Drafting/Planning - Creating my own double page spread

For my double page spread I decided to use a classy picture of Lily Allen on one side and the article on the other as this is a typical layout I have seen in many magazines that I have looked into.
I stuck to a basic, simple colour scheme to maintain the simplicity and class that is shown in the picture and to keep the magazine looking neat, tidy and professional. The title 'a day in the life of Lily Allen' is written in the same colour as the background and the text is written in a black colour which matches Lily Allen's dark hair. The background is kept white to keep it looking simple and classy and also to match the colour of the dress she is wearing in the picture.
A quote from the article is written over the picture of Lily to draw attention to what the article is about and what is included in it. This is also a common thing to do in an article of this type and I have seen this used in all of the double page spreads like this one.
I have kept the layout of the text stereotypical to a common magazine by using columns and dividing the text into paragraphs. This makes the text easy to read and makes the page look professional and neat. There is a brief summary of the article at the top of the page to give the reader information about what the article is actually about and give more insight into the title and who Lily Allen is. It is also bolded to draw the readers attention, along with the information about the release of her single at the bottom of the page.
I also included a picture of Lily Allen with one of her children as she speaks about them.a lot in the article and it gives more insight into the 'Life of Lily Allen'. It has a caption to explain the picture.
I have maintained a girly image like the front cover and contents page as I have also used swirly writing which looks pretty and attractive to the female target audience and I have also used a very feminine image of Lily Allen.

Drafting/Planning/Research into similar products and target audience - Creating my own magazine cover and contents page

Front cover
I decided to use Lily Allen as my cover star as she has been the inspiration for a lot of my blog and she is the style I want for my magazine. I also decided to use the rolling stone magazine as I have done a lot of research into this magazine and know about the style and features.

Firstly, I removed the background of a picture I found of Lily Allen to make it look more professional and in the style of a magazine. I used this photo as in the picture she is maintaining direct address with the reader and it is a medium close up which is usually used on magazine covers.

I wanted her to have a white background as it would make her stand out more. I also wanted the background to be white as she is pale and wearing light coloured clothing so a bright colour would not have suited it and any other colour would not have been as effective. Her dark hair and eyes also stand out, but they wouldn't look as bold if she had a darker background.

I put the image of Lily Allen in front of the masthead as this is what magazines tend to do as the masthead is easily recognisable and it makes the model the centre of attention and the focus on her. The image takes up the majority of the page so there is not much negative space. However it is not too crowded as I wanted the design to look simple and elegant.

I then added a cover line 'A day in the life of... Lily Allen' as this is what the article in my magazine is called. Also, readers may find it interesting to find out what a celebrity as big as Lily Allen does during a normal day. I used swirly font as it looks very girly and Lily Allen is dressed prettily and very feminine so my target audience will be women. I matched the colour of the headline to the colour of the masthead to make it look professional, and tidy. I did not want to mix too many colours together as I wanted the look to be simple yet effective.

I then added a bar code, price and date line to it as these are part of the conventions of a magazine cover. I again matched the colour of the text to the masthead to make it stand out from the white background and to keep it looking simple, with a simple, classy colour scheme.

Contents page
As my target audience is women, I decided to stick to using swirly, more girly writing for the contents page as it looks classy and this font looks like a females handwriting. I again kept the writing the same red colour as the masthead to maintain the colour scheme. I also kept the background white to continue the colour scheme and keep the simple look I am going for.

I put a picture of Lily Allen in the centre of the page and put a dark border around it to make it stand out as she is the main article in the magazine. I gave the picture of Lily Allen a grey coloured background so it stood out even more and her clothing could be seen more clearly as in this image she is wearing white.
I also used pictures of two other female singers - Katy Perry and Cheryl Cole who are also very girly and would attract and gain interest from my target audience. I chose these images imparticular as they match the colour scheme I am going for.
Also, the images of the two women are similar to the picture of Lily Allen on the front page as they both have dark hair, are wearing pale clothing with a white background so the same theme and style is beginning to continue throughout the magazine.
I made the picture of Lily Allen slightly overlap the other two images as she is the most important and the main feature in the magazine.

I kept the theme simple as I did on the front page and it makes it seem more classy and neat. Everything is spaced out and looks more professional than it would if I added more to it.

Research into similar products - Further research into Rolling Stone Magazine

I have decided to look further into Rolling Stone magazine as this is the magazine that has given me the most ideas so far. I like the layouts of these magazines and how the model is always the very centre of attention and always dressed very stylish and classy. These magazines have given me more ideas about the pose and look of my model and the layout I want my magazine to be. The masthead is very recognisable and the main headlines are always clear and linked to the cover star which all gives me inspiration.

drafting/Planning of magazine layout - Preliminary task

I have created a quick draft magazine cover to give me an idea of the layout of my magazine.

