Evaluation part2

How did you attract/address your audience?

To find out about my audiences preferences I made and distributed a questionnaire which gave me an idea of what would appeal to my target audience. I then questioned a focus group further to understand details of preferences. These are the decisions I

made based on results:

Use of cover lines likely to attract rather than minimalistic

Indie genre- audience felt it’s very current, accessible and versatile

Free download to encourage purchase

Interest in festival/gig tickets- cover lines to address this interest

Mixture of up and coming artists and already established artists- appeal to a wider audience

Limited amount of colour- looks more professional and sophisticated


Use of same colour scheme throughout to create a house style

Interest in festivals and gigs was clear- features listed on the contents addressed this

To find out about my audiences preferences I made and distributed a questionnaire which gave me an idea of what would appeal to my target

audience. I then questioned a focus group further to understand details of preferences. These are the decisions I made based on results:

I included references to gigs but didn’t make it a main focus as results showed the majority only went to gigs every 3-4 months. However, this is not an accurate representation of my whole target audience so it may have been beneficial to place more focus on gigs


To find out about my audiences preferences I made and distributed a questionnaire which gave me an idea of what would appeal to my target

audience. I then questioned a focus group further to understand details of preferences. These are the decisions I made based on results:

Red was suggested but decided against as it would be too similar to my magazines main competitor- NME. Either purple or blue was then suggested as it could appeal to both genders

Mise en scéne of the main image on the double page spread connotes rebellion and breaking of the rules- something which may appeal to an audience who tend to subvert normality in differing ways such as their attitude and appearance

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Hardware

I learnt how to use a combination of different hardware in the creation of my coursework pieces. I used a camera to take original images which I then connected to a computer using a USB cable.

After copying the images into my area I was able to use Software to Manipulate them.

Software

I learnt how to use different software in different ways in order to construct and present a final product. I used dafont.com as a source of fonts; Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign to construct the pieces and Slideshare and Blogger.com to present the finished pieces.


I learnt how to use the Magic Wand Tool to remove unwanted parts of an image. When I did this around the piece of paper I was left with a textured splattered effect. I learnt how to adjust the colour balance

and then used what was left behind as a background on my contents page


I learnt how to use the Shape Tool in InDesign to create different designs. I experimented using shapes and adjusted the opacity of

them. I decided against the grey vertical stripes and used a large letter instead. I adjusted the opacity of the letter too so that it didn’t later

distract from any content.


I learnt that using software like paint can be a quick way of creating something using basic tools such

as lines, eraser, and text. I create my background for the main image of my double page spread using paint and saved it as a JPEG before inserting it into the main image file. I then adjusted the background so that it had a slightly grainy effect and looked more realistic. Finally, I had to re-organise the layers so that the background would appear behind the imageand shadow.


I learnt how to adjust the line spacing in InDesign so that it didn’t look too cramped and fitted in the space it needed to fill.


I learnt how to use dafont.com to find fonts to use in my work. I print screened this font and used the Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop to delete the rest of the screenshot- leaving only this title. I used Select Inverse to select the title so that I could move it around and make sure there was no parts of the screenshot left on the layer.


I learnt how to use the Smudge Tool to create different effects on a rectangle that I inserted using the Shapes Tool.I also learnt how to chose a different brush and adjust the Master Diameter of the brush so I could get the desired effect.


I learnt how to adjust particular parts of an image by using the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select an area. I wanted to fill in the bottom of the card the subject was holding so that it looked like a solid board rather than a piece of card. I did this by using the Paint Bucket Tool and filling in the selected area with black.


I learnt how to adjust the Exposure of a selected part of an image using the Magnetic Lasso Tool to select an area and going to Exposure to adjust the values. I used the magnetic lasso as it madeit quick to select the area and easy to be accurate with selection.


I learnt how to apply a Filter to an image in Photoshop. I applied a filter to the board to make it look more realistic. I used the Crosshatch filter as it gave a subtle texture to what was a plain surface.


I learnt how to Link layers so that once I had positioned several layers sufficiently in relation to each other I could move them around as one piece. This saved time as moving such small objects one by one would have taken a long time and been difficult to keep positioning in a straight line. The images below show how the linked layers could be moved as one.


I learnt how to place an image in InDesign. I firstly used the Rectangle Frame Tool to determine the space in which I wanted the image to be placed. I then went to File Place and selected the image I wanted.


I learnt how to break text up into columns in InDesign. To do this I adjusted the amount of columns in the box shown so that three columns would appear. This was necessary to conform to a conventional article format.


I learnt how to export my finished magazine on InDesign so that it would save as three separate JPEGs. I had to go tick the ‘Spreads’ box and ensure that the Resolution was 300 before exporting the file.


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

…it’s important for the masthead to be large

and stand out as it often acts as the magazine’s logo

I have learnt that…

…cover lines need to be a mixture of

different fonts to add variety. These fonts

should contrast each other so that the

difference stands out- rather than the similar

fonts I used on my preliminary cover.


…subtle use of colour makes the magazine

look more sophisticated and professional.

Although I used green and purple because they

are college colours- I realise now that subtlety would have been better


…using smaller font and placing the cover lines closer together than I did on my preliminary task eliminated black space and makes the

cover look more interesting.


…targeting a focus group allows you to gain

more detailed knowledge of what your

target audience likes- helping to make decisions in the

construction process.


…using smaller font and placing the cover lines closer together than I did on my preliminary task eliminated black space and makes the

cover look more interesting.


This screen-print shows how originally I had used fonts that were similar to each other rather than ones that contrasted. I changed one of the fonts to a bold one

which stood out more and compared the two to see which use of font I preferred. I decided on the use of a thick, bold font and a more basic one to create a contrast.


…an editor’s letter should be accompanied by a small

photo of the editor- the letter from the principal on

my preliminary contents didn’t have a photo with it


…using a textured background is more

successful than using custom shapes- custom shapes work better as design features for a

specific purpose such as to provide a background to page references rather than as random shapes in

the background


…filling black space is important to make the

contents page look professional


…page references should be accompanied by a

short sentence to provide information on the feature

…creative use of photo’s (guitar lead, guitar strap, piece of paper, plectrum,

paperclip) rather than basic photo’s of people

enhance the quality of the design


…how to design and create a double page

spread

I have learnt…

…how to use common conventions to make the piece look professional

…that challenging and developing conventions

can be a good way of creating interesting

design features

…that using a consistent colour scheme links the

pieces and creates a house style

…how to use InDesign to create a double page spread. I did not have

any InDesign skills from the outset and feel

I have successfully picked up different

skills.

…how to use composition to create a professional

looking design


Overall, I have learnt…

…how to use common conventions by analysing different music magazines and taking note of different aspects such as design and tone

…how to target my audience successfully using a colloquial tone, specific subjects and interesting images

…how to enhance images using adjustments and filters without making them appear edited- subtle use of manipulation improves the appearance

without making it appear over-edited.

…a wide range of skills on both Photoshop and InDesign

Technology

Evaluation part2