Finished project

Link to finished project:
https://www.flipsnack.com/annique/craze.html

CCR

Here is the YouTube link to my CCR:
http://youtu.be/d8L-oILikPQ?hd=1

Reflection

I’ve made a few changes to my cover page like the font color and sizes. Since my last post
about the cover, I’ve added the cover image along with the changes. One of the changes
was the font of the subheadings. I had a few issues with making the font legible with the
cover image behind it. After attempting to change the font color to black and also coral, I
decided to try a different font altogether. In the end, a font on Canva called Abril Fatface
was what worked best in my opinion. Since it was a bolder than the last font, it stood out
more against the background. I also made sure that the headings didn’t cover the model’s
hand in the picture. This could be distracting and take away from the cover image.

I wanted to keep my table of contents as simple and easy to follow as possible. I decided to
not include as many pictures so there is less going on. Most of my pictures are in my two
page spread. I wanted to make the text a coral color to add something fun to the page since
every other aspect is pretty simple. I included the main articles that would be in the magazine.
This really only required one page because my magazine is  pretty small.

The two page spread took me the most time as would be expected. Figuring out which layout
fit best for the type of article I was writing took some time. I contemplated making my actual
article one page and then making the other page an advertisement for Ray-Bans. After thinking
more about my article choice and getting advice from my teacher, I decided to make my article
the full two pages without the ad.

In the end I decided to keep it as simple as possible. I used multiple fonts throughout but still
managed to keep the simplicity there. It was most two columns with the item description on the
left side and a picture of the item on the right. The only big change I had to make was using four
items in my article as opposed to five as originally intended. All in all I didn’t have too many issues
with my magazine as a whole apart from the many attempts at layout designs.

Photo shoot pt 3

Since my magazine is going to be a summer edition, I've decided that my cover image will be at
the beach. I took pictures of my friend Ambar at Fort Lauderdale beach. The pictures were taken
on an iPhone X and edited on the app VSCO. I raised the exposure to 0.5 and sharpened to 5.0.
The grain was also set to 4.0 in order to give the magazine a more authentic feel.



This will make the lifestyle magazine more geared toward travel which will go well with the topic
of my article. I will most likely make the other article titles in the table of contents more geared towards travel some exceptions so the magazine is more varied.



I also got the picture I needed for one of the items in my article. The pepper spray is in the sand in order to match the vacation vibe. The other items were photographed in outdoor settings as well.

Two page spread

My two page spread has undergone a lot of changes since the beginning of this project. I
started with a simple layout design from Canva and then edited it quite a lot in order to get it
to where I wanted it to be. The page color is white because that is realistically how magazines
are presented. I also used a variety of fonts and font sizes in order to make the page more
interesting and dynamic. Each item I was showing had a picture and a detailed description of
it so that the reader knows why they need it. There is also a larger picture at the top of the
article that showcases all the items together. The layout is very simple and easy to follow and
isn’t confusing to readers.

I decided to make my title for my article “4 Travel Essentials You Didn't Know You Needed.”
Originally I was going to be including five items in my article but I've decided to go with four
because the layout I would like to use for my two page spread looks much better with one less.

Photo shoot pt 2

As I continue the photo taking process, I try to incorporate as many things that I've learned
as possible. Since the last shoot, I've realized which angles look the best when taking photos
of objects. In this shoot, I will be getting individual pictures of the portable charger, charger
and jewelry box as well as a group pic with all the items. Due to lack of a professional
camera, I had to use an iPhone. I tried to make that not as noticeable while editing.

   


After many rounds of photos, I finally chose the above for my article. I then edited them with
the app VSCO. I adjusted many aspects of each photo like the exposure, contrast and saturation
(this feature made a big difference to the photo). I also sharpened the imaged as much as
possible so that the overall quality of the photo appeared better.

