Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Software's: How to use CAD software's in more depth and use the tools for the correct purpose. At first, when I started the preliminary task I didn't’t know how to layout a magazine that conforms with a real music magazine. I researched magazine front covers and saw the way the images, texts, barcodes and price is laid out. I have learnt how a typical magazine front cover, contents and double page spread is usually laid out which helped me with my final designs. Before constructing the magazine I had never used InDesign before, now I can use nearly all the features.

Designing: Creating a more realistic magazine by enhancing the details that go with making magazines, I learnt how to create a more realistic looking magazine and compared it to typical magazine such as NME,KERRANG and VIBE. When I looked at the preliminary task, it looked more like a poster than a magazine cover, however when I look at my final design I can see how it looks like a real magazine cover.

Internet use: Using various websites more efficiently such as Blogger, Youtube, Facebook and Slideshare. I learnt how many websites can be used to share information, before constructing the magazine I didn't’t use Youtube much, I only thought it was used for funny videos and music. Youtube allowed me to share my PowerPoint and embed it to my blog. Creating a more authentic looking magazine: I learnt how to enhance the images and make the page look appealing to the audience by using all the tools at my disposable. I used all the software's I know such as Photoshop, InDesign and Blogger.

Overall, when I look at my preliminary task to my mock ups, then to my final design I feel it has been a big change, I didn't’t even realise how much I had learned and implemented in the final design to create and authentic look. The detail in my preliminary task was minimal which made it look like an ordinary poster as opposed to a magazine front cover. When I compare the final design to a real magazine cover they are nearly identical, in using the conventions. I also learnt how to use spellcheck accurately which helped me find spelling flaws in my work, I had never used spell check before which caused my preliminary task to have some errors.

When I compare my final product to my preliminary task I can see the real difference, the details are in place on the final product such as the barcode, skyline, price and QR code all tie in together to show that I have used all the generic magazine conventions. The preliminary task was the first time I used Photoshop and InDesign for a magazine. I didn't’t know how to accurately layout the page or what sizes the font should be. However since the initial preliminary task I have progressed in many ways from design, planning, production and even research.

Prel iminary Design – Front cover

Mock Up – Front cover

F inal Design – Front cover

I have learn how to use software's such as Photoshop and InDesign, I know many functions that helped create the fine details that are presented in my final product. I have also progressed in the layout of music magazines, before I use to layout pages like work documents; very unoriginal and boring, but now I have learn to maximise space and make the information look as appealing to the reader as possible.

I have progressed from the initial preliminary task to the final by adding more details that make up an authentic looking magazine. In the preliminary task I didn’t have a Barcode, Price, Surrounding images, Convergence, Variation of colours and no date. The final contents page also looks for aesthetically appealing as there are more images and a variation of colours and fonts. The initial contents page looked empty and has minimal information, this wouldn't’t usually appeal to my target market (16 -20 year olds) as they would be interested in bold and eye catching pages.

The conventions of a typical music magazines also increase from nothing in the preliminary, to a few conventions such as competitions, adverts and promotions in the mock up and finally I utilise all of the typical conventions in my final design. The authenticity of a music magazine also progresses from start to finish. As when I visualised the preliminary task at a newsstand or shop counter it was hard to believe as the contents did not look like a real magazine but just a plain layout of information. As I moved to the mock up it was easier to see it as a magazine as detail and layout was improved.

For the final design I showed many people and asked them if they would see it as a magazine in stored and they agreed. I feel I have learnt about how to layout a music magazine, and any other magazine genre, I also learnt how to use limited space on a page and gain maximum attention from the reader using bold and bright images/fonts.

Prel iminary Design

Mock Up

Final Design

Mock Up: Double page spread (1)

Final Design: Double page spread (1)

I started with no idea of how to layout a music magazine and progressed to producing one with most of the conventions. I started with a basic layout with no columns which made the mock up look more like a word document than a magazine page. The page wouldn't’t appeal to the readers so I researched more about double page conventions and found where I wasn’t using them.

I compared the final design to the mock up and realised how much I progressed, the final actually did look like a magazine double page spread. I utilised all the current music magazine conventions and it showed when I put the magazine together.

I also used colour well and progressed from just using a few colours that didn't’t match to having a set colour scheme throughout the magazine. I also used my images in an effective way by extending the background from the second page to the first to make it apparent that it is a double page spread. I also reduced the ‘clutter’ of information from the page and created a new layout to make it aesthetically appealing for the readers.

I also progressed with the utilisation of the details with the page number/websites at the bottom of the page and the enlarged first letter for the first column. Overall I believe I have progressed a lot since my initial mock up page. The final design would be far more appealing and looks like a real music magazine.

Final Design: Double page spread (2)

Mock Up: Double Page Spread (2) This was my first official attempt at my double page spread, it is clearly a double page spread however the conventions aren't all in place and the page lacks depth and aesthetics. The colour scheme is also not even and may confuse the readers. I didn't’t stick to the three main house colours (red, black and white). The columns were a bit too wide and still looked like a word document, I needed to progress to a more appealing page layout.

I have progressed a lot from the initial mock up to the final design as I reduced the clutter on the page and focused on the most appealing way to show the images and information. I also allowed the space on the page to not look to empty as the background is busy enough, this allows the readers to look more at the celebrities and read the promotion at the bottom

I also maximised the pull quote, by using two colours to make them stand out from the page so in addition to looking at the celebrities, the readers would also read the quote and want to read the full article.

I also progressed by keeping the promotion side of the magazine but toning it down; for example, on my mock up double page spread I took up nearly 1/5 th of the page talking about a live concert, this would immediately draw the attention away from the article and may loose the focus of the readers. Now, I only used a small space in the corner and used convergence to make the reader go on the magazines website to follow the band instead of me giving away a lot of information straight away. This promotes the celebrities but at the same time keeps the reader interested in the entire magazine.

Start

Finish

I first started by adjusting the levels of the image, this increases or decreases the black and the white tones in the image. This made the entire image look more dramatic and gave a ‘cool’ feel to it.

I then experimented with making the image black and white, it worked well so I decided to keep the feature.

After that, I wanted to remove the yellow paint line on the floor so I used the clone stamp tool to brush over it and it disappeared.

I then realised the image is too wide and the readers would not be able to focus on the celebrities as the background was so big. I used the cropping feature to remove unneeded background.

Once the background had been removed I straightened the image to make it look centered and exported it as a JPEG for the maximum quality.

Prior to starting AS media studies my knowledge on Photoshop was limited, I only knew basic functions such as cropping and importing an image. But after experimenting with my images I learned new tricks and short cuts to making an image gave the correct impression for the page its on as well as the genre its in. I also progressed in the use of layers, I didn't’t understand the importance of layers as masks.