Feedback On Cover and Contents Two

This is another feedback sheet I received, this persons views are similar to the other feedback I received, as they believe the title of each the cover and contents are good, which I am pleased with as I agree with this. I also like the fact how this person has commented on the colours used, as I thought hard to keep a constant theme to the cover and contents.

The contents page may be changed, as this person thought it could be easier to navigate around it. I will have to take this into consideration as I want my target audience to enjoy reading my magazine.

Feedback On Cover and Contents

Once I had finished my front cover and contents pages I asked friends to comment on them. This shows one persons feedback, which shows positive points and negative. This will help me as I can see what my target audience like or dislike about my magazine. Receiving this feedback now allows me to re-think some choices made earlier and change them to make the cover and contents better, and overall more attractive for the reader.

As you can see this person believes the main text on the cover should be bigger and the picture on the contents needs re-sizing. Using this feedback I can now decide whether to change the text/picture or leave them as they are. If I want my target audience to like my magazine I do need to thoroughly look over feedback and consider opinions.

DPS Current Progress Three

Once I had finished the text on Photoshop I had to import it to Indesign. To do this I selected 'File' and then 'Place...', once this is done I chose what file I wanted to insert into the double page.

Now the text is on the double page I had to add some effects to it so that it stood out on the black background, I chose the black background with the red and white text as it follows the colour scheme used on the cover and contents pages.

The only effect I wanted was to highlight the text so it was clear to read on the dark background, I chose to add a drop shadow to the text and make the shadow white, as if it was black it would not have shown on the background. Below is the 'Effects' selection screen, I chose the shadow to be white and the size of the shadow to be '2mm' and the opacity of the shadow 75%. I believe these effects give the text a more vibrant look and stand out easily from the rest of the page. The opacity at first was 100% and I believe it overcrowded the text, as it covered some of the letters which could not be read.























Above is the text with the effects added, I like the overall look of the title as it dominates the top left of the double page spread. I also like the difference of each font and colour as they stand out from each other, which shows how the artist has changed social class since becoming famous.

DPS Current Progress Two

The next step I took was to create a title for my article.

I began by opening Photoshop so that I could choose the font, size and colours. I used the font 'Jailbird Jenna' for the 'From Rags' part of the title, this is because this font represents the artists poor past, as the font is rugged and bold. I chose this text to be red as I want it to be separate from the 'To Riches...' part of the title, this will therefore show a change in the font and colour as to the actual artist from being poor to rich.

The second line of the title 'To Riches...' is a different font and colour as it clearly shows the change the artist has experienced, the font used is called 'Santa Fe LET', I like this font as it is totally different from the top line, and also it is original because I have rarely seen other music magazines with this type of font.

Each line of text has had a 'drop shadow', 'stroke' and 'bevel and emboss' applied to it, I chose to use these effects as they make the text more bold and will stand out well on a black background which so far is my desired background colour.

DPS Current Progress One

This is the photo I have edited on Photoshop, to import the edited photo from Photoshop to Indesign you click on file, and then 'place', this then allows you to choose a file from the computer and drop it into the double page.

Once the photo had been chosen and placed into Indesign, I had to choose what size I wanted it. I did not want the picture to cover one whole page as planned as I wanted an even balance of text and image. I decided to re-scale the photo so it could fit into two columns. The photo will still be rather dominant on the double page as it goes from the top of the page down to the bottom, and takes up a third of the space, but I believe it will still leave enough space for the article to be inserted onto the double page.

Creating The Double Page

To create my double page spread I am going to use the program 'Indesign', this program is suitable for the double page spread as it is used for publishing, therefore I can create the interview with my artist easily. The program also allows me to 'place' images from 'Photoshop' into my article, this means I can edit my photos and import them straight into Indesign.

Once I opened the program and selected new document, this pop up appears. To create my double page spread I selected 'A3' for the paper size, changed the page to 'landscape' and finally chose to use 6 columns. I chose these settings as one A3 page landscape is the same size as two A4 pages portrait, and therefore it shows as a double page of a magazine. I chose to use 6 columns as 3 columns per page should be enough space for the text, as I am planning to have a large photo which will take up 2 or 3 columns, therefore I need 3 or 4 columns for text and the title of the interview.

