Making a Magazine Cover - Task 2

To tackle task two of my computer in arts and design project I had to look at creating a fashion magazine which is original and incorporates a range of different skills I have looked at throughout the year. I started by looking at designing a fashion magazine to help me explore the look I would follow throughout the rest of the magazine. Something I thought would be beneficial prior to designing was to look at successful magazine covers and pick out key elements and analyze what I like about them. I tried to look at a range of magazines all of which have a different attachment to me. I looked at a magazine cover I actually own and discussed what it was that captured my attention, a magazine cover I would look at and gravitate towards, and a magazine that isn't my usual read however I would give it a go due to its look. 

After doing some research I definitely got a sense of the style of the magazine I was drawn too. Simplistic and colorful magazines are something I particularly like and that has a clear theme and look. However, I was very torn at this point as I know I could produce a magazine cover like the ones in vogue however I wanted to push myself and create something a little out of my comfort zone. Seeing as I was particularly drawn to colour I thought that would be a good idea to experiment with. 

I came up with two different concepts for my magazine to help me experiment with the two ideas that I have. The first idea is a magazine called "The Bolder, The Better". The concept of the magazine spawned from the likes of offwhite and the edgier, 21st-century take on fashion. I wanted to express the colour and the boldness we have in fashion now while still keeping it visually appealing. I thought this was a great way to create an eyecatching magazine and something different from modern-day magazines.

The second idea was a magazine called "Day Dreamer". It's a modern and simplistic magazine that was based around an outsider looking into the world of couture and high-end fashion. I wanted this to reflect in the professional look of the cover but also the contents that it will hold inside. it will be more formal than the previous idea and the feel of it will be very different. It's very similar to magazines currently sold but with my own style and look to it to make it a bit more personal and a reflection of what I can do.

I decided to draw some sketches of possible covers to explore some of the initial ideas that I currently have. 

Drawing these designs helped me visually see the possibilities with each one, creating the designs for the Day Dreamer magazine were a lot easier as you don't have a lot going on in the page but it was interesting to see my thought process when laying out the page. I had to think about the blank spaces and evening up the sides to have a gentle balance in the cover. The Bolder The Better design allowed me to be a lot more expressive however. I know what I am able to do to an image on photoshop and I wanted these to showcase this. I had to think about composition though as I don't want it to appear messