Evaluation

Final Front Cover and Double Page Spread

Here is my final design for my front cover and double page spread. I am incredibly happy with how both have turned out. I think that all my research into the conventions of magazines and looking at different types of front covers and double page spreads from different magazines has helped me create effective designs, which would attract my target audience.

Double Page Spread- Working Progress

 Firstly I started off my double page spread by adding in the image I had previously edited in Photoshop. I knew I wanted to carry on the black and white image theme from my front cover, but did not want the whole image to be black and white. To make the my model stay in colour, i duplicated the layer, used the lasso tool to select around the part I wanted to keep in colour, and used the layer mask tool to keep that part in colour and be able to put the background in black and white.

I then went ahead and chose a font for the main title. I decided to try a font that would clash with the basic, sans serif font I was planning to use for my main body text, but I also wanted to make sure it would fit in with the main coverline i used on the front cover of my magazine. I decided to use a brush typeface called "Levi ReBrushed" because it gave me the messy and hand-drawn effect i wanted on my double page.

After doing that I added in the page numbers, and to make sure they stood out i added in a black box around them. At first, at full opacity, they stood out too much on the page and so to make them look more subtle i lowered the opacity until they created the look i wanted.

I then decided the make a start on where I wanted to place my pull quote, I decided to put it on the right-hand side of the right page where I was placing my main text, making sure it was aligned with the boxes that had the page numbers in. I also decided to add in speech marks to make it 100% clear that it was a pull quote. Instead of putting them in with the text, I made them larger and a different typeface, so it created contrast. I played around with them a lot to get them where I wanted and to create the certain look that I wanted.

 When I eventually thought that the quote itself looked right I decided it needed to be dominant on the page and so I decided to add a coloured box behind the text and the speech marks. I wanted the colour to stand out on the page, as it is filled with mainly text, so I decided to create contrast with a bright orange, which also concorded with the colours on the image. At first it was very bright, so I decided to lower the opacity so that it still caught the readers eye, but was fairly subtle on the page as a whole. I also decided the box needed to go out of the guidelines, because i wanted the text to look like it was in a grid, and i knew it would be too much alignment if the right-hand edge of the box aligned with the text aswell as the left-hand side.

Finally, I added in the main body text and used Lorem Ipsum, the generated type, so i did not have to come up with my own text. I created one long column on the left-hand side, making sure it was aligned and the text itself was selected to 'justify'. This meant that it would not be aligned to the right or left, but would align square, giving the illusion that it was in a column. I then added text above and below the pull quote, but made sure that the text was not too close to the box so that it did not conflict with it. I also made sure that this side of text aligned with the pull quote text, again giving the illusion of a column.

Double Page Drafts

Here are my more detailed scamps for my double page spread. I chose to do lots of different layouts so that I can experiment when I go on to create larger drawings and develop them more so they are more detailed. I annotated them so I was sure about what the design would look like and how I would create them when it comes to actually making my final double page spread.

Double Page Scamps

Here are some small scamps I have done for my double page spread. I looked around on Pintrest for layout ideas for a contents page and a page for a feature article, and after doing this I came to the conclusion I was only going to do a feature article, but attempt to do 2 very different ones, still using the layouts I have designed for a contents page.

Front Cover and Double Page Scamp Copies

These are the scamps that I have drawn, copying from other magazine front covers I have found on Pinterest. I copied 18 front covers and 22 double page spreads, so that I could get a range of different layouts.  I tried to copy front covers that were all fairly similar, but from different types of magazines, to show that although some are from the genre of music and some are from fashion, they can still have fairly similar layouts and designs. For the double pages I tried to stick the the same genre that I am thinking of copying, so that i know the types of layouts that actual magazines use in their designs. This should help me when i make my own front cover and double page spread, so that I know the conventions of both, and can create better final pieces.

Own Magazine Front Cover

Working Progress.

