Evaluation 7 : From preliminary task to full product - what I have learnt

From the preliminary task to the end of the main task, I have learnt how to use different programs, such as Photoshop and InDesign and how to utilise their various features. There’s been a variety of skills picked up and developed along the way, including understanding tools in Photoshop like Eyedropper which allows you to as an example to copy a colour and drag it onto another layer. InDesign was a new program that I had never used before, so it was a skill in learning how to operate it and has given me a confidence boost in adjusting to new programs.

I have learnt a lot about the different uses of fonts and how they can catch the eye. Framing photographs in the right position was something important which I discerned, as they have to fit within the overall context, work with the text around them and catch the eye of the reader.  

Ensuring Techno Beat’s cover, contents page and double-page spread look professional was necessary, so I did research into covers and contents pages and the outcome was having experience in knowing what the forms and conventions are and using that knowledge to work on my preliminary talk to improve it. An example is the convention for a cover having the model photographed in close up or a head and shoulders shot, and a form is a pug, which are either at the top left and/or right-hand corners and consist of the price, logo, a promotion or a freebie.

Researching different covers, contents pages and double-page spreads gave inspiration and encouraged creativity, as I had inspiration from a variety of sources and music magazines. The double-page spread in particular helped with organisation skills because it was a complex program, and in learning how to use it, encouraged me to be able to organise work and understand all the work that goes into making the final page work. Working from the preliminary task, to the final task helped me to develop independent working patterns.

The preliminary cover was far less professional compared to the final task. One example is the coverlines are mainly in the form of a strip but much less organised and everything feels bunched together, plus the typography is too colourful and isn’t so clear to read, in contrast to the final task where the colour scheme’s balanced and there’s more consistency in font. The masthead is okay but not looking too proficient, it doesn’t catch the eye or anchor the page. None of the coverlines appear to anchor the main image, so the mode-of-address isn’t clear.   

The preliminary contents page was more refined than the preliminary cover, but there was still a lot of improving to be made. Some of the typography was sorted out, including the font for the page number, date and masthead in the top and bottom right corners, albeit inconsistent and the green text is hard to read and some of the first lines and sub lines, although its not clear which articles the images relate to. Some of the colour scheme for the text was set out, with the colour purple, but there was still a lot to be done, including having the firstlines in bold and adding boxes around the sub headings ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’ and to ‘Contents’. I also put vertical and horizontal lines that divided the sections for the final product, making it more professional and before, the background was quite transparent, so the decision was made to add a white background around the ‘Features’, ‘Contents’ and ‘Review’, and the result, made everything look more fluid.    

One of the similarities between the preliminary cover and final task is the issue number, date and price are centred in the top left in the form of a strip and the masthead and coverlines are the same, as well as the puff. There’s a barcode in the bottom-right. Differences are the main image is different, as well as all of the fonts, and with the exception of in the puff and for the web address, the colours for the typography are different.  

Similarities include the same photos are there on the contents, and Hannah’s still dominant, in the centre and framed in relation to the first cover line, and the images are the same and remain the same shot type (medium). The colour of the masthead’s also the same (purple), as well as for the page number and issue date (purple). Some of the information below the headings, the sub lines, is the same, one example is ‘Interview with Hannah: Interview with an upcoming techno star’ and the sub headings ‘Features’ and ‘Regulars’ have been kept.

Differences include the photos of Hannah and Paige have been cropped and positioned against a white background to allow more space for text and vertical and horizontal lines are split around the page, dividing the page into four clear sections and making the contents page easier to follow and before the background was the image of Hannah and it looked quite simple. The banner at the top also anchors the page better. A web address was added below the issue date as I grew to understand the forms and conventions more.

I have added the Techno Beat logo twice around the page, which is better branding for the magazine. The sub heading ‘Review’ has been added again relating to forms and conventions. Originally the images had page numbers, but this changed when a white background was added and it no longer seemed relevant to have page numbers. As well there was a black box added at the top representing more style. The ‘Contents’ and masthead were re-arranged so the masthead came first, and they were positioned next to each other.