Table of contents

I want to start figuring out other article titles I can use for my table of contents. Since my
table of contents is going to be two pages, I will be able to include a good number of titles.
With the layout that I am using on Canva, I should be able to fit 7-10 titles on each page.
I will have a better grasp of how many I will definitely be including after I have all the
pictures I will be adding. Until then, I’m going to be try to think of preliminary article title
ideas.

For inspiration, I am looking at other well known lifestyle magazines like People magazine
which has the largest audience of any American magazine with a readership of 46.6 million
adults. I will be including around 10 different article titles. I am using
https://travellifestylemagazine.com/ and https://stephaniestephens.com/words/travel-lifestyle-articles/ for inspiration for some of my titles. There will also be a few pictures included in order to give the reader a better idea of
what they can expect.

Article research

The main part of my two page spread article is finding the travel essentials that I’m going to be
advertising to my audience. Since the target audience of my magazine is going to be more
towards middle aged women, I need to focus on items that would be good for that category. So
far, I’ve included three out of five ideas in a previous blog posting. They include a portable
charger, long charging cables and a portable jewelry holder. Since my last post concerning travel
items, I’ve thought of my two other items:

This is something that would be perfect for a tropical vacation where you’d be at the beach a lot.
It would be a good place to keep items that you wouldn’t want to get wet, such as phones, keys
or money. These can very easily be found on Amazon for only a few dollars.

Pepper spray is not only something that most people wouldn’t necessarily think of, but it is also
something that would be very smart to carry around in an unfamiliar place. Since it is also a key
chain, it is very portable and not something big that would need to be lugged around.
https://www.mace.com/collections/keychain-and-compact-pepper-sprays

These are both pretty inexpensive and unique items that someone might not have thought to bring
on their vacation.

Lifestyle research

Since most of my past research has been on fashion magazines, I've decided to do some further
research on lifestyle magazines. They tend to include information on a large variety of topics.
Certain publications don’t have a specific theme or focus. These can be found in mainstream
selling locations such as grocery store checkout lines and bookstores.

    

The top lifestyle magazines are People and US Weekly magazine which includes mainly celebrity
gossip and news. Their goal is to update the public on info about their favorite celebrities and
influential people. This could include marriages and divorces and births and deaths. The target
audience for these magazines tend to be middle aged women.

Unlike the first two examples, this lifestyle magazine focuses more on the serious side of news. It
includes cartoons and covers with different news topics and its commentary. The target audience
for this magazine would be less specific and focus more on middle aged adults in general.

This magazine is focused specifically on men. It includes commentary on men’s health, fashion
and other topics concerning the average man.
Source: https://www.allyoucanread.com/lifestyle-magazines/

Photo shoot pt.1

Today I helped my friend Maya by being a model for her magazine project. Although the pictures
taken weren’t necessarily for my project, I learned a lot from the shoot. I learned about which
angles are best for a cover page and which direction to shoot the model depending on the level
of sunlight. For a cover page, medium shots are the most popular options for fashion (Maya’s
magazine) and lifestyle magazines. For example:

The best lighting would be to point the camera in the opposite direction of the sunlight. That way,
you can see the true effects of the sunlight rather than just a dark outline of the model.

In this photo, the subject is backing the sunlight which causes them to appear as a dark figure rather than showing the details of the model.

The lighting in this picture is hitting towards the model’s face which causes her features to be accentuated nicely unlike the picture before.

Cover page

As I continue to work on this project, I realize the large number of decisions that need to be
made. For the production of my magazine, I’ll be using the website Canva. This gives
different templates for the cover page, table of contents and two page spread. You are able
to manipulate the layout however you want by moving around text boxes, changing color
schemes and font sizes. I’ve begun to work on the cover of my magazine and have decided
on font choices and layout. The font of my title ‘Craze’ will be Playfair Display shown below.
My subheadings will be shown in a smaller sized font called Glacial Indifference. Beginning
photography for my cover image is going to be done this week.

I’ve also decided that subtitles (which will be added in a future post) will be displayed on the
right side of the cover page similar to that of traditional magazines sold. They will vary in size
and some will be made bold and italicized.

