Final Magazine

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Design Development

Front Cover

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Version 1

 Version 2: To match conventions, information about the issue, such as the price and issue number, was added above the masthead. I experimented with moving the bar-code to the centre of the page to create an interesting design.

Version 3: Following peer feedback that the central location of the bar-code could have sexual connotations, it was moved back to its original location. The puff was made smaller and the text was changed to relate to a different feature of the magazine. One of the cover-lines on the left side of the page were removed and the remaining one was expanded to provide more information. The purple windows in the background were digitally altered to make them less distracting and to make the cover-lines easier to read.

Version 4 - Final Version: The strapline was altered and moved to a new location above the masthead and in a font matching the masthead, creating a link between the two. In the original location of the strapline, details of a competition to win a Spotify Premium subscription are now present, drawing in my audience. The cover-line font was changed to make them clearer and extra artists were added to the list. Part of the puff text was changed to become title-case, making it easier to understand, and an outline was added to the puff to make it stand out more and create a visually interesting design.

Contents Page

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 Version 1

Version 2 (Final Version): The "ad-space" section was removed as this is not conventional for this type of magazine. The "connect with Playlist" section was relocated to below the flannel panel, and a new "credits" section was added below it, matching conventions. In the former place of the "connect with Playlist" section, an image relating to an article listed in the "Regulars" section was added.

DPS

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 Version 1

Version 2: The placeholder image was replaced with the final image of Tom Bridge, and a credit was added to the image.  

Version 3: The credit font was changed to a new font matching the rest of the text on the DPS. The green text at the bottom of the body text was altered to reference a continuation of the article on the next page, rather than concluding the article.

Photoshoot Images

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ABOVE: The first location where I took my photos was in my back garden. I wanted some photos of Tom in this environment as it would show readers that he comes from a very normal and relatable background. The use of plants in the background puts emphasis on the idea that he is growing as an artist and also has connotations of being "natural", creating a link with independent/acoustic music.

I knew it would be important to include a musical prop in the images to represent the music magazine genre to my readers, so I photographed Tom holding a guitar and also experimented with adding a microphone into the photo. However, myself and several peers agreed that the microphone looks out of place in the image and makes it too busy.

BELOW: I experimented with taking photos of Tom in the same environment as the previous photos but without his guitar. Without the guitar, the music context is removed and the photos could easily belong in a lifestyle magazine, which could cause confusion for readers.

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ABOVE: I tried to continue the idea of Tom being in a relatable environment by photographing him recording music in a living room. However, I decided to not use these photos as they feel out of place when used with the other images of Tom in a outdoor/natural environment.

BELOW: The next location where I photographed Tom was in an alleyway behind a shop in a suburban area. Again, this is a very familiar feeling location, which would help people relate to Tom and his music. I photographed him standing on a pathway with the path visible behind him as it suggests to readers that the article is about the "path" he took to get to where he is in his career.

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ABOVE: For my front cover, I photographed Tom standing in front of a brick wall surrounded by over-grown bushes and graffiti whilst playing the guitar. The use of this location emphasises Tom's suburban upbringing and shows readers that he is relatable for this reason. The greenery in the shot links with his natural and acoustic sound.

BELOW: For my contents page, I wanted to use a small image referring to another article within the magazine. The article I chose was "Gig Reports", so I decided to use an edited, Instagram style photo taken by myself at a Public Service Broadcasting gig (proof). The use of this image style helps to make the magazine accessible to my audience of 16 to 25 year-olds as Instagram is a well-known and frequently used platform for this demographic.

Final Image Choices

From the all of the photos from my shoot, I picked four photos to appear in my final magazine. I chose these images for a number of reasons, such as the fact that they all have a clear link to the genre of my magazine because they all feature musical instruments. In addition to this, all of the photos have a link to my audience; the first three images feature a 17 year-old male, making them relatable to my audience of 16-25 year-old males and females due to his age. The fourth image also has a link to my audience due to the fact that my audience research showed that my readers are interested in live music events and electronic music, both of which are represented in the image.
Another reason for my decision to use these particular images is that they are all visually clear, with no accidental blur present in any of them. This is important as otherwise the images would be viewed as unprofessional and, therefore, unreliable, creating a poor representation of the magazine. This would result in lower sales figures.