To start off the making of my magazine front cover I edited my chosen picture, changing the saturation, levels and vibrance of the image and placed it into InDesign. To create the effect of an actual magazine, I created a masthead and name for my magazine, calling it "Moda". At first I was unsure about the typeface I had used, but after changing the kerning I felt happy with how the masthead looked.

After making the masthead I decided to add the cover line for the main article featured in the magazine. I knew straight away it needed to stand out on the black and white image, and so I changed the colour and size of the most important part of the coverline to ensure it contrasted with not only the image, but also the masthead. I also used 2 different typefaces for this cover line, a display script typeface and a Modern typeface. This creates further contrast on the front cover and would draw the attention of the target audience.

I then started to add in my other cover lines. To ensure the coverlines complemented each other whilst still creating contrast, i used the bold version of the typeface i had used on the main coverline, this makes sure that the magazine does not become boring or even conflicting. I used the same colour for one of the coverlines as I had used previously on the main coverline, and on the other coverline I made the colours black and white. This was to make them stand out on the page, without overpowering the masthead or main coverline article.

After finishing that I moved on to add in things that are usually featured on the front cover of a magazine, such as the barcode, the month it is being released and the price. I found an image of a barcode on google and then put a white box behind it. I made sure that the date and price were small so that they did not overpower the coverlines, but were still noticeable.

I then realised that the coverlines were not very easy to read on the background which had many different tones within it. I thought it would be a good idea to add black boxes around the two smaller coverlines and the two words on the main article that didnt stand out. At first i left them at full opacity, but I then realised hat this was too much and decided the lower the opacity of them, so that the coverlines still stood out but did not look less professional.

Final Piece.

Here is my finished magazine front cover. Overall I am fairly happy with the outcome of the piece, although there are a few things which I would change about it, for example i would try and be more bold with the typefaces and colours. I would also play around with the image itself and see what it would look like in colour or with different tones.

Contact Sheet of Images

These are the images that I have taken for the front cover of my magazine. I took the images of my friend Lucy, as she has the look I was going for, especially for the feature article which is called "The A/W Edit". I also think these images, or similar ones would look good in my double page spread, and so I think I may take more pictures for when I create my Double Page Spread.

Magazine Analysis

C.R.A.P Analysis

Spray Paint

Here are my 2 spray images of marilyn monroe. To create this I put a portrait image of Marilyn Monroe into Photoshop, and then made the image black and white. I then went onto the filters and selected the cutout filter. I made sure there were 2 shades and 2 levels so that I had two different images that were black. I then printed them out as 2 separate images, and cut out the black in the image using a scalpel, so that I could spray the black parts of the image with spray paint. Once I had done this I scanned them in and placed them into Photoshop.

Here I have taken both sprays into Photoshop and used the threshold to make sure there was definite black and white in the images. I then started to take out white in the image so I was able to change the black colours.

I then took the spray image that had the most black in it and made it a purple that was fairly dark.

Then I took the spray image that had less black in it, and made it a lighter pink.

I selected this layer that had the lighter colour and set it to multiply.

This is the outcome of setting the lighter layer to multiply, it meant that both colours merged together, creating a darker colour and more texture within the design.

I then added a layer of light pink behind both spray images to create a background for my image.

Here is my final spray image. I really enjoyed using this technique to design an image and I think it would be a really good way to create a front cover image for my magazine or a good way to create different types of text for other designs.

Double Page Spread Copy

This is the double page I will be copying, so that I get an idea how to create a double page spread, and how to use inDesign to my advantage when I make my own. To start off i drew out each word and number into my sketchbook in pencil, and when I was happy with how they looked, I went over them with ink and a brush. This made sure that when I scanned them into Photoshop there would be a clear, crisp line and it would be easy for me to edit the colour of the text later on.
When I had scanned them into Photoshop, I added the threshold so that there was is clear black and white, then started to select each word and number and changed the colour to red, making sure it was as close to the original colour as possible. Once I had done this I put them into separate photoshop documents, so that it was easier for me to place them into inDesign.

