Newsstand Task.

In order to do some newsstand research i went into a local tesco and straight away noticed the magazine stand. The stand is located right at the entrance of the shop which means that it is the first thing that people notice as they walk into the store. From looking at the stand I noticed that the magazines are organised into sections such as "celeb gossip" or "real life" this makes it easier for the reader/ buyer to identify what the magazines include and what they are about.
The magazines are organised in rows so that each magazine can be clearly seen. The newspapers are located at the bottom of the stand as they cost less and are less popular among people. people mostly don't buy newspapers in stores as have to be paid for and this makes them less popular. usually people prefer to get their news papers from the train stations as they are given out for free and usually thrown away right after a quick read.

Using Adobe Illustrator.

 To practice using the illustrator we were told to make a masthead. In order to create the masthead i first used the text tool to create a simple word and then enlarged and manipulated it in random ways.  I then made a copy of my masthead and used the compound path in the "object" tab to get rid of the inside of the masthead leaving behind just an outline.

I then used the internet to find a random texture and by saving it and placing it in the illustrator i was able to then send it to back so that the outline is on top of the texture image.
I then went to the "object" tab again and used the clipping mask and "make" t move the image into my mast head as shown in the second picture. this allowed me to cut the image out in the same of my masthead depending on where the word was placed on the image.

College Magazine Contents Page. (+Evaluation)

This is my contents page for my college magazine.

In order to create my contents page for my music magazine I made sure that I follow a basic example of a basic contents page to make it clear and neat. I started to create my contents page by taking some pictures from around the college to then use in my magazine. I tried to take images in different locations around the college so there is a variety of different aspects shown.

I then thought of an outline that I could use for my magazine to then put in page numbers and the information of the content of the magazine.

I added basic magazine conventions such as images, contents title, page numbers and cover lines.

I think that the strongest aspect of my contents page is the fact that is very clear and the same colour is used.I think this makes my contents page consistent along with the front cover as the same style font has been used.

However, one point that I would like to improve about my contents page is the fact that I haven't added any information about the magazine such as the date and the issue number. I think this leaves out information that should be located in any magazine.


Another issue that I had with my contents page is the fact that it is very plain and not very interesting. I think that I could improve my background so that it is not just basic white but possibly a different colour that would be consistent with the front cover. I also think that I should have added more images of students in different situations so that there is a wider variety of photos in my magazine.


In addition to this , I do not have any subheadings. This makes it harder to navigate around the magazine and the layout becomes more messy. I think to improve I will have to create subheadings which are a different size or different font so that the reader can find their way around the magazine with more ease.

College magazine front cover.(+Evaluation)

In order to create my college magazine I followed a simple example that I found online. my main goal was to create a magazine front cover and contents page that will include majority of the important features of a magazine. I started by taking the image which is clearly not a direct shot meaning the model isn't looking to the front. I thought this would be effective as it would capture the real focus of the student as they do their work. I also thought this would make my magazine cover a bit different from the other covers. I wanted my cover to have a clear colour scheme which is why I tried to make the mast head and all the writing a similar shade of blue to match the picture. however, based on the comments I received I realised that the writing on the cover blends with the image too much making it harder to read and understand.


From looking back at my front cover I think that my picture is the strongest part of the magazine as it is a high quality picture which portrays a highly focused student. However, I think that my use of colour and layout of cover lines are my weakest aspects of the cover as it is unclear for the reader to understand and read.


If I could improve 3 thing I would firstly improve the image.  I would improve the image because if I had a clearer colour scheme  my front cover would be more eye-catching and editing the cover lines would become easier as they would be more readable.


Another thing that I would improve would be the layout. I would improve the layout so that the topics that are featured in the magazine would be more interesting and the layout would not be so unevenly spaced out. The cover lines and puff would all have an equal amount of space on the page. Also I would create a wider range of text sizes and fronts so that the cover doesn't all look the same and the lines don't repeat themselves.


Last thing that I would improve would be the fact that I haven't included all the necessary aspects of a magazine , for example a pull quote. I would add more cover lines and pull quotes as that is what the reader looks at and this would inform them the most about what the magazine covers and includes.

TOP 5 SONGS- DPS (INDUCTION)



This is my Top 5 songs by Slipknot DPS.

PLANNING - College magazine( First Draft)

This is my first draft idea for my college magazine. I made it by following my drawn plan. it is not complete but this is the type of layout i want to follow in terms of masthead position and image type.

RESEARCH - Analysing: College Magazine

This is an example of a college magazine that I found online.

The Page layout is very effective as it features a student holding studying textbooks which connotes with learning and encourages reading.
The front cover has a colour scheme of 3 colours including yellow, white and pink.This colour scheme is appropriate because the colours are not too bright but stand out enough.

The college magazine is different to music magazines because of the topics and the people that they feature. for example music magazine wold cover topics such as new albums or tours  and upcoming musicians. college magazine cover topics that are specifically school related and may interest students of certain hobbies or specifically study a certain subject.






