Student Magazine - Contents Page Design

This is a rough outline of what my Student Magazine contents page were to look like if i was to make it. I designed it in a similar style to the front cover of the Student Magazine so that they link together and it would also make it look more professional, aesthetically pleasing and recognizable to the consumer.

Preliminary Production - Written Evaluation Of Student Magazine Front Cover

Our task for our preliminary production was to use DTP and an image manipulation program to produce a front page of a new school magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally candidates must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP.

I mostly stuck with my initial ideas from the Provisional Submission where my target audience was specifically directed towards Sheldon Sixth Formers. My sell lines included of beating bordem, revision techniques, what to do after Sixth Form and i also thought it would be a good idea if i included information about local bands which are in the area which then can provide Students with some entertainment and a way to relax throughout the stressful exam period.

I found both my sketches very useful in helping my design my final front cover. My final idea for my Student Magazine Front Cover was based on one of my rough sketches that i did which consisted of the main image of the model in a medium close-up shot, facing the front looking directly into the camera with the sell lines to the left of the image and the title which was made up of different font types. However i did alter one aspect of my sketches which was to have the sell lines slanted across the page rather than being verticle. By doing this, it made the cover look more original and made it more aesthetically pleasing.

I found it quite easy to get photos, as i asked my friends to model for me and i also used the school camers to experiment taking different types of photos with. I chose locations for my photoshoot which were full of natural light and which had plain backgrounds, such as the bright blue wall of the Sixth Form block. I look roughly 10 photos in all to get a good variety. I then picked the best 4 which were best suited for my Magazine front cover. Out of the 4 photos i then managed to pick the best one for my front cover. In my photos i decided to keep it simple by not including any props/scenery so that the main focus would be entirely on the image of the Student and the sell lines.

I have used Photoshop before as i have it on my computer at home. I used Photoshop to re-size my chosen photo to A4 (21 by 29.7). I also used some of the tools on Photoshop to experiment and help to manipulate my photo. I used the 'dodge tool' to make the photo brighter which then makes it stand out more. I also experimented with the 'lasso tool' by lassoing the main image of the model and desaturating the background but keeping the model in colour. This looked effective but i did not feel that this was suited for my Magazine Front Cover as i wanted something bright and colour to attracted the consumers gaze and also using bright colours helps portray a fun, happy atmosphere which is what i was aiming for.

The front cover of my student magazine consisted mainly of four colours. Light blue for the background and orange,red and yellow for the text. I chose these specific colours because they stand out from each other which makes them easily legible and looks aesthetically pleasing. For the main image of the magazine i asked a friend to pose in a casual position for me in front of a plain, bright background. I wanted the pose to be casual to help represent the happy and calm atmosphere at Sheldon. I also explored with the title of the magazine to find something original but also something which would be easy to remember. In the end i decided the title should be a combination of words which represents Sheldon and which also represents Sheldon Sixth Form life. The word i came up with was 'Sheldent' a combination of Sheldon and student. I like it because it is short,easy to remember and represents what the magazine is about perfectly.

During my exploration of the connotations of my title, i also came up with the idea of having each individual letter in a differnt font. This would then help catch the target audiences attention as it stands out and looks different. I also didnt want the font to be anything to plain and formal as this was not what i was trying to represent in my magazine. The sell lines of any magazine are a crutial factor when trying to sell to potential buyers. My sell lines consisted of things which Sixth Form students would be interested in, such as, 'Beating Bordem', 'What to do after Sixth Form has finished', 'Revision Techniques' and also 'Local Band information' .

The layout of my cover is very simple but effective. The title 'Sheldent' is situated vertically in large,bold latters at the top of the cover. The price of the magazine and the bar code are situated next to the title on the right hand top corner. I put them there so they are easy to see on the page and because they dont take up that much room. The image of the model is located directly beneath the bar code and price, to the right hand side of the page, and takes up about half the page. (I tried to stick to the 2/3rds rule however when i got the image on the computer it was actually larger than i first expected and i had run out of time to take another the right size).

The sell lines are then positioned next to the image of the model on the left hand side of the cover. Each sell line is made up of 4-6 lines, keeping each one together so they are clear to read and are nicely balanced on the page. I also put a small photo of Oxford University underneath the title to help represent the sell line 'what to do after Sixth Form - University?'. In the bottom left hand corner i placed a photo of a drum kit to help represent 'band information'. Lastly i put Sheldons Logo in the bottom right hand corner with further information right at the very bottom of the page. I feel the layout of my Magazine Cover is effective because it isnt over-crowded with text and images, each image and sell lines is nicely spaced out and the main image on the cover is the model student, which is who the magazine is directed towards.

