies to my contemporary fluent style which is what my demographic are stereotyped as having all the latest technology which are sleek and 21st century. I have also used depleted font to suggest a 'raw' interview which adds a personal tone therefore drawing in the viewer this naked tone is also suggested through the use of the colour bright red for the confidential stamps. I have kept to a house style which is seen on my cover as shades of red which are slightly darker than the usual this suggests alternative as usually the genre is quite dark but not so much to suggest a genre such as hard rock or as bright to be pop, alternative is the part between these genres. I feel I have appealed to my audience by using a young artist which can be related to and is likely to be well known within my demographic thus engaging them persuading them to purchase the published product. I have followed the conventions by using a large dominant masthead with short memorable title which instantly grabs the attention of an onlooker and ensures that they will remember the magazine long after they have left the newsagents. There is one whole main image with the artist in the centre with full eye contact with the camera so the observer feels a connection with the artist, she is large enough to take up the entire page while leaving space for the cover lines to be placed and read easily. I took advantage of the left third as this is the only place guaranteed to be viewed by a newsstand spectator although I avoided placing them anywhere else to prevent overcrowding the cover and complicating the design but I might try to involve other parts of the magazine in placing cover lines to take advantage of all my space. I have placed a date and barcode which assists the reader to whether the issue is the latest or whether they have read it yet. I have also subverted conventions to create a unique publish which will stand out and bring the individuality that is aimed through the music magazine, as promised in my press release. I didn't use bright clothing and colours within my magazine as this could infer the wrong genre as a more pop magazine rather than alternative so I kept to the more dulled down colours yet replaced this with a heavy use of black to gain attention from the observer at the newsstand yet I have stuck to conventions by keeping the same colours throughout rather than using a wide variety which could confuse the viewer on where to look but also ruin the professionalism and fluency of the product. I also haven't used thumbnails on the cover of other articles inside as although it is a well known fact that humans respond more to visuals rather than writing I feel that the pictures would create a busy atmosphere on the cover which could make the information inside unclear but I don't intend to totally neglect smaller images from my magazine as I plan to include them on my contents page which will bring a variation of platforms of portraying information while keeping the layout simple and sophisticated. I also didn't involve any competitions or free gifts through buzz words, I feel that although certain buzz words can ruin the fluency of a publication they can bring viewers in which is paramount so in my final draft I hope to include buzz words that don't affect the efficiency and simplicity of the magazine cover. The most obvious subversion of conventions is the way I have manipulated my artist into three different people, I did this to add an individuality to the magazine and to gain attention but also to fill up space as the artist on her own left the cover bare and empty whereas with the edited image a unique tone was fulfilled while removing any empty parts therefore increasing the professionalism of the draft. I think I have reached my design intentions apart from a few little attentions to detail, for example where the line meets the A on Amplify there is a slight alignment issue which can easily fixed but by reviewing my draft I can see that my design intentions weren't the best way forward and by adding buzzwords and cover lines I can create a more effective music magazine cover.

Second Draft of Front Cover

Here is the new and improved version of my cover image. I changed quite a lot from the original version. I first removed the motto from the skyline and replaced it with a bar with artists names in. I did this because I felt that I needed more artists on the cover and that the main area below the masthead was quite full. So I got rid of my motto 'Because Music isn't just for Listening' and replaced it with Arctic Monkeys, Little Comets and Bastille. Although I might remove Little Comets and replace with a more well known band. I put these artists names here so they would be easily seen on the newsstand and could possibly persuade a viewer to purchase the magazine, this would have more of a direct effect than a magazine motto. I also changed the font of 'Poppy Scarlet' and 'Unplugged' I did this to create more of an impact. I used a bold 3D font which has connotations of being modern to create Poppy Scarlet as being trendy and then I used a more raw and worn font for the unplugged so portray a stripped back version of the artist which is what my audience want. I used a different shade of red as I found the font to be very similar to the 'confidential' stamp, this implies that this article is for the viewers eyes only and exclusive to Amplify.