What the magazine includes:

• Mid-shot image of a student holding books. 
• A Mast head which states the name of the magazine.
• Barcode.
• price and issue number.
• Cover lines.

CASE STUDY 2 - Classic Rock: Double Page Spread

This is the double page spread for the Classic Rock Magazine.This article is dedicated to the band called Dirty Strangers. This article is mostly about the career of the Dirty Strangers, and the band members feeling very nostalgic about their past.This article is mostly informal targeting older generations who might have listened to this band in the 80's. This is effective as it gives the rock and roll band a more mature look and makes the reader feel as if they have grown up. The image is a mid shot of the band members pulling crazy faces which may connote with their behavior as a rock band in the past. the image is also red which can connote to danger and that this band was up to no good.

The article then stretches out onto the next two pages.

Here the layout changed and almost "calms" down as the band talk further about their experiences with the music scene. The article is laid out in columns and aligned neatly close to one another.This makes the article to easier read and gives it the typical article layout.

CASE STUDY 2- Classic Rock: Contents page

These are  the two contents pages of the Classic Rock magazine. Here we can see the  page for the rock band group “The Grunge” and "The Tubes". Allocated on the front of the pages of the magazine. They are spread out on two pages allowing all the featured articles to be the magazine is the famous four who are doing a group action of their hands held together to show that they are unison as a band.

The feature page shows the present day of the current group on that cover and the featured solo/groups who are/were together.

The featured articles allocated next to the image displays a large bolt title with the title shown as the “Regulars”. Written directly below this regulars list are the well known artists who had performed in that time and will be featured in the magazine.

All the editorial items are listed on the contents page. We can see that next to the featured articles are the page numbers to make it easier for the reader to find. The pictures used are black and white long shots which are effective as they capture the whole image and the scene. The contents page reflects the front cover as it features famous rock bands which is what is shown on the front cover as well.

CASE STUDY 2 - Classic rock: Front cover

This is the front cover of the Classic Rock magazine.
They are all wearing casual clothes which gives the cover a laid back atmosphere as it should be when it comes to Rock n’ Roll. The front cover also has the bar code at the front along with the price and issue number just like the Kerrang! Magazine. The colour scheme includes gold, red and white. This colour scheme is effective as it can be connoted with the rock star lifestyle.

This is the front cover of the Classic Rock magazine.

The logo of the magazine is located at the back of the models which shows their importance and how the magazine can be recognized without the logo being in full sight.

CASE STUDY 1 - Kerrang!:Contents Page

This is the contents page of the Kerrang! magazine. It features the main singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way. It reflects on the front cover as both models are ex members of the band.

The contents page features the editors letter to the reader and all the headings of what is featured in the magazine.
The magazine features: News, Features, Lives, Reviews and Gigs. These are the 5 sectors which are organised in columns and aligned neatly under each other.

All of the listed articles and pages that are on the contents pages are featured in the magazine.

The smaller image reflects on one of the articles that is featured in the magazine. The second bigger image presents Gerard Way who has his face painted like a skeleton which reflects on their old album The Black Parade and the bands breakup.

CASE STUDY 1 - Kerrang!: Double Page Spread

This is a double page spread is featured inside the Kerraang! magazine.It is dedicated to the band called Crown The Empire who have released their new album.

The piece is is an interview where the band talks about the record and anything related to their feelings towards it.
The tone used throughout is quite free and informal, allowing the bands to be themselves while speaking about their new creation. I think this is also effective towards the audience as they can fully understand what the band wants them to understand and they do not have to figure out any hidden messages, or even the meaning of difficult and formal words.

The article has been laid out very clearly, where the is one large picture at the top covering two pages and the interview is located below it.It is also written in columns which makes reading it easier,There are two drop caps and one pull quote "We decided to be as weird as we could be."

The image used is a mid-shot of all the band members. They are dressed casually which is effective as it emphasizes the informal atmosphere of the article and the magazine.Two of the members are wearing glasses which can be connoted with that the members now see a bright future ahead of them.

CASE STUDY 1 - Kerrang!:Front Cover

This is the Kerrang! front cover magazine. It features the lead guitarist of My Chemical Romance, Frank Iero.

Mise-en-scene:Frank Iero is wearing a white shirt and a black tie which is the connoted with formal occasions. He also is seen attempting to rip  off his tie as if trying to escape the formal wear. His tattooed sleeves are also shown which connotes with his lifestyle as a rock star that is just attempted to be covered with formal clothing.

General page layout: Overall, this front cover is similar to any other.Only exception is that the bar code along with price and issue number are all located at the front.The colour scheme of the magazine is red, yellow and black. these colours stay constant throughout the magazine an all the other issues. Kerrang! can be very quickly identified from the consistent layout of the front cover and the colours that act as a trademark.