Overall i think i chose the right photo for my magazine and i had good sell lines and title. However, if i was to do the project again i would change the positioning of the smaller images on the cover as they were not positioned next to the sell line which they were trying represent/promote. Also i would change the colour of the title to help make it stand out from the rest of the text on the cover.

Finished Student Magazine Front Cover :)

This is my final Student magazine front cover. I am very happy with the overall appearance of the magazine cover. I like how the colour of the title 'Sheldent' stands out from the background colour (light blue). Also the colours of the sell lines (red,orange and yellow) compliment each other and also are easy to read against the blue background. This makes the magazine cover clear,easy to read and aesthetically pleasing. I also feel that the font of the title fits in well with the rest of the cover as it is stylish yet easily legible.

Stage 2 of my Student Magazine Cover

Firstly i experimented with different coloured fonts to see which stood out best from the background - Yellow and red.

I also had to choose the font of the title and the fonts for the sell lines (which had to be easy to read and also aesthetically pleasing). I made each letter of the title have a different font to make it look more interesting and original.

I also copy and pasted a picture of a barcode onto the cover to make it look more profesional and put the issue number and date underneath.

I then put further information on what the magazine contains right at the bottom of the front cover, going across the bottom part of the main image on the page.

Chosen Photo For Student Magazine Cover

This is my chosen photo for my Student Magazine Cover. I have chosen this photo because i like the expression on the models face (smiling with teeth showing). It helps to represent the positive atmosphere at Sheldon Sixth Form. Also the background is good because its plain and a nice bright blue colour. This makes the text stand out and makes it clear and easy to read. Also the model is to the right hand side of the photo which then leaves space on the left of the photo allowing text (sell lines and pictures) to be put there without covering u to much of the image. There is also space at the top of the photo for the title of the student magazine (Sheldent).

Student Magazine Front Cover Photo 1

This is one of the possible photos i would have chosen for my student magazine cover. I like this photo because the background is plain and simple which is an advantage when it comes to putting text over the background - makes it easily legible. However the reason why i didn't choose this photo for the front cover was because i thought the models pose was too casual. I wanted something a bit more sophisticated and simple.

Student Magazine Front Cover - Design 2

Student Magazine Front Cover - Design 1

Preliminary Task - Provisional Submission

Audience: Who is your primary audience?
My primary audience is specifically directed at Sheldon Sixth Form students only, from ages 16-18. I chose this specific target audience because as I am in Sixth Form myself I feel I know what my age group would want and what interests/motivates them.

What does your student magazine offer as its main 2/3 uses?
The first use of my magazine will be to advise students on the best ways to revise for up and coming exams. The second use of my magazine will be to help and guide students on how to decide what to do after they have finished Sixth Form – going to University, getting a job or an apprenticeship. And lastly to give hints and tips on how to relax after the exams have finished – local gigs, sports facilities and other types of entertainment.

Image: What will your subject be?
The main image on the front cover will be a medium close up shot of a student (probably female) wearing non-school uniform, looking straight into the camera either sitting at a computer or adopting a ‘casual pose’. I want the image to be as casual and as laid back as possible in order to create a magazine cover which attracts all types of students with a diverse range of interests. Also the background must be something plain so that when coming to writing the sell lines and the title on the cover it will be clear to read.

Text: Your front cover must contain ‘appropriately laid-out text and a masthead’. What will this consist of?

Title: After many possible titles I decided to go with something simple and not too complicated so that its easy to recognise and easy to remember. The name of my magazine is going to be called ‘SHELDENT’. This word contains both the words ‘Sheldon’ and ‘student’ that I thought was very appropriate for my student magazine. The title will be situated at the top of the cover, directly in the centre, covering the whole of the top most section of the cover. I have also decided that each letter ‘Sheldent’ will be in a different font, to make it stand out, but to also be in the same colour in order to keep the word ‘together’ and to make it easily legible from the other information on the cover.

Sell Lines: Mainly focusing on revision techniques, hints about what to do after Sixth Form has finished and also gigs and other entertainment advertised in the local area. Also I thought it would be a good idea if there were games and competitions which the students could take part in.

Interior Features: What features will you include? My interior features will mostly include the things advertised on the front cover of the magazine and also other useful things like how to apply to University, what career is best suited for you, writing your personal statement, earning money and learning to drive.

