From looking back at the preliminary task to the main task, I can say that my improvement in terms of using manipulation software such as Photoshop, a DSLR camera, and my general knowledge regarding suitable colour schemes, fonts and conventions of typical college and music magazines is highly noticeable as the difference in quality from my college magazine to my music magazine has increased dramatically, from looking like a magazine done on word or PowerPoint to a magazine done by a qualified graphic designer for magazine producers.
Initially, I only knew how to use the basic tools in Photoshop such as the move tool, marquee tool, quick selection tool, text tool and the gradient tool, this is evident in my final college magazine as the alignment and layout of each aspect on the front cover is off, the background of both pages was simply made using the gradient tool, the main model image was just cut out of the background of the original image using the quick selection tool and it was also not manipulated regarding skin tone.
Now I know how to use more beneficial tools and shortcuts on Photoshop such as how to perfectly align and layout aspects on a page and how to alter an image so that it is high in terms of overall quality, this is showcased throughout my music magazine as all the pages can be suitable to be published as a pop music magazine.
Moreover, my knowledge regarding conventions of college and music magazines has developed from the beginning as even though the aesthetics differ on both magazines, as they serve different functions, you can see that the conventions should be applied in some extent or else your magazine will be looked upon as something else, I decided to go against the majority of the conventions of a college magazine during the creation of my own, this is a mistake you should not make as products have conventions for a reason, to ensure that your target market knows what the product is and what purpose it serves.
Finally, the art of capturing high quality photos for your magazines are key as well, this is an important thing that I have learnt during the process of the creation of both magazines since all products have quality assurance applied and the majority of a magazine contains images, therefore every detail has to be high in terms of quality if you want your magazine to be sold, if you would buy your own product, your target market will.
AS MEDIA BLOG - By Christopher Canada 