Two page spread research

The first travel essentials that I want to add to my article is a portable charger. This is a very useful item in my life that can be used a lot while traveling. 

To go along with the portable charger, extra long USB cables can also be an item included. I own some long so this could be something else I can photograph.

I also found a leather travel jewelry box  organizer that I think is very cute and handy for traveling. 

These are just a few items that I will can use in the article but I will continue to search things that I think are useful for travelers.

Nims, B. (2018, March 12). 25 Unique Travel Essentials For Your Next Trip. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/unique-travel-accessories-for-your-next-trip_n_5aa688b5e4b07047bec87c5a

Writing progression...

I’ve begun to write my two page spread article. So far, I have the intro paragraph finished:
'Going on vacation is supposed to be a fun and stress-free time! You don’t want to have to
be worried about forgetting anything important. If this is a concern of yours, don’t worry! This
helpful packing guide is the perfect solution to your packing concerns. We will not only be
reminding you of important items, but we will be introducing you to new essentials that may
not have crossed your mind while packing.'

As I’m continuing to write the article, I will be researching different items I can include as essentials. I will try to find at least five things to include.

Progression of ideas

Due to the recent change of my two page spread, I want to change the genre of my
magazine from fashion to lifestyle. I don’t think a guide of vacation essentials would
necessarily be in a mainstream fashion magazine unless the majority of items shown
are clothing pieces. I don’t think I will go that route. My model on the front cover will be
wearing more of a casual and more simple outfit rather than a fancy outfit. I want the
backdrop of the photo to be simple but bright. An outdoor setting would be ideal with a
model wearing an outfit with a pop of color.

This is an example of a lifestyle magazine that encompasses the theme I would want

to create. The model wearing a simple outfit in a very natural and bright setting.

Another idea would be having the setting at the beach since my magazine edition will

most likely be in a summer month. Rather than the model being in a swimsuit however,

she could be in shorts and a beachy top so that the image is still school appropriate.

Two page spread updates

In my last post, I mentioned thinking of an idea for my two page spread. I was going to do
an article on the different fashion worn in different countries in the summertime. I really
liked this idea but today I was reminded that all pictures used in my magazine need to be
original. This would not be possible for me since I don’t have access to international styles.
In order for me to continue with this topic, I’d need to either buy clothing that represents
other cultures, or ask people if they have clothes of that style.

A new idea that I've thought of is an article on summer essentials when going to a tropical
location. I could include items that people wouldn't usually consider while packing. I could
include clothing items, accessories and other things that could be useful on a trip.

One page of my two page spread will be an advertisement. An idea of an ad I could use is
for sunglasses. Since I own a pair of Ray-Bans, it would be easy to take a picture of a model
wearing them and creating a full page ad out of it.

Two page spread topics

When deciding on what topics to write my two page spread on, I wanted to consider the main kinds of stories that fashion magazines focus on. I researched some of the more popular kinds of articles that writers cover. Some ideas that I found interesting are red carpet looks from different awards shows and beauty hacks.

However, one topic that stood out to me was covering looks from different countries. Taking the different fashion traditions represented in multiple parts of the world and researching just how diverse fashion is throughout the world is very interesting to me. Also, since my edition of the magazine will be in either summer or spring, I could do my research on the different trends in the hotter months. This will allow readers who are interested in diverse fashion trends, to learn more about the industry.

Not only could this be a good spread for readers because of the new information, but it would also be very fun for me to research.

Source:

Top 10 Topics to Pitch to Shopping & Style Magazines. Freelance Writing. Freelance Writing. Retrieved from https://www.freelancewriting.com/magazine-writing/write-for-shopping-style-magazines/

Color schemes

The color scheme of a magazine is very important because it is one of the first things that a
reader notices. The title of the magazine should be a color that is used throughout. It should
also depend on the cover image that is used in the background.