I have added a bold/clear masthead a long the top which stands out and makes an impact and my model slightly overlaps to show that she is the main focus. My model is maintaining direct address so that the magazine is more personal to the reader and the cover line is written over her to show it is about her. The cover lines frame the model so they do not draw away attention. I have also included a dateline, url, barcode and price. 

Drafting/Planning of photography/magazine layout/ Oragnisation - Picture for preliminary task

This is the photo I am using for the preliminary task. I am going to edit out the background and add in a colour to match the school colour scheme. The models red lips will match the red background.

Research into similar products - Contents page analysis

All of the contents pages I have researched into all have a main star as the focal point.

Certain articles have attention drawn to them and they stand out as they seem to be the most important as readers will want to see them most. The highlighted artists are always the biggest stars that are featured in the magazine to show that the magazine is up-to-date and on trend.

The contents pages are divided up into different categories such as the regular features and features that are specific to this issue. 

The images break up the blocks of text and make it more interesting for the reader, which gives a good first impression on the magazine as a whole as the contents page is the first page that is turned to.

Research into similar products - Magazine analysis 3 - 'Q'

On this front cover of 'Q' magazine, Cheryl Cole is dressed in black, with dark hair, pale skin and bright red lipstick. This seems to have been made into the colour scheme for the front page. The colours are also powerful, revealing her power and importance. She has been made to look edgy and has a rock vibe to it, which is represented through the metal spike ring. Cheryl Cole has been made to look like a rockstar, and this links to the coverline '3 words... Cheryl Cole ROCKS'. Because of this, the genre of music is evident, even though Cheryl Coles style of music isn't actually rock and she has just been presented in this way to suit the magazine. The text '3 words' links to Cheryl Coles single which fans of hers could relate to and it would encourage them to buy the magazine.
There is also a theme of 'three' on this cover. There are 3 different fonts, 3 colours and '3 words'.

The rock style has been continued to the double page spread, along with the colour scheme. Her pose, clothing and overall style shows her to be powerful, strong and edgy. White has been used for the background which makes her stand out and could signify a new start or a fresh change. 

Research into similar products - Music magazine analysis 2 - 'NME'

The next magazine I looked into was 'NME' magazine as I had saw Lily Allen on the cover and she is one of the artists I am focusing on.

In the main image, Lily Allen is using direct address and is in the centre of the magazine so all attention is on her. The image presents Lily Allen as edgy so she fits in with the style of the magazine, even though it isn't her usual style.

The layout is fairly simple as there is a main image, a main coverline, a masthead and then the other coverlines placed around the main image.

The style of writing is a 'punk' style which is also the look that Lily Allen is going for and it portrays her as rebellious and full of attitude.

There is a puff in the form of Lily Allens name as people will see her name and want to read the magazine and it will attract her large fan base. 

The coverlines feature artists of different genres to expand the target audience.

The style of the double page spread continues from the front cover. The font and style presents Lily Allen as anti-authority and as an independent women who will not be told what to do by society. Her facial expression and body language fits in with this as it represents aggression and power so she doesn't look bothered by what people think. 

She is wearing the same clothes as on the cover so again this shows it is a follow on from the front page. Lily Allen is dressed in a mans shirt but the fact she is wearing jewellery shows she is still feminine. 

The colour scheme fits to black, white and red to keep things simple and easy to read but still effective.

Research into similar products - Magazine 1 analysis - Rolling stone

I decided to start off with a 'Rolling Stone' magazine as this is the magazine I am focusing on.

Rolling Stone magazine has the typical conventions of a music magazine

There is a mid-shot picture of Lady Gaga as the main image who is using direct address to make the reader feel like she is looking straight at them. The main image could be classed as very controversial, but it suits Lady Gaga's style as she is controversial.

The main colours used on the front cover of this magazine are pink and purple which can therefore effect the audience which the magazine receives, as it is a colour which is associated with females.

The masthead is the name of the magazine 'Rolling Stone' even though the main image is covering half of the masthead, we know what the magazine is as most the readers are subscribers to the magazine and if not it is recognisable as it is a very well known magazine. 

The banner headline includes the image and the line 'The rise of Lady gaga' shows the story of why Lady Gaga is on the front cover and the story behind her, the headline draws the reader in as they want to find out what the full story is. 

By having a famous pop icon on the front of the magazine, it then determines the audience which the magazine receives, it would range from people who are monthly subscribers to people who are interested in Lady Gaga and her fan base who would want the story behind the front cover. 

The layout of the magazine is very basic, the cover lines are beside the main image and therefore make the whole front cover easy to understand and easier to read.

