Evaluation for College Magazine Project

COLLEGE MAGAZINE PROJECT (EVALUATION)- Jeff Agenor

Prior to commencing planning and research for this task, we were given an introductory insight on the conventions of a magazine cover. We were then instructed to research a few music magazines and analyze the front cover of one, taking these conventions into account. By doing this it allowed us to get a much broader understanding of these conventions; what are they; when are they used and why are they used. Now that we had a much better understanding of these conventions we were given a list of things that we had to complete and upload to our blog/moodle by due day.

For the first task we had to do another analysis on the front cover of a magazine and contents page, this time applying 'LIIAR' to it. For this aspect of the project, I had began an analysis on a gaming magazine cover which featured a character from one of the world's most popular video gaming franchise' 'Halo' as the main image. Halfway through the 'Language' aspect of the analysis I had began encountering difficulties due to limited amount of information on the front cover and the usage of a Sci-Fi character. I then chose a Billboard magazine cover instead because I thought it would be much easier to analyze something with more verisimilitude; as there was much more to talk about. When I compared both covers I discovered that the character on the gaming magazine didn't have any life, no emotional expression and limited content. On the Billboard magazine the model was exploding with life and had a serious expression which gave me an idea of what type of person he was. He also dressed in black and the usage of a black background would suggest that he is a person that is very dark in nature. I can't justify the fact that there is a lot more to talk about on a music magazine, that's an opinion but I find it much easier to describe when compared to a gaming one due to its realism.

I had already began taking images of various locations around the school during the same week we were given the list of objectives and then editing them on Photoshop. Last week I took a series of other photographs depicting the various types of framing and stayed back for 2 hours everyday after school to complete most of the remaining work. By Friday the LIIAR analysis for Front Cover and Contents Page; Mockups for both pages; Original Images and Spider Diagram were done. A Mood board which I had constructed earlier that week assisted me, in terms of getting my inspiration for my college magazine. Considering everything that I had learned earlier about the conventions and their importance, along with my experience in Photoshop I was able to produce my magazine cover in less than an hour. Ironically, it seemed difficult at the start when the truth is all it was is placing text over an image but it's how you use it and why.

The background image features myself and a classmate; both of us look appealing as we're smartly dressed and wearing a smile. These are important and must be taken into account as smiling sends an invitation to a friendly atmosphere. Smiling gives assurance and make us feel happy; when we're happy what we feel is acceptance; nobody wants to feel left out. We're also dressed smart; the waist coat; necktie; and non detracting colours blue, black and white; and the books demonstrate professionalism. Most people would want to attend somewhere like this because we only want the best. 'College Life' which is the name of the magazine published by the school I named 'Modern Institutes' is vibrantly displayed at the top. I chose blue because I didn't want too many different colours (considering the fact that my dress shirt is blue) and the white lockers in the background creates good contrast making it stand out. Another factor I took into consideration was that orange is the complimentary (opposite) colour of blue on the colour wheel. They look good against each other and using both colours on the cover stories, taglines and pull quotes create balance. In Graphics it is important to bear in mind the elements and principles of art as they are what is used as foundations and guidelines when producing a product. However rules can sometimes be broken although it is wise to consider them.

Furthermore, what I learnt about college magazines is that they are of great importance due to the fact that they were designed to relay an immense deal of information to a variety of audiences, fast. They outline specific details of the college itself, services it offers, its students or events held by the institution. They are beneficial because they are one of the means by which students can be given a freedom of speech; expressing their views and ideas and it is a great way to acknowledge them for their accomplishments. When I was coming up with taglines and pull quotes to include on my college magazine cover, I asked myself 'what is the purpose of a college magazine and what do you normally find on the cover?' I used these lines: 'Thunders win by 40' as a good way of acknowledging students for their achievements. 'Skeptic? speak to one of our members of the counselling team, we're happy to help' - As mentioned before, college magazines are known for relaying important information. '5 things you need to know' is used as a teaser, a way of gaining audience's attention to purchase the magazine.

The back image on my front cover was really bright especially the white lockers and the tones were hurting my eyes so I gave it a 'cooling' filter on Photoshop to neutralize the hues and by doing that it gave it a much softer, greyish, less detracting look. I decided not to use a picture of a barcode off the internet which is what most persons would normally do but rather, use a barcode font which I had downloaded from a website earlier this year to create my own. This is why the analysis we had to do on the existing products (college magazines) and everything else that we did in the beginning was important as I was able to cross reference that information with my magazine cover.

The greatest challenge I faced during the preparation of this project was in the last 2 weeks as I'm currently enrolled on 2 other A level subjects 'Graphic Design' and 'Photography.' Both with loads of coursework and there was a point where I was bombarded and had so much to complete in a limited amount of time. So I rectified this by taking 2 hours out of my schedule everyday after to school and making use of my study periods to complete as much as I can. Eventually it paid as everything became  balanced; I felt as if I was in control again and it made me gain an understanding on the importance of effective time management, organisation and planning.