Final Magazine - Front Cover, Contents, Double Page Spread

Preliminary Magazine - Front Cover and Contents

Evaluation Draft

Evaluation Draft

Second Draft - Major Magazine

After receiving feedback from my teacher about my first draft that I created for my magazine, I have decided to create a whole new second draft and make some drastic changes, especially to my contents page and double page spread. The main concern about my first draft was the major layout issues that I had not considered when designing it. For example, it was said that my contents page did not reflect that of a realistic music magazine and the way the list followed the slanted angle descending along the page was irrelevant. As well as this, major changes were needed to be done to my double page spread as I had not taken into consideration where the spread would be cut in half by the fold of the magazine (the font would be cut off in awkward places and the models face needed to adjusted so that the line cut her face directly in half). My contents page did not need drastically changing, however the models place on the page needed to be more central and the fonts to be resized, e.g. the masthead needed to be bigger and the headings/strap-lines to be smaller. 

I had a second photo-shoot with my model, however kept the same style of costume as this was praised by my teachers and by peers, and got some new shots for the second draft. My main aim was to capture a more central image of my model for the front cover and to also gain more 'energetic', 'attitude' shots, which I feel I managed to capture quite well. The masthead was resized to a larger font, so it now goes across the width of the page, and the headings/strap-lines were resized to a smaller font. Along with the other small changes made, I believe this version of my cover is a more realistic, clean-cut, and modern layout than previously. 

I completely changed the layout of my contents page. This layout is a more realistic representation of what a music magazine contents page would appear like, however I kept the fresh, modern appearance of a hip-hop/urban magazine genre. I still need to find a way of incorporating another model into the contents page to show a variety of artists, and so I will discuss this with my teacher in the next couple of lessons and will find a solution to this. 

My double page spread was also drastically changed from the first draft. I went for a more classic layout in this draft, contrasting to the 'different' approach I attempted in my first draft. My idea was to use the classic, original layout and execute it perfectly to suit my genre of magazine, rather than try to do something 'unique' and it not pay off in the long-run. However, I still used a technique that I saw used in my double page spread analysis in the beginning of the course in the Lady Gaga article. The bold 'L' in the background of the article puts a twist on the design and hopefully differentiates it a little from others. I feel that this layout is a lot more flattering and is more aesthetically pleasing than my previous design.

Inspiration

Issue 6 of HighSnobiety Magazine featured model Mimi Wade who is style by Lucy Greene and shot by Kimi Hammerstroem. There are two photo's that really stood out to me throughout the whole shoot and that have inspired me to reconsider the shots that I am going to do for my final magazine.

Firstly, I love this side shot of Mimi against a blank white wall. Her bright hair contrasts with the backdrop and her pose is natural, not forced. The side stance gives the shot an interesting edge and is something that I will definitely try with my model in my next shoot.

The next shot that caught my eye was this one. Although this is quite a busy image and contrasts with the simplistic and modern style that I am aiming for, I love the use of the border around the original image. It gives the image edge and differentiates it from the average photo. This is another technique that I could try in the future as I think, with the right border, it could look very effective and make my cover look even more aesthetically pleasing to the reader.

i-D Magazine

I love the covers of i-D Magazine because of the simple, modern layout on almost all of their covers. The models in this selection of covers are all in shot with a mid-shot and are in front of a plain backdrop, which is what I hope to incorporate into my front cover for Major. The colours are all simple and a colour palette of three is used on each, yet again this is what I'm hoping to use in the future drafts/final product, as I think this is more effective and aesthetically pleasing than a front cover which is made up of clashing colours and chaotic settings. i-D Magazine feature so many artists of different genres and even have models/fashion designers on their covers of each issue, however the design and shot manages to capture the energy and personality of each model, which is something that I admire from i-D. I hope to make my magazine reflect the style of these covers and this will heavily influence by final product.

First Draft - Major Magazine

Feedback

This was marked by my teachers to give me a estimation of what this work would achieve if it was submitted and give me an idea of what level I am currently working at. I was given a level 2 for this work, which I was not happy with overall. The layout of the magazine was the main concern, especially in the contents page and double page spread. The list of sub-headings on the contents page following the line made by the wall was said to have no relevance to any other elements on the page and looked a lost on the page overall and didn't work. There were elements of the double page spread which I will have to change if I want to keep the same layout, such as considering how the text/main image will be cut due to the fold in the page. I have discussed these issues with my teachers and have decided upon possible changes that I could make in a second draft in order to gain a better grade. However, the style of my model was praised by my teachers and the shots that were taken were high-quality, and captured the attitude/character of the artist, which reflects the genre of my magazine well. The font for my masthead was also said to be strong and bold, and the contrast with the sub-heading made the two opposing fonts compliment eachother well.
I will have to make some significant changes to my magazine layout in order to achieve a higher mark and I am in the process of deciding upon a date for a second shoot with my model to get some different shots.