Changing The Lighting

I continued editing the photo by changing the lighting.

I got to this screen by selecting 'filter', 'render' and then 'lighting effects'. Once on this screen I chose to have the light coming in from the top left, I like this as the lighting shows more of the background which is important, because the barbed wire and concrete bricks emphasise how he has changed social class since succeeding in music.

Choosing The Photo For DPS

When choosing my double page spread photo I wanted a medium shot showing how my model has changed from living a poor area, to having fame from their music. I chose to go out and take a photo at night, as the dark background can represent a dark past that the artist has experienced.
I believe this shot works for my article as the barbed wire, concrete wall and the night sky in the background gives off a more negative look, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I do not believe that my photo needs editing majorly, however I began by decreasing the brightness to -33, I done this so the artist's face is more recognisable, because when taking the photo the flash on the camera made his face unclear, so removing some of the brightness makes the image more clearer to see.

Double Page Ideas 2

I believe this double page spread is effective as there is a balance of text, picture and the title of the article.

I like the title used as the font is original, and really stands out from the page, the fact the title covers both pages shows how it is important, the bold use of black and white text may also connote the bold personality of the artist.

The photo shown takes up the whole right hand side page, this makes the spread more attractive as the photo is bold, and the red top she is wearing stands out from the black and white text.

The text used is shown in four columns, and only uses one page. This magazine has used a simple font as it has to be easy to read, because it is rather small. The large capital letter at the start also shows easily where the interview begins.

I like this double page as it uses a simple layout, and a similar colour scheme to what I want to use. I also believe the font used for the title is appropriate as it is unique and rugged, this connotes with the artist Lilly Allen as she is known for being original and bold.

Double Page Ideas

This double page spread shows mainly an image of the artist, which is 'Florence and the machine'.

I believe this layout is effective as the photo shows clearly who the article is about, the photo uses one page out of the two which enables a small amount of information. The way the artist is in-front of the title also shows how the image dominates the page.

The text used has been placed into three columns, this gives the whole page a more attractive look as the it looks more organised. I also like the large capital D at the start of the article, this looks more unique and shows the reader where the article begins clearly.

I do not believe that I will use the layout used on this page, as I want to have more text and centre the image, so the text wraps around the photo.

Finished Contents Page

This is my finished contents page.

I am pleased with the outcome of my contents page as I believe I have kept the same house style through-out my front cover and contents, therefore when looking at both together I believe it will be easy to see they are part of the same magazine.

I also like the fact I kept a reasonably simple layout, as when I was researching magazine contents pages I thought some had too much information, and therefore made the page cluttered and hard to find the story or interview desired.

Adjusting the Photo

Before the completion of my contents I decided to make the images used brighter, this is because they were both rather dark and didn't look as attractive as they could.

I done this by selecting the layer which the photo was on, and then 'image', 'adjustments' and finally 'brightness/contrast'. I increased the brightness to 17 and kept the contrast at 0, I kept the contrast at 0 as I believe the photo only needed to be brighter.

The photo now looks more professional as it is clearer and lighter, which therefore will be more attractive to look at for the target audience.

Current Progress Five

I am now coming towards the end of my contents page.

This stage consisted of adding the photo shown below, I initially had a blank space here and decided another artist would be an appropriate solution. I had to re-size the photo to fit the small area as it was originally a large photo. I also saturated the photo, as I believe it looks more attractive in black and white, this process was done by selecting image, saturation and then lowering the saturation to remove the colour. When taking the photo I wanted my model to look to their left, as then the photo would then make them look across the contents page, as shown. I like this as the model is looking over at the other information and this could encourage the reader to also look at the 'Features' area.

I chose my photo from a selection of pictures I took in my free time. I chose the highlighted photo in the top left as I believe it will look effective where I want a photo to be, which is in the bottom left of my contents page.

I then decided to add a page number to the image, I chose to add a small white square behind the number so the drop shadow is visible, and the text is clearer to read. I continued using the font 'Jailbird Jenna' and size 21 so all page numbers look the same, therefore contributing to the house style.

Current Progress Four

This stage of the contents was to show what the main stories from the cover include. I began by creating a small rectangle to go behind the title 'Features', I selected the rectangle tool and drew the rectangle to fit the two columned box. I chose white for the rectangle as it helps the title stand out and I believe breaks up the page, as the other titles in black do not have a white background.

