PRELIM TASK: Audience Feedback

I created a PowerPoint slideshow consisting of some feedback I have received from some peers who met my target audience. I had sent images of my final front cover and contents page to them and asked for their opinions or I handed the final printed copies and asked for them to video their responses.

PRELIM TASK: Final Products and Cohension

This is the final front cover of my college magazine called 'Step Up.' I'm happy with the finished product because whilst producing this, I learnt new skills such as how to use photoshop. Also, I'm proud of what I've made considering the time given for me to do it was limited. As a first attempt at constructing a college magazine, the things I included are valid and link together well such as the coverlines and my chosen feature colours: black and pink.
The things I would improve on my college magazine however, is definitely my attention to detail; such as lining the text up neatly and making certain sections stand out more than others, being different to other products.

Here is the final of the contents page to my college magazine. It links successfully to the front cover due to the feature colours being the same on both pages, the fonts of text included and the fact that I've included the masthead again but in a smaller size on the page as well. Also, my choice of a white background is on the front cover and the contents page. Because of these features, my contents page can easily be identified from belonging to the same magazine as the cover page.
I'm happy with the final product because it meets my target audience's needs well as I've mentioned articles included within the magazine which are actually relevant to what the product is about.
I could definitely improve on specific details on the page such as typos and preventing from stretching the images which changes the shape of the model's faces.

PRELIM TASK: Contents Page Layout

Here is my final layout of my contents page compared with the flat plan I had produced. This shows what changes I had made and why but also the features on the page that I decided to keep the same when making it.

PRELIM TASK: Finishing Touches to My Contents Page

To finish off the layout of the contents page, I chose to ask for people's opinions on what they thought might need improving. The major thing which needed editing was the small empty space in the top left hand corner (shown in the first image). Also, the font I used for 'Step Up', appearing at the very top of the page, didn't quite fit nicely and looked odd. With this feedback, I came up with the idea of copying the font used for the masthead on the front cover of the magazine, to also be used for the small 'Step Up' text in the contents page. After, I turned the text to be sideways and moved it to the empty space. This instantly made my contents page look fuller. Completing the contents page, I increased the size of the text saying 'contents' so that it would be more in line with the name of my magazine (shown in images two and three).
Furthermore, to improve the college magazine contents page even more, I changed the font of the text to the same as one I had used for a coverline on the front cover, I did this because it makes both the front page and contents to link and easily be identified as being from the same magazine.

PRELIM TASK: Changes in Front Cover Fonts

After asking my peers about what they thought of my produced front cover to my college magazine, I received some helpful feedback about the fonts I had used on it. From this, I decided to make the last changes to ensure that the magazine meets my target audience successfully.

PRELIM TASK: Cover Layout Decisions

I changed the layout of the cover of my college magazine 'Step Up' in many aspects such as the positioning of the model, where the coverlines/ graphics would go and the anchor.
In the flat plan I had produced, drafting what the image on the cover would look like, the model had been sitting down at a desk full of work. However, I wanted to change the fact that they would have appeared to be struggling with the step up to A Levels, into an image of the model being happy and dealing with the adjustment. I managed to do that by getting the model to hold a checklist and smiling- showing how glad she is that she's done everything needed to be done and is doing well.
Due to the difference in front cover image, I therefore had to change the layout of where my coverlines, pull quote and graphics would be. I did this by going along with the feature colours (black and pink), ensuring that the text included was clear and easy to read. Along with this, because the actions being shown in the flat plan are different to the final image, I therefore came up with a different anchor to connect to the new photo.
Apart from the changes mentioned above, everything else I had kept the same in the final cover of my college magazine: the masthead and where it's positioned, the position of the anchor and the mid- close up shot of the model.

PRELIM TASK: College Magazine Background Decison

Here I explained the difference between using the background of the picture I had taken on the front cover of my college magazine to cutting the model out of the image and placing it on photoshop.