Photos for STATE magazine

Guinny Photoshoot, a set on Flickr.

I have taken these photos of my model and i have used one on my contents page as the artist Gigi

Changes to my Contents Page

Since receiving my feedback i have redesigned my contents page as i found it did not tie in with the cover, and the three components i created did not look like they were from the same magazine. 

I have created a simple, classic contents page to match the front cover. I have used the same font for the title 'In this issue' as the font for the cover lines on the front cover to make them look like they belong to the same magazine. I have also added the 'State - February' line to the page number at the bottom; i have also done this on my double page spread to tie the three in. 

I've used a different image of Hazel Grace in the contents to add some variation to the photos used, as in a professional photo shoot a few different outfits are used to create different looks.  I've included another image of another artist to show more content of the magazine, and I've included information about bands and artists mentioned on the front. 

I prefer the layout of this to my original contents page as the columns of text are easier to read and more content has been added so the reader can find out extra details about articles and features in the magazine. 

Mr Ford advised making the background white to make it more conventional and professional to suit the theme of my magazine, and by doing so i feel it gives it a more classical look and i prefer it, as the old one didn't look like something you would find on the shelf, and it wasn't unconventional in the right way. 

I chose to keep the title 'In this issue' as most magazines use the word 'contents' or just re-use the magazine's title. I don't think having a catchy title or using a play on words would have benefited my magazine as it would have made it more jokey and not as serious and high-end. 

Changes to my front cover

I have made a few changes to my front cover based on the feedback i received from my peers and teachers. 

I have removed the 'In this Issue' and 'Win tickets to see Three Blind Mice' from the cover as feedback told me they didn't fit with the style of magazine i am going for. 

I think the decision to remove them is the right one, due to the fact 'In this issue' is stating the obvious, as if bands are written on the front cover it is clear they will be inside the magazine. Also, i don't feel i have to entice the reader into buying the magazine with 'free' things or competitions, as i have set it up so the cover star - Hazel Grace - will make people want to read it as she is well known and a respected artist people would want to read about. 

I have chosen to stick with the simple layout i originally decided on as it links to the high-end, more professional market i am pitching the magazine at, as well as the price of it and the audience. Even though the design is somewhat unconventional due to the small amounts of text, it still adheres to the rule of thirds and is eye-catching. I have made the bar code smaller and less obvious too, as i was told it was too distracting and took the focus away from the image of my model. 

I need to cut out the image of Hazel Grace again as her hair was too jagged and it wasn't professional enough, but i will place it in the same position so it overlaps the title 'State'

Feeback on Mock/Draft Magazine

Feedback from Mrs Abrahamson:



Feedback from Mr Ford:

Front Cover

- Good use of font

-Likes the background colour and the way i've styled the artist

-Consider removing 'In this issue' and 'win tickets to see three blind mice'

Contents page

- Needs tweaking in terms of the size of the boxes and the text

-It looks as if it belongs to a different magazine

-All images need to look as good as the one on the cover

Double page spread

-Try a different font for the title (possibly the font used on the cover)

-Credit the photographer + Interviewer

-Doesn't look like it belongs to the same magazine as the cover

-Need more text in the interview

Things i plan on changing:

-Consider removing 'In this issue' and 'win tickets to see three blind mice'

-Tweak the contents in terms of the size of the boxes and the text. Remove background, try it with a white background (conventional)

-Use better quality images in the contents page, take new ones

-Try a different font for the title on the double page spread (possibly the font used on the cover) Look at other magazines for inspiration titles/ play on words/ catchy lines to grab the audience

-Credit the photographer + Interviewer

-Need more text in the interview  (possible)

-Change 'in' to 'is' in the pull out quote

-Experiment with different photos on the cover but don't change the colour scheme entirely

-If i stick with the same photo, cut the hair out in a neater way

-Add anchor/quote to 'Freya Blue' on contents

-Put a number in the bottom photo

-INCLUDE BRANDING TO TIE THE THREE PIECES TOGETHER TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY BELONG TO THE SAME MAGAZINE | use page number e.g. 14 -- State -- January Issue

Evaluation of Research

From looking at different magazine covers, contents and double page spreads i found what style and type of magazine i wanted to create, due to personal preference, and which layouts i thought were most eye catching and nice to look at, therefore more appealing to the public. I also analysed clash magazine as a whole, and i then chose to base my magazine on a similar layout to that one, as i thought it was professional and simple. I also took background ideas from Clash and experimented with contrasting and similar colours, as i then discovered what each style looked like. For my mock magazine i chose to use a similar colour scheme, so the models outfit would tie in with the background but still stand out from it. 