Front Cover Draft

Here is a draft of my front cover which I will take feedback from and then improve. I made the cover lines the same colour of the Bowie and Amp lead and also the cover lines stand out. I could improve this design by using another font for Poppy Scarlet Unplugged as this article will draw attention and it is quite often convention for another font to be used. I feel that the magazines slogan in the skyline is important but I feel that this space could be used more efficiently to persuade the viewer to buy the magazine so therefore I will change this to a list of three artists which will feature within the magazine. Looking back at my artist research I can see that the Arctic Monkeys are high profile so to put them on my front cover could draw in their wide fan base. I will also place the Little Comets on the skyline because of their tight fan base, the tight fan base means a high dedication towards the band so therefore they will buy the magazine but also this 'unknown' band will create a sense of mystery and intrigue which could encourage the viewer to pick up the magazine. I will also add Bastille due to their current high status in the charts which will mean the interest in them will be at its highest, thus meaning more people will pick up the magazine due to high interest. In between I will place the + icon due to its connotations of more and plus which will imply to the viewer that the magazine will provide lots of information and entertainment, thus the consumer will get their moneys worth. Looking at the cover lines I feel that there isn't enough variety and that they blend into each other and don't really stand out, to improve this I think that I will add variety by experimenting with colour, font and spacing which will hopefully spread these cover lines apart making them stand out more and also make them easier to read. I will also need to improve the alignment of the cover lines as they are not totally inline, this ruins the professional effect which is created through attention to detail.

PhotoShop Expiriments

Here I created 3 different layers and reduced the opacity on two so two would be translucent, therefore causing the other to stand out. I quite like this as it wouldn't be too distracting from the cover lines yet is unique and individual which will grab the attention of the viewer. I could improve the image by removing the shadow on the left by using the patch tool. I could also increase the opacity of the right figure to make it look more even. I will also improve the blemishes on the artist so it looks tidy and professional. I used the main image as it presents the artist as a rebel which is the whole image of the artist and will attract the fans. It also has the prop of the amp lead in easy view which emphasises on the article 'Unplugged' and makes the personal tone more clear. There is also an equal balance between left and right which adds to the professional tone of the magazine, yet the image also allows space for cover lines on the conventional left third and if the words were to overlap over onto the artist then this wouldn't be a problem as the image isn't too detailed of busy so therefore wouldn't make the cover line too hard to read.

Here I used numerous photos layered on top of each other that reduce in opacity the further they go so they draw attention to the centre. I changed the background from the grey paper drop screen to white, I dislike this as the contrast is too strong which makes it look unnatural and unprofessional. I feel that the use of lots of the same artist although looks unique and draws the eye is unsuitable to use on the cover of my magazine as it can be distracting and make it harder to read the cover lines. Also it distracts from the main artist which is one of the main reasons people would purchase the magazine. I won't be using this technique on my real front cover as it is too distracting and looks very unnatural and unprofessional. 

Here is a more simple approach to the cover image where I simply improved the portrait. I quite like this although it sticks to the conventions which wouldn't attract as much attention as it fits in with other magazines whereas I want to aim for something that stands out so there is a tone of interest and curiosity which will imprint upon the viewer and persuade them to pick up the magazine. There is room at the top of the image for a masthead and gaps at the side for cover lines. The model looks natural which is an image that I feel that would more suited on the double page spread although a natural pose would look more like the interview was a natural conversation with no editing from the publicist and that all the words in the article were the artists own. 

Overall I feel that the first image is the one I shall use as it subverts the stereotypical conventions of a front cover image. I will make a few adjustments to improve the image. I feel that the second image was too busy which would prevent the cover lines from standing out and the last image too conventional which would mean no one would remember it and the magazine would naturally blend in to the rest of the news stand which is what I want to avoid as I will rely on the ability for my magazine to stand out to draw the eye of the viewer to the published piece so they will read my cover lines then become a consumer and reader instead of a viewer of the news stand. 

Artist Development

 

Here I have developed Poppy Scarlet and explained the name choice, I have also brainstormed possible traits and personalities she would have so I can reflect it within my interview to create a sense of a real artist who often mostly convey their personalities through their words. It is important I capture these traits within my interview as my music magazine promises an intimate relationship between the artist and reader so I must ensure that the interview creates the feel of someone speaking without the need for fillers and hedges in her reply so therefore the reader feels that no speech has been edited of changed by Poppy Scarlet's manager.