When I had placed each separate photoshop document into inDesign, I started to arrange them in the correct order, and made sure that they were correctly aligned. To make sure the text was all aligned i used guides and rulers.

After this i added in the dots i had created, duplicating them each time and cropping them to make sure I had enough room to place in the page numbers, which i added in afterwards. Doing this I again made sure they were the right size and in the right place so the whole cover created the same look as the original.

After finishing that i added in the small parts of text that are at the top of the double page spread. As I was unable to read what the text actually said, I used Lorem Ipsum, so that it still looks like type without me having to come up with the text myself. It ensures that my copy looks as similar to the original as I could make it.

Here is the final look for my magazine copy. Overall I am happy with how it turned out, and think that this process is something I am definitely going to consider when creating my own double page spread as I think the use of only text with large amounts of white space can be very effective.

Magazine Research

Magazine Front Cover Copy

Here is my final copy for my magazine front cover, compared to the original.

First, i started off by adding in the masthead, making sure that the kerning was correct, so that it would look the same as the original front cover.

 

Here I have added in the cover-lines, again making sure they look the exact same to the original Elle magazine. To do this I changed each font, and the colours. I then used kerning and leading to change the space in between each letter and each word, to make sure it looked correct. I also added in an image of a barcode, to ensure it looked like an authentic magazine.

I then added in an image which i found on google. Unfortunately i couldn't find a model that fitted the look of this magazine and this would be something i would do next time to improve my work. Although this image looks similar to the image of julia roberts, it would've been much more effective if i had taken my own image.

John's awful business card typeface task

We were given the task to redesign the first business card, so that it was an effective. To recreate the card I changed the fonts and ensured there was just one alignment. As the business is called "Awesome! Comics" I thought it would be appropriate to ensure that this stands out on my business card, so that it is clear that is the same of business, because on the original design it isn't clear at all. This created contrast in my design and using a large display font made sure that the card does not look boring or uninteresting. I used the typeface "Helvetica" with the information in the business card to guarantee that it still looks professional. To create further contrast I made the address bold, and the name and phone number thinner. In the original card there is no clear proximity or alignment, so i left aligned the text, and made sure parts of the text aligned with each other. In terms of proximity I made sure that it was clear which parts of the text linked together, so that the readers eye does not know where to look, unlike the first design, where it is unclear whether each piece of text actually links to one another.
This task has helped me greatly with how to create contrast in a piece of work whilst making sure my work doesnt look messy, unordered or conflicting.

Final Images for Camera Manual

Here are the final images I have taken in the light-box, the ensure my images look good quality. I took the images from many different angles to create an interesting effect. Overall I am very happy with the outcome of my camera manual and think it helped me improve my skills in Photoshop. If I were to do this task again i would possibly be more daring with the text, experimenting with different fonts. I also think it would be a good idea to attempt to use one colour, and see the affect this has on the manual.

Working Progress Shots for Camera Manual

 Here is the start of my camera manual, where i have added in images and the text that i need for the 'Flash Mode' and 'Menu Options' part of my manual. I decided to use 2 main colours, a baby pink and baby green, swell as black and white.

Here is a more close up image of the first three pages of my manual, where i have added the next page, which is 'Program Settings'.

Here is a more close up version of the program settings page, and the next page, which focuses on 'Macro and ISO'. I have tried to ensure that all the titles are the same colours and font, and that the main text is the same size and font also.

 Here is an overview of the first whole page of my camera manual.

Here are 2 shots of the next full page, where I have added in a 'White Balance'  and 'Shooting Modes' pages. Again I have kept to the same layout, fonts and colours as the previous full page.

 Here are the up-close screenshots of the 'White Balance' and 'Shooting Modes' pages. I have made sure the text is aligned properly with the images and other text.

Here is the last page, which focuses on 'Metering Modes' and for this page i decided to overlap the image and part of the text onto both pages, to create more white space.