Mock Up - Major Magazine

Magazine Cover Construction Task

The task was to construct a music magazine cover in one lesson. Here are the stages of creating my magazine and the final product.

I chose this image as it is an interesting shot of the artist Lana Del Rey. I minimized the image so that the model did not fill the entire cover, leaving little/no room for text. Then, I filled in the remaining background using the same colour of the original background of the picture, via use of the eye dropper tool.

'DEADLINE' appealed to me as a name for this magazine as it coincides with the main image, for example, the blood dripping from Lana Del Rey's mouth and the dead rose. The font is bold and unmissable to the reader and the colour white stands out above the dark colours used mainly for the main image, except for the pale colour of the model's face.

I wanted to keep the cover looking simplistic and modern. Therefore, I used the same font 'Zanzibar SF' for the masthead as well as the subheading and strapline, creating consistency throughout the cover. I also continued using the colour white to ensure this simplistic idea was to be effective.

For a realistic effect, I then added a barcode to the bottom right corner of the page. However, consequently, I moved the subheading and strapline slightly up, as the barcode looked too close to these seperate elements, creating a busy and messy appearance.

Analysis of an Institution

Bauer Media Group is a multinational media company, which operates in 15 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately owned and under management by the Bauer family. Worldwide circulation of Bauer Media Group's magazine titles amounts to 38 million magazines a week. Amongst those magazines, are the well known Q Magazine, Kerrang! Magazine, and MOJO Magazine.
Their business is built on influential media brands with millions of personal relationships with engaged readers and listeners. Their strategy is to connect audiences with excellent content through their broad multi-touch point brand platforms, wherever and whenever and however they want. Their wide portfolio of influential brands gives them advantages over pure play magazine or radio competitors. Today, Bauer Media spans over 80 influential brand names covering diverse range of interests, which is why this institution would be suitable for my magazine, as it would be adding further to this variety of brands with a hip-hop/urban genre. As well as this, Bauer Media reaches to millions of audiences, partially ensuring success for my own 'Major' magazine and a guaranteed audience of readers for it.

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Double Page Spread Research

This spread is simple with a limited colour palette of black, white and red, with slight hints of alternate colour within the main image. The red of Lana Del Rey's hair subtly matches the 'Q' logo that appears in the bottom right corner of the page. The photo use as the main image takes up the space of a whole side of A4 and the effects used  on the image create a modern and sinister-looking page, along with her pose. The lighting used in the photo also makes the image more interesting, as it is different to the standard, clean cut image most commonly used in magazines. Another feature that I find interesting about this layout is the "S" in a bold font, as the first letter of the first word is 'S'. This is a common technique used by magazines and is similar to the 'L' in the background of the Lady Gaga article. This grabs the attention of the reader, rather than the article looking bland with columns of writing, and also entices the reader to continue.

This double page spread uses the most common colour palette used in magazines - red, white, and black - similar to that used in the Lana Del Rey article above. The main feature that caught my attention in this magazine was the writing on Soulja Boy's face, covered in the word 'Swag'. I think this idea is interesting and different, and it still incorporates the colour scheme of red, white, and black. The font is also consistent throughout the double page spread, as a handwritten font is used for the design on his face and the main heading/quotation on the following page. The design and layout of the page, including the font, reflects the attitude of the artist that the article is on (Soulja Boy), the genre of the magazine (Vibe), and attracts the target audience of this particular magazine, which would be teenagers interested in this genre of modern music.

This double page spread is also taken from Q magazine, and incorporates the common colour palette of red, white, and black - which is used in all three of the double page spread's that I have chosen to analyse. This is a modern and sophisticated style, as the main image is in monochrome and is a simple image. Lady Gaga is wearing nothing but chains around her neck and natural hair, creating a simplistic main image, however the make up that she is wearing is quite heavy on the eyes, hinting at a glamorous woman/lifestyle. On the following page, the article is in simple columns - the way a magazine article is expected to be laid out, however the bold, red 'L' in the background of the article catches the eye of the reader and is an interesting feature. This flash of colour creates a contrast from the, otherwise, monochrome colour scheme.

