Preliminary Task- LSC Magazine Evaluation Front Cover and Contents Page

  




































During this task we were told to specifically use InDesign and Photoshop as they're more professional then paint or any other source at this stage. With the help of our previous knowledge on InDesign and Photoshop this task was slightly easier as we were able to design college magazines and utilise our feedback from the previous task to perfect this task. Additionally the tasks we were set in class ( working in groups to highlight the key features of a magazine and the effects) was very effective in this task as I was able to use the main features of a magazine in my own work such as : 3 colour scheme, Masthead, skyline, pull quotes etc..
This evaluation will outline what went well during the process of designing the magazine and what I need to improve on.

We were told to use Photoshop for our front covers. 
The photography was quite difficult as I couldn't find an ideal lighting in the college building  ( clear white background or black) and alternatively had to use the outside of the college building to ensure that the cover stars features were clear and bold to see.
The location of the picture wasn't perhaps the best as the colour of the font had to be visible against the background and I had to make sure that the colours didn't clash so I used the colours that the model was wearing and it worked well to an extent.
However the colours weren't as visible against some parts of the background and despite being aware of this I couldn't change the colours of the font as I was trying to stick to the 3 colour scheme.
The shot type is a medium close up displaying the model smiling and looking at the camera which gives a positive vibe and helps interact with the readers as they feel as if she's directly looking at them; making them feel more involved. The cover star holding a folder shows that she's perhaps organised and keen to learn which might encourage readers to do the same.
I didn't really use any photoshop tools to edit her facial features as there wasn't much to change but I increased the brightness just so that her features stand out.
I wanted to stick to the basic magazine structure of having a black, white and a bright colour scheme but I wasn't able to as the colour black blended with the background which would've been a problem so I had to change it to a more suttle colour which was a sky blueish colour.
My target audience was originally a young audience that are interested in the events of the college.
I think that the masthead worked well as it was a vibrant red and attracts the eyes of the readers and the theme of college- red indicating being more alert!
I also liked how my skyline was below the masthead as it's very different amongst the rest of the magazines and it's broken into two short motivational sentences " work hard" and " aim high"
Furthermore I had a variety of different font sizes as I wanted to make sure that I used the space of the page effectively and also to highlight the importance of each topic.

Feedback from members in the class:

"Your magazine is good you have good pictures your layout is really good your front cover could be more colourful as this is aimed at teenagers and some of the writing cannot be read easily because of the background of the picture - Abul Hasnath Al-Azad

"First of all I like how your front cover is pretty simple as it draws all the attention to the cover star. Having said this you could have had a cover line that was an article that linked to the cover star. I like the strange way you have places the skyline, "work hard, aim high". Instead of having it about the masthead where it normally is in magazines you have placed it underneath the masthead on one side and it actually works really well. It's clear that your colour scheme consists of white, blue and red and they work really well with each other but they also are simple colours making it harder for attention to be drawn to a certain bit of text on the cover. To improve I think you could have had a bit more texts relating to articles on your front cover and bolder colours to catch the readers attention."- Yaa Appiah

"From looking at your cover page, the use of a 3 colour scheme is evident. The colours blue, red and white. The colour red which is the masthead stands out from the background, making it eye-catching and appealing. Furthermore, the cover star has eye-contact with camera, as if she is looking at the reader. Also, the use of a barcode and price is evident in the bottom right corner. There is also a skyline which is a typical feature of a magazine. However the price is placed oddly and the colour blue does not stand out as much." Cengizhan Sen

"The cover page is very good as it is eye catching because the picture of the girl shows that she is smiling intriguing the reader. Your cover has all the right conventions for a cover. The layout of the text is good as you are not blocking the image as much. The masthead is eye catching too. However the downside is that the colour of the text is a bit bland and doesn't stand out much" - Rohan Rama's 


I agree with the criticism about the colour scheme effecting the targeted audience and an improvement would be to make sure that I use a wise colour range in the future.
Also making sure that I have allocated a better place for the price and stick to the same font size to show consistency.
Additionally trying to use more photoshop tools to produce a well structured magazine.








































We used InDesign to create our contents page as its suitable to use for an actual contents page and it helps us think a similar way to the actual magazine creators. I tried making my contents slightly different and I changed the headline so that it was displayed vertically on the left instead of the top of the page. With the help of InDesign I was able to use various tools; I used text boxes to organise my sections appropriately which were also organised with headings to make it clearer for the readers to acknowledge whether they're reading regulars, features or extras. I also labelled each topic with a page number so that the readers have an insight on what the magazine has to offer as a whole.
I stuck to a two colour scheme in the contents page pink and black which In my opinion worked well against the white background and compliment the images well.
I used a simple font as I didn't want my piece to come across as overly done or unsophisticated and wanted to portray a sense of simple and effectiveness amongst the readers.


I used a minimal amount of images for my contents page which I don't think was a good idea as the pictures don't describe what the magazine is about specifically and perhaps a variety of images would've completed that.
The images were to indicate that the college is a multi-cultural college and doesn't neglect any individuals.
Also the pictures individually were taken for different purposes ( top left) model is holding a file to show she's studious and hard working, (Top right) model is looking at the computer shows that he's concentrating and shows interest in his work- comes across as positive amongst the readers however the picture isn't quite clear as I distorted the image slightly and the models head is enlarged.
(bottom right) models are smiling and carrying work sheets to suggest that they're in a hard working college environment and surrounded by a friendly atmosphere.
 I stuck to a simple structure whilst creating my college magazine as I wanted it appeal to the readers as well as not look overly done.
In my opinion my use of wording worked well for the targeted audience;- young pupils that are interested in their education and are in the process of making a UCAS portfolio.
One of the main reasons I stuck to a simple use of vocabulary is to ensure that not just the targeted readers are prioritised and that it encourages the other pupils to be keen in what they're studying.

Feedback I received:

"As for the contents page , it also has a colour scheme of pink, black and white. The colours black and pink  contrast from the white background. There are also many images which catches the reader's eye as people find  images more interesting instead of a whole page dedicated to text. The articles have been organized in  categories, so the reader can find the desired article with ease! Overall good job!" Cengizhan Sen  "The contents page has a good layout as it is easy for the eye. the columns are well placed also making the  layout better. The images are high quality and are relevant to the context. The subheadings are different colours  again making it clear for the reader. Overall your college magazine is of a high standard with few errors but still  very good." Rohan Rama "your contents page could be more consistent with the front cover like the colours but your layout is really  professional"-  Abul Hasnath Al- Azad

I agree with the criticism about sticking to a colour scheme as I've changed the colours from the front cover and added two different colours which initially has effected the consistency of the magazine.

Producing music magazine improvements:

In order to prevent clashes of colours I need to make sure that I take the pictures of the models at a suitable location or make a wiser choice with the variety of colours so that the readers can read with ease.

To show my knowledge in magazines I need to show a little more understanding by self-advertising e.g Logos and additional links for more information about the magazine.

Also trying to make everything clear by organising the numbers in chronological order and labelling the pictures on the contents page with page numbers so that the readers are aware of which page they should visit.

Sticking to the 3 colour scheme is essential and it shows a sense of consistency so I need to make sure I make a wise choice again with the colours.