I originally created a vintage themed mood board, but have since then developed my magazine into something a bit more indie, to suit the target audience, as i found from the survey the genres most commonly listened to are indie and alternative. I still kept elements of the vintage theme when choosing outfits for my models, as i also included this influence in my magazine pitch, and the feedback for that was successful. 

Click here to go to my Market Research Post 

On this post i have analysed the results from the survey i asked my friends and followers on twitter to fill in. As an overall evaluation, i have taken what they have said into consideration when designing my mock magazine, and i will keep their comments in mind when adjusting and improving it, as well as feedback i get from Mr Ford and Miss Abrahamson. 
I discovered the survey audience didn't like crowded front 
covers but wanted to know what they could find inside the magazine. When reading interviews within the magazine they said they wanted to know about personal experience, influences, touring and recording albums etc, and when writing my interview with Hazel Grace i tried to incorporate as many of these things as i could to make it interesting and appealing to the reader. 
I also noted that the readers like posters in magazines as most teenagers (my target audience) like to put stuff on the walls on their room. I created the left hand side of my double page spread so that readers could rip it out, without there being any writing or pull out quotes covering the images, as they might not have wanted that on their wall. 

Styling my Model

I chose three different outfits for my model to try, and then selected the best photos from each of the outfits to use for the cover, contents and double page spread. I took inspiration mainly from Florence Welch, as she also has bright hair; as my model has ginger hair. The dresses in this post are not really that similar to the one 'Hazel Grace' wears in the photo, however they do contain some of the same colours, and shapes/cuts. 

I chose a pale blue shirt (top left) as her eyes were also blue, and a pale top would mean her features and hair stood out more. I also thought i could use a darker shade of blue for the  background of my cover, so the image and clothing would stand out. I paired the shirt with a pair of skinny jeans, however did not take photos of them due to my vision of having a medium/close up on the cover. I used a photo 
I also chose a darker blue and white striped shirt that, like the paler blue one, ensured her features and hair would stand out. I liked this shirt better than the other one, as it was darker and had a pattern to it, therefore it was more interesting to look at and work with. 
The purple dress worked really well and i eventually used a photo on both my cover and contents page. I thought it worked well with her hair up as it looked classic and the hairstyle is also seen as being indie. I like the way it blended in with the dark purple background of my front cover as well, as i felt the image wouldn't have looked as good with a contrasting background. 

Magazine Playlist

Completed Mock

I have completed my front cover, contents and double page spread using Photoshop and i have included photo's of my cover model as well as photo's i've taken at festivals and of friends in the past.
I like the basic front cover as Clash's influence means it's simple and not overcrowded with fonts and pictures of other artists, which ties in with the data collected from my audience survey; as they said they liked covers that weren't too busy.
I also like the purple background and how it compliments the outfit "Hazel Grace" is wearing as i took idea from my past cover attempts and stuck with a matching colour scheme, not a contrasting one. I like the font (i have used 'Ever After') as it reminds me of fonts used for book titles such as The Great Gatsby - old, vintage and show-like, which ties in with my theme.

If i could improve the contents page i would add more writing and quotes that would give the reader more information of what they would find on which page, as i feel it's too bare and not in enough detail to engage and entice the reader; however, i feel the 'subscribe today' in the bottom right hand corner stands out and draws the reader in, as they might like to find out about subscribing to the magazine.
I have added things to the magazine that the audience who participated in the survey said they would like to see, as this means it would appeal to the target market. I have added things such as reviews and concerts/gigs as these were specifically asked for by the survey participators.

For my double page spread i have used the gradient tool for the background, as it looks like a professional magazine and adds depth to the page. However, i'm not sure that the blue text is bold enough for it to be easy to read, but i have used the same colour for the quote at the beginning; as it has been taken from Hazel Grace's shirt.

When designing the left hand page of my double page spread i styled in in the same way as the Zooey Deschanel Allure shoot, which many other magazines and models have done too. I think it works well, however i am going to wait for feedback before deciding on whether i am going to use the same layout for my final version.

Mock Magazine Photos

Holly Armitage's photostream on Flickr.

Taken 04/02/13
Photos for the front cover, contents and double page spread.
(One possibility for the final Magazine)