Evaluation

Product

• I think my final project was quite successful
• I'm glad I decided to create another centre spread because I feel this was a lot better and improved the quailty of the final product
• I like how there was a clear link between the cover, content and centre spread so it was clear it was all from the same magazine.
• I think if i was to do it again I would want to have a clear idea of what I was doing before I began, and maybe create my stereotypical audience in more detail, so I will have a better idea of what I'm aiming for.

Institution

• I think my magazine should be should in large institution such as IPC media, as other magazine from the same institution can work with my magazine for advertising purposes etc.
• I have looked on the IPC media website to check an institutiom similar this would have other magazine are in these institutuon such as:- NME, Marie Claire, and Guitar and Bass, i think these magazines would compliment my magazine
• I think my magazine would fit this institution because it is a big well known magazine but my magazine also has some unique selling points, which had to this and will work well both for the magazine itself and the institution.
• My magazine it aimd at more indie music, so it will be different from mosst other magazine offering a new audience for the institution.

Technology

• When I first began using the Apple Mac I found it difficult to get used to the technology as I was unfamilar with it but I felt it didn't take too long to get used to this technology as I feel it was fairly simple once I knew the basics.
• Before I began my coursework, I went to a newly opened Apple store in Bristol for some training on the Macs. I found this helped a lot as I had people who are used to working with Macs to help me. I therefore had some experience with Macs in prepartion for beginning my coursework

Prelimary Task

• I had some problem with my prelimary task. Once I had began my prelimary task I saved it on my memory stick and unfortuatly my memory stick got stolen so i lost some of this work putting me behind on my task and meaning i had to start again. Luckly this didnt take too didnt too long. I felt my second attempt was better anyway because I had already got used to the technology slightly.
• I felt the prelimary task was useful as I was used to the technology. Learnt from my mistakes before working on my main task, which i think help the quality of my main task as i was more experienced with creating magazine pages.

Representation

• Throughout my main task I tried to think of the representation of my stereotypical audience so I could try to make sure this fits my audiece as best it can.
• I tried to give a possitive representation of indie/punk/rock type music on in my magazine as my magazine was suposed to be aimed at audience interested in this type of music and lifestyle.
• I tried to used photo's and colour schemes to add to the represations. I used a red colour scheme as red has connotaions of both danger and passion. Also I tired to make the photo's I used give off the impression of the people having confidence and being happy.

Audience

• I tried to create a stereotypical audience so I had more idea of what i needed to include in my magazine.
• When analysising other magazine I tried to look for magazine with similar target audiences so i could see how they worked with the audience and what they included
• I found my main task audience harder to work with than my prelimary task as the audience would be a lot larger with more of a range.
• Over i think i met the needs of my audeince.

What i need to do next - Complete evaluation

I have now finished my second version of my centre spread. I am much happier with this, so I will keep this as my final centre spread, to go along with the front cover and contents page I completed earlier. Now I need to evaluate my coursework. I will do this in order to explain my view on how this coursework went, and how it could be improved. I will do this in my blog because I think it's still part of my coursework so I think it's a good idea to keep my blog going on as i feel my blog has been successful and worked well.

Centre Spread

I have decided to use a black and white photo of Amy I've taken to use as the background of half the page, and i have added the interview text on top of this photo. I will change the colour of the text to red in order to make it clear and to fit the colur correcct colour scheme. I decided to use a photo as the background for the interview as i think it makes the page more interesting.

As the girlband interview ("Scarlett") are a new band I have decided to have the other half of the centre spread to be introducing the band. The readers have some backgroung information on the band and just to explain more about who in the interview is with etc, i think this is a good way to get the readers attention and to let them know what the article is about. Also on the page i have decided to use one of my favourate photo's from the photoshoot i did of all 3 of the girls and to have arrow with names pointing to the girls in the band. I think this i a good idea because it visually introducing the girlband.

Changing my centre spread

For my other centre spread i will keep the interview the same as i think the actual text was successful it was just the layout of the whole page which i needed to improve.

So i will change the layout, colours, size and photos used in order to try to improve this. :)

Advice and what I've decided to do next...

I just met with people to give me advice with my main task. I was fairly please with what they said and I felt it helped alot. I got told that they liked my cover and contents page, they thought it worked well and they didn't feel I needed to changed anything here. They they didn't think the centre spread was as successful as it could have been (I agreed). So i have decided it would be a good idea to try something else for my centre spread to try to do as good as possible on my main task.

Evaluation of creating my centre spread

I found creating my centre spread the most challenging out of everything, although I tried hard on this I don't think its as effective as it could be.

However I have arranged to have some people who with magazines and publishing so I am going to wait to see there opinion and then try to improve.

Creating my orignal centre spread

Steps i took when creating my centre spread:-

1. I opened pages and changed the layout to A3
2. I tried to estimate half the size of the page and set a dark grey rectangle, coving half the page. I choose dark grey because I think its simple and fits the style of my magazine.
3. I then dragged a picture I took of Amy, Hannah and Jess in one of my photoshoots. I put this on the other side of of the page. I choose a pictue with Amy in the front because she's the lead singer of the girl band and I also wanted the others in this photo so this photo seems most practical to use.
4. I used the shape tool to create an arrow pointing to Amy and inside the arrow i added text saying Amy, I decided to do this because I think this is more interesting than just having the title alone.
5. I added "Scarlett lead singer interveiw" as the title and tried different fonts, sizes and colours. I decided to use red to fit the style of the cover and contents page.
6. I added the interview into the grey space. I had already decided what I was writting so this saved some time as I only had to type it up and decide on the font, size and colour. I typed each question of the interview in separate texts box's so i could change the layout as its a magazine article i thought it should be layed out in collums.
7. I added some last little details, ie, smaller photo's and shadows.