This is a double page spread on Lady Gaga from a Rolling Stone magazine. It is a simple style and contains a 2 page image with a small amount of text with Lady Gaga as the main focus point. Lady Gaga is very controversial which is represented in this image as she has lack of clothing on and is only being covered by bubbles. This image also shows her authority as she is stood above everybody as they lie around her and she is striking a powerful pose. This pose is also known as the 'Jesus' pose which is iconic and shows her importance. The pages have a pink wash over them, making the main colours pink and purple which both have girly, feminine connotations. The headline 'New York Doll' stands out on the page which shows Lady Gaga's relevance and shows her as an iconic figure.This page carries on the theme of the front page.

Research into similar products/Drafting and planning - Artist research

I decided to do research into an artist that is similar to the kind of artist I want to create. I looked into some of Lily Allens classic vintage looks to gain inspiration for the look I want my model to have. In these images Lily Allen looks innocent and fun and that is the kind of attitude I want my model to portray.

I did some research into Lily Allens music style which is original, different and unique. It is under the genre indie/pop and has a large fan base. Her songs tend to be soft but have meaning.

Research into similar products - Further research

I have put together a collection of vintage style covers from 'Rolling Stone' magazine. I love the vintage style and theme and I think it makes the models look classy and stylish.

These have gave me the idea to create an old-fashioned look for my magazine.

The black and white ones are effective as they look classic and make the model look innocent and perfect.

Colour also works well though whether it is bright like in the top left or based on one colour like the bottom left.

Drafting/Planning of photography - Photograph comparison

This picture was taken from two different angles.
The first angle doesn't work as well as the second picture as the background is more effective as it is slightly blurred which draws attention to the model as she is in focus and in good lighting. The model is looking directly at the camera which is direct address
In the top picture, the model is not framed as well as in the second picture.

Research into similar products - Further magazine research

So far, 'Rolling Stones' magazine has given me the most inspiration for my own designs. This magazine does not always follow the codes and conventions of a front cover but still makes it look good and professional.

I am beginning to like the idea of a full shot for the model as I think it can work really well, like the one using Jessica Simpson. I also like the use of bright, bold colours and it is an idea I may be able to use later on.

My favourite of these covers is the centre cover. The vintage, sailor theme looks really good and the style, fonts and colours all work brilliantly together to create a unique front cover. 

The third cover here is very unusual as an image is used for a background and I really like this idea. I think this cover looks imaginative and stands out from alot of other magazines. 

Research into similar products - Magazine research

I love the way 'Q' magazine has designed this cover. It is unusual to see a full-length images on magazine front covers as they are usually medium/close-ups but I think this one works really well. It has given me new ideas and inspiration for when I design my own front cover and I am going to begin to look into different styles and positioning of cover-stars to give it an unusual twist that will stand out but still look good and professional.

Research into similar products - Magazine inspiration

I gained inspiration from this magazine cover as I like the way the background is edited as it makes the model stand out but still looks professional and stylish. I also like the positioning of the model and I think it is effective as it makes Selena Gomez look powerful and in control while maintaining direct address. As well as this, all of the attention is on the model as the only other things that stand out on the page is her name and the magazine title which works well as it draws attention to her being the main feature. 

Drafting/planning of magazine layout - Typography task

The cover-line of a magazine should fit in with the image and style of the magazine.

I think cover-line E looks best as the sharp, bold font suits the powerful image of the cover star - Christina Aguilera - as half a robot. This font is urban and chic which portrays Christina Aguilera's personal style and personality and blends in with the magazines overall style.

The shape of the letters in Cover F works well as they fit in with the mechanical theme that 'VIBES' magazine is going for.

Cover line D is the worst font as it does not suit the futuristic theme that the magazine is going for. The old, medieval style looks out of place next to the image and creates an unprofessional look to the cover.

I think Cover B stands out and makes an impact but it is too bold and takes over the cover too much. I would not use this font myself.

Comic Sans is used in Cover C which tends to have an association with children which makes the magazine look immature and gives an innocent feel to the magazine. This font does not work at all.

Cover A looks too formal, like a broadsheet paper which is less interesting and would not appeal to the target audience.

drafting and planning of magazine layout - Practice covers

I have done this task to get used to the layout, features and style of music magazine covers and to start experimenting with the types of things I can do when I design my own magazine cover. It has really helped me realise how difficult it is to come up with effective cover lines and create an interesting and eye catching cover.

The first magazine I designed was 'M' magazine with a picture of Drake on the front. I tried to come up with imaginative cover-lines that linked to the same style of music as Drake. I think 'Has Kendrick Lamar lost control?' is the best one as it links to one of his songs and sounds like a dramatic story that people interested in rap artists would understand and most likely like to read. I have fitted the cover-lines around the main image of Drake but put the main cover line across him so it stands out. I did the main cover line in red so it is bold and matches the colour of the 'M'. I have then kept the other cover-lines simple with black as I thought too much red would be over-bearing. 