Continuing with the black titles for 'Jay Z, Devlin and the top ten albums' I decided to add the page number next to them, these are also 'Jailbird Jenna' and have a drop shadow as do the other page numbers through out the page. The text beneath each title is 'Indy Pimp' and I chose to use red as it can be clearly read and follows the style used on the other column and front cover. I also had to transform the text so it all reached the other side and bottom of the double column, I done this by dragging the text box down and across so the text stretches across the double column. I believe this looks effective as the whole double column has no major blank areas, and therefore enough information can be inserted so the reader can get an insight into what can be seen later on in the magazine.

To change the font you highlight the text, and select which font desired from the drop down menu. I chose 'Indy Pimp' and also used red.

Current Progress Three

The next stage was to add the page numbers for the 'Featured Artists' column, I had to transform the numbers so that they were in line with the text on the left hand side, I done this by dragging the selected box down so that the text is stretched.

I decided to use the same font and effects to the page numbers as the one I done for the 'V festival line up announced' text below the page numbers, this is 'Jailbird Jenna' and in white, with a drop shadow added. I decided not to use the 'P' in front of every number as I believe it is not needed as it is easily known they are showing the page number. I believe the left hand column has been a success, as it uses the colours I wanted for the whole theme (red, black and white) and the different font and sizes break the column up, making it easier to read through.

I also deleted one of the small columns on the right and created one large one, this is because I have decided to put information from the front cover here, and therefore need a large area so that I can write more about the story here.

Current Progress Two

The next step I took was to create the white box in the bottom right of the picture used. I began by creating the rectangle and sizing it to fit text and a page number. I continued to use the 'Jailbird Jenna' font for this part as it is bold and clear to see, as the title for each area is in black I had the name of the artist in black, and page number in red. The rectangle used has had the opacity changed, I decreased the 100% down to 81% as it looks subtle and does not take anything away from the photo, I also added a drop shadow and stroke to the rectangle, to make it look more defined.

I also added the 'V festival line up announced' text, this was done as many magazines show information on festivals that contribute to the music they base their magazine on, the V festival often plays RnB music and therefore fits with my magazine. I continued with the same font as it has no sub-headings and the title is the only part of text, therefore it is in black and 'Jailbird Jenna' font. I also changed the page number to white, I believe this looks more attractive and not too bold as the red does, therefore I may change the page numbers all to white. The text has a drop shadow added to it to make it more defined on the gray background.

Current Progress One

Since last posting, I have added the 'Featured Artists' and the subscription information.

I began by adding the text in the top right of the page, I thought that adding the issue number and advertising to subscribe text is effective as it fills that corner, which would have otherwise been left blank, and it also looks professional as many magazines advertise to readers to subscribe. I used the text 'Jailbird Jenna' as I used it on the cover, and therefore continuing to use it helps the contents match the front cover style. I decided to change the middle line into red as I believe it helps the text stand out, as using the same colour for advertisements may look boring and will not stand out to the reader.

I then began adding the information to the contents page. I started by including a 'Featured Artists' column, I done this so the reader can see what artists are on what page, and therefore find the interview or article they want easily. I chose to use the same text 'Jailbird Jenna' for the title of the column, I believe this works as it is an unique font which is very bold, and therefore clearly shows what the column includes. The font used for the artist names is 'Indy Pimp', I like this font as it is original and easy to see and read, I also used it on the front cover under the main story lines, therefore using it here enforces the house style created on the front cover. To finish the text in the column I left Justified the text, this makes each line start at the same point, and therefore looks neater and more organised.

Beginning the contents page

This is the start of my contents page.

I began by selecting a light gray background for my contents page, I chose this as I believe a white background looks too plain and basic. I selected the fill bucket tool to add the gray background.

The title has the same font as my front cover, this was done so a consistent house style can be easily seen through-out the magazine. The font is 'Hard Rock' and has the same effects added which are: drop shadow, inner shadow, bevel and emboss and finally a stroke.

I then added the photo of my artist, I wanted this to cover two columns as it clearly shows he is the main focus of the magazine, I believe that because he is wearing the same clothes as the cover it shows clearly he is going have a large proportion of the magazine.