This InStyle magazine’s color scheme is very simple with few dominant colors. The main background is white with the title background being blue. Also the dress of the model is green which acts as a statement color and is incorporated in a few of the cover lines.

This Elle magazine incorporates all pink and purple cover lines with the exception of one which
matches the model’s outfit. I like how the outfit used on the model is very neutral and doesn’t clash
with the bold colors of the cover lines. This prevents the magazine cover from looking too busy or
overwhelming.

After researching and looking at multiple magazine covers, the ones with simple color schemes
appeal more to me. It prevents too much attention being taken away from the model in the picture.
Colors that I’d be interested in using for my magazine are yellow and white with pops of other bright
colors. I think this would be fitting seeing as I’m planning on making a spring or  summer edition
magazine.

Website softwares and name ideas!

Having good ideas and concepts for my magazine is very good, but not knowing how to bring those
ideas to life, is a problem. Considering multiple options for the making of the magazine is essential.
When searching ‘magazine making software’, many choices come up. One website called “5 Must
Know Magazine Layout Maker Software to Design Impressive Magazines” gives great options. A few
of them appear quite complicated so I make sure to try and find one that I will be able to navigate easily.
One website that catches my eye at first is called FlipHTML5. This appears to be a software that converts
‘plain PDFs into interactive digital magazines with page-flipping effect’. It is made so that a reader would
be able to click on links and watch videos. After looking further, I realized this website isn’t exactly what I
need for this project.

Another website that catches my attention is called Blurb. At first glance, the website appears to fit my
needs so I download the software. Once installed, it prompts me to make a name for my magazine. Since
I hadn’t begun to think of names, ideas now come to my head. One of my first ideas is to look up
synonyms for the word fashion. A word that stood out to me was ‘craze’. I liked it because it’s a word
that people don’t hear too often and it embodies the genre of the magazine which is fashion. This is my
initial title for my magazine. Also, I am looking forward to playing with my magazine making software.

Source: 5 Must Know Magazine Layout Maker Software to Design Impressive Magazines. Retrieved from http://fliphtml5.com/learning-center/5-must-know-magazine-layout-maker-software-to-design-impressive-magazines/

Initial research...

Today, I have begun to do my primary research on fashion magazines. My teacher advised that the first
thing that we should consider when researching is genre and target audience. These have been a main
focus for other projects that have been done in the past as well such as our music project. The first thing
I googled when beginning research is “how do fashion magazines target their audience.” This seemed to
me like a good place to start seeing as it incorporates both genre and target audience. I learned that
fashion magazines tend to downplay luxurious things. They focus on promoting cheaper and easier
alternatives instead of trying to make the reader feel pressured to acquire an expensive item. An example
would be a headline from Elle magazine: “Style for Less: The Best Under $50!” This would be a good
strategy to use for cover lines in my magazine.

Source: Voltolina, V. (2009, January 19). Fashion Magazines’ New Target Audience: ‘Recessionistas.’
Retrieved from https://www.foliomag.com/fashion-magazines-new-target-audience-recessionistas/

My thought process...

Right now my partner Maya and I are in the process of deciding what we want our magazine to
incorporate. Doing a fashion magazine is our initial thought process. This seems like one of the simpler
options especially since we’ve done some prior research on this genre. Since we fall under the target
audience of fashion magazines as well, I think it might make creating our own a bit simpler. Since we
live in Florida where the weather is mostly tropical, we want to make our magazine editions in either
one of the spring or summer months.

The most difficult part of this project for me will be coming up with a story for the two page spread of

my edition. I want to make mine about something that I’d thoroughly enjoy writing about. The element
of this project I’m most excited about is the design of the magazine. Playing with color schemes and
layout has always been things I’ve enjoyed. Being able to do that for my own magazine edition seems
like something that would be fun and interesting.  

Some magazines that I will be researching and getting inspiration from in this blog will be Elle, Vogue,

Glamour, Cosmopolitan, etc. These already very established magazines will be a good place to start
when trying to think of ideas for my own edition.