I found creating an identity for the band on the next 'M' magazine cover very difficult but then decided on the name 'Sound Angel' as I thought it sounded edgy and original and fitted with the bands style and look. Again, I have matched the main cover line with the colour of the 'M' style as I thought it looked effective. I added a star above it to make it seem important and urgent. I used black for the other cover lines and tried to link them to R&B artists as that is the kind of music 'M' magazine usually features. 

For 'Music_X' magazine, I decided to maintain the style of the image by using big, white, bold writing with a shadow on top of a black background. I liked the way this looked as it gives the magazine a scary effect which would grab the target audiences attention. I also placed the main cover-line towards the right so it didn't effect the left third of the magazine and block the model but so it was very noticeable. I then put another cover-line in red as it maintained the colour scheme as Bjork has a red coloured outline and so it could stand out on the page and break up the two colours white and black. 

I found the last cover the hardest as I couldn't think of many cover-lines or stories to do with that kind of boy band and there's not many magazines out there that feature this kind of music. However, I decided on mentioning their return to music with their new album which would please fans and a chance to win a copy is likely to sell more copies. 

Drafting/Planning of magazine layout - Magazine Analysis 2

I have analysed another magazine cover to familiarize myself with the codes and conventions of music magazines and to ensure I use them myself when I come to make my own. I have already analysed one magazine, but this magazine has some different features and has a different style so I thought it would be useful.

Drafting/ planning of magazine layout - Practice cover

To practice using the graphic software programmer, Paint.net, I did a very simple practice cover featuring a cover star, a mast head and a cover-line. This will help me with the rest of the work as I now know how to crop and manipulate images and export them to another software programmer (publisher). After practicing this, I am now more confident to make my practice cover and actual magazine cover.

Research into potential target audience - Student magazine audience research questionnaire analysis

I conducted a questionnaire to find out what the sixth form students thought a STACS magazine would look like and what they wanted it to feature.
The questions I decided to ask were:
1. "What would you expect the front cover of a STACS magazine to look like?"
2. "What would you expect to see in a school/college magazine?"
3. "What colour scheme would you expect to see in a STACS magazine?"
4. "What features would you like to see in STACS magazine?"
5. "What aspects of your school life do you find most interesting?"
6. "Are you enjoying sixth form so far?"
7. "What do you think of the improvements to the school?"
8. "Are there any other changes you would like to be made? If so, please specify."
9. "Who is your favourite teacher?"
10. "What would encourage you to read STACS magazine?"

The first question really helped me decide what the front cover of the magazine will look like as most students answered with 'simple' and saying they would expect 'images of students, staff and the school'. They also said that they expect the front cover to be 'formal' but still 'interesting' which gave me insight into how they thought the magazine should be presented and set out.

Question number two aided my decisions on what to include on the sub headings and what to base the magazine about as most people informed me that they would expect to see information about upcoming events, exam results and changes to the school. However, question number 4 contrasted to question two as people would actually like to see gossip about teachers, students and the school and nobody suggested things like exam results.

For the question on what colour scheme students would expect to see, every person asked responded with the colours red, black and silver or white which are the school colours and some people said they would expect the house colours to be part of the scheme. This is the result I expected as, as it is a school magazine, you would expect the school colours to be part of the design.

When asked on which aspects of your school life do you find most interesting, the majority of students said they find socialising with their friends interesting which is hardly surprising. However, a good answer to this question was that the person enjoys their form time as the year groups all mix together and it is nice to see the students of all ages communicating and interacting with each other which shows how the pleasant the school is on a whole. I found this fascinating and would love to include it in my magazine in some way.

100% of students asked said they enjoy sixth form which shows me that they think of the sixth form in a postive way and are more willing to read about something they like.

Question 7 showed me that sixth form students so not seem to be as interested with the improvements to the school as they do not involve them and find it infuriating that the younger students have been given so many more privaleges compared to when they were in school. It seems that the younger children in the school have been trusted more and the elder students feel undermined. This may be able to be spoken through the magazine.

The main answer students gave to question 8 is that there are not any other changes they would like to make to the school but 10% wanted a larger variety of food to be available in the sixth form common room but as it was such a small number, I highly doubt I will use this information.

I have a pie chart to insert to show the students favourite teachers, the main teachers were Mrs Carter, Mr Perry, Miss Rothera and Mrs Ulmkalns.

The students were asked what would encourage them to read STACS magazine. Some of the answers were things such as competitions and good gossip about the staff, which would make it more interesting to read.