Contents Page Research

The background consists of plain and basic colours so that this allows the foreground of the model and the text to stand out as the main features of this contents page. The masthead is in a bold font and in bright white to contrast with the dark background to catch the attention of the reader. The white outline of the 'V' in the background of the page also connects to the models legs, which are also in the shape of a 'V', repeating the title of the magazine. This contents page uses a neutral colour palette consisting of browns, whites and blacks, keeping the page simplistic. The models pose is unusual, as she is laying down rather than the standard stood up pose, this draws attention to the model and makes her the main image on the page. The text is split into two headings - features and fashion - making it easier for the reader to find what they're looking for quickly.

This contents page is also from Vibe magazine and it also caught my eye when I was researching. There is a monochrome colour palette used for this page, however there is a splash of bright red from the heart held by the mysterious arm emerging from behind Kanye. This could make a subtle hint to the reader that stories about Kanye's personal love life could be revealed in the issue. The use of a bright colour in amongst a monochrome palette can sometimes look cliché or 'tacky' but Vibe magazine uses the technique successfully and makes it look effective. Yet again there is a faint 'V' in the background of the page and the 'Contents' heading is in the same font and layout, giving the loyal reader familiarity with the magazine. As well as this, the headings are laid out in the same way and are the same as previously - features and fashion.

This page is very different to a normal layout of a contents page, which is why it caught my attention. The majority of the page is taken up by the main image, enticing the reader to what else is to come later in the magazine. Keeping it simple, the colour palette is just black and white, with very slight hints of different colour in the main image - keeping the colours simple makes the page look clean, de-cluttered, and easy to follow. The font used for the text is also very simple and so contributes to this clean cut style. In the top left corner of the page, there are numbers instead of the usual title of the magazine, being 'Nylon'. I guessed that these numbers would represent the date and issue number of the magazine, which contributes to the unique layout of the page.

Preliminary Magazine Work

Magazine Research

Here are some magazine covers that I have researched that I liked/were attracted to/thought were interesting, and will give me inspiration for my own ideas.

Complex magazine - Kid Cudi is Mr Rager

This is one of my favourite magazine covers that Complex has done. The way that the photographer has played around with the background image and masthead is the best feature on the cover and is what the eye is drawn to initially. It gives the cover a 3D quality, and is a clever way of presenting a cover. The balance is right between text and layout here, because if there was any more text then I feel that the cover would become too busy and the audience would be drawn away from the background 'image'. The masthead if slowly distorted due to the image and makes this even more effective. Colours that are used in this palette mainly seem to consist of black, white and navy blue. The text makes the reader curious as to what the content of the magazine is, surrounding the idea that Kid Cudi is "out of control". This would attract the target audience of a young adult that is interested in this genre of music and any other media related topics/areas.




Ziggy magazine - Lana Del Rey cover

I love this cover just for it's simplicity. It appears to be quite a natural magazine cover, which is not over complicated like some designs may end up looking like. The background is plain, simple and a very neutral colour, which goes very nicely with the colour of Lana Del Rey's top and hair. Including Lana's make-up, nothing seems to be overdone in this cover. The masthead is bold and noticeable, coinciding with the interesting, out-of-the-ordinary name of the magazine. Even Lana Del Rey's pose seems natural and not 'forced' like some models that appear on the cover of a magazine that is to be viewed by millions. She is placed in the centre of the shot and is photographed using a medium close up, and if you look closely, there even seems to be a light coming off her, which slowly fades back to the darker [but still neutral] colour. All of this adds together to create an overall calm, simple, neutral and aesthetically pleasing magazine.




Spin magazine - Azealia Banks issue

This cover is a bit different to the other two, as it's a colourful, fun, and busy layout. It's also quite a feminine cover due to the background which appears to be a girly room (hinted by the baby pink walls and flowery curtains, which would definitely attract the female target audience), however, the colours of Azealia's green hair and multi-coloured clothing draw all of the attention to that main image. This clash of colours, alongside Azealia's pose/action, creates quite a busy cover but one that still works and is still aesthetically pleasing to the reader. Text is scarcely used except for the masthead, heading, and two subheadings, and the fonts are simple and bold - to balance out the busy image. From a magazine titled 'Spin', this cover is everything that is expected - a fun, busy, and colourful layout. It's different and that is one of the main reasons why I like it.

Preliminary Exercise - Flatplan

I chose the name of "Pi" for my school/college magazine, as it incorporates the educational theme by using a method commonly linked to maths - the formula of pi. I'll also use the symbol (π) next to the masthead on the front cover to create a more educational feel to the magazine, and this could become a recognisable symbol linked to the magazine in the future.

This is the finished flat-plan for my magazine, including basic drawings of the layout and boxes that will be substituted for text or images in the final product. Slight features may change once I am creating the final product, however this is the initial plan that I wish to follow throughout.