Media Essay – Analysis of a magazine contents page


A contents page is another key factor that is essential to any magazine. It informs the reader of what is featured in the magazine and which pages certain features are on. This particular magazine, Icons, is a monthly magazine all about classic Hollywood stars and their lifestyles. It contains information from passion, mystery and style to glamour, history and love. Icons takes a closer look at what happens behind the scenes in the lives of glamorous stars and also gossip and stories about the true icons of the industry. I chose this specific style magazine font cover to analyse because its something which is different from the traditional music magazines, fashion magazines and gaming magazines which the younger generation of people are mostly interested in.

The title of the magazine is situated at the top of the page in very large, bold lettering. This catches the potential buyers focus, and draws their gaze to the top of the contents page and by having the title in large letters it makes it clear and easy to read. Also the title of the magazine is a gold colour. This connotation makes the magazine come across as being glamorous and of good quality. The background of the contents page is white which therefore makes the image and the text stand out more as the colours contrast with the background. The colour and font of the title is consistent throughout each magazine which helps the magazine become recognised as it is given some form of identity.

The sub heading of the magazine ‘departments’ is written in capital letters and in a vibrant red colour. The list of features the magazine contains is situated immediately underneath the sub heading. Each individual feature of the magazine (letters to the editor, news & events, silver screen reflection, Q & A, on DVD, book corner, icon style, director spot light, who put it on the page, star quality dining) is on a separate line and spaced out equal distance from the next line. Also page numbers are at the start of each of the contents in the magazine which makes the contents page organised. This makes it more appealing to the potential buyer as it is easy to read and looks neat and aesthetically pleasing on the page. The colours of the headings about the features are black and red. These two colours go well together and also make the page more sophisticated because both the colours can represent different meanings, such as, the red could represent the feature of ‘love and passion’ in the magazine and black could represent ‘mystery and style’.

Situated to the right hand side of the headings of the contents of the magazine there is a large image of a woman. She is wearing an elegant black dress, long black gloves, a large black hat with a white sash around it, black sunglasses, black high heeled shoes and a black umbrella. This elegant looking woman is well-known actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn. She is on the contents page of the magazine because there is an article about her in one of the features. Also she represents the magazines specific style of glamour and famous actors and actresses perfectly, as she is dressed in glamorous clothes and led a glamorous and enthralling lifestyle. She is an iconic figure for many women across the globe.

Audrey is mostly dressed in black. This shows how sophisticated she is and also represents mystery and style. The image is situated at the right-hand side of the page and the text/information is situated at the left-hand side of the page. This makes the page layout look very neat, organised and doesn’t make it look ‘over crowded/cluttered. I think this contents page is very successful as it is attractive, appealing to its target audience, looks professional and also informative and organised.

Magazine analysis- summer work

Katie's work :)

MAGAZINE ESSAY (front cover) 400 words exactly :)
　
The title of my chosen magazine is called ‘KERRANG!’ .The genre of the magazine is a music magazine. Also the font of the title contributes to the genre of the magazine. The font of the title is big, bold and the letters are black with white lines going through them. Simple colours are used to emphasise that the style of music is mainly ’simple rock’. There is use of onomatopoeia in the title of the magazine as it could be the noise of a guitar string being plucked. This could be the lines of the guitar strings creating a ‘smashed/broken’ effect. You can tell this because it has the names and photos of famous music bands on the front cover.

The main image on the page is an artists face (medium close up shot). It is situated at the right side of the cover beneath the title. There are also the names of bands situated underneath and smaller pictures on the left hand side of the cover. The main image (artists face) takes up 2/3 of the page and is lit up with the artists shoulders in darkness. This makes him stand out from the rest of the cover. The gaze of the artist is focused out directly into the camera. This draws the readers attention. The title is at the top of the page so its clear and easy to read. The artists hair and rest of body have been cropped to allow for tight framing.

The tagline "I'm not scared to put myself in the firing line" also helps to catch the potential buyers attention. The names of the bands of the cover and in large, bold print to make them stand out. The writing on the magazine is big, bold, one worded – says the magazine is bold and focuses on one type of music. The language used on the magazine is simple and to the point. The tagline of the magazine is situated at the top of the page above the images and a list of more bands which are also featured in the magazine are right at the bottom of the page.
The target audience for this specific magazine is for music fans aged between 15 and 25, who are interested in the specific style of music (rock). The bands which are presented are ’rock’ bands which are mostly directed at the older generation.