Contents page first draft

I did this as my first draft

I was told that this top right picture was good but the bottom picture look very sharp and sudden so shoulg be changed or edited.

Contents page plan

After researching contents pages I designed my own.

This contents page challenges the froms and conventions of the music genre magazine. Unlike other magazines with pictures with numbers in the corner. The reason I did this was because I thought that it looked really effective and a good layout and easy on the eye.

Analysis of contents pages

After doing my first draft of my magazine I thought that I should look at other music magazines.

On this magazine the layout is very effective and can clearly show everything you need.
The image is large and bold and will get the readers attention easily.
The writing down the left hand side is clear and can easily show the different topics.

Contents page ideas

The overall feedback from the magazine contents page is that the black and red one is the best as it shows a clear link between the contents and front cover. Also my focus group all agreed that with the white background that it is looks really plain and boring. So acting on this i then produced the black background. They said that this was a lot easier to read from and is so much easier to see the key information.

Front Cover

I have added some more teasers and snippets down the left hand side.
My focus group said that this is much better and that the also prefer the new shape of the Free CD sign fits in alot better and goes well with everything else.

Front Cover

The front cover was improved and tweaked again using the image that the focus group prefered from the few before.

My focus group told me afterwards that this is a really good improvement but could do with having more teasers.

Changing my Front cover.

I thought after really thinking about it that my front cover was looking really simple and that it should be edited to look more professional. I thought that I should manipulate the photo more and make it look more effective.

I tryed many different backgrounds to the photo and used the various effects that photoshop has to offer. This is how the photo changed.

This started off being red as the background to my music star but then was told through my focus group that this wasnt very effective.

I then went for a dark green colour. I chose this colour because I didnt want to have a really dull background.

This picture looked better I was told but I still wasnt happy. I then went back to the orignal white background but edited the person in the shot.

This I thought looked to dull and changed it back to the crosshatch effect and tryed another effect on the background. I used the chrome effect as I thought it  may look effective.

I really liked this and thought it looked good with the swirly effects around the outside of it. I then approached my focus group and was told this was a vast improvement.

Front Cover

After I had completed the magazine I showed it to another focus group who suggested that I should have a banner across the top and make the bottom box stand out clearer.

I was told this was much better because it included and involved the reader a lot more which is a really good thing.

My final copy of my front cover to my magazine

I acted on my previous focus group and they all commented on how the bottom corner of the page looked a bit blank. I then sat down and thought that I should add something of interest there. I thought I should maybe add another news story but when looking at the magazine it looked more boring as it was full of stories. I then looked back and remember what people put with the magazines i.e. a free CD, a poster etc.
I thought then that a poster would go well with the magazine but was told by the audience in my focus group that they would much rather prefer to get a free CD instead of a poster.

I then showed this to my focus group and they said that this is a lot better and would appeal to them more.

My First draft of my magazine front cover

I made my magazine front cover and my focus group said that the previous backgrounds were not appropriate to the picture. They commented and said that the background was too busy and that it was taking the attention of the rest of the magazine texts and photos away from the magazine.
Also I had a couple of comments saying that the magazine background wasn't a nice colour and would put them off buying the magazine.

Comments on this magazine front cover

"I believe that this magazine front cover has been done very well, but I think that it's a bit plan. Maybe adding a teaser it would help fill the paper."   Chris White

"It is very good and it could do with being a couple more things on the contents page"  Eric Chu

Front cover picture manipulation

I had to decide on a very powerful but interesting photo which will grab the readers attention.


I got a person to sit on a chair and pretend to play on the guitar. I didnt want to show the musicians face as this would then make the reader interested into who they are.



Before

Afterwards

I thought that this picture was interesting and would fit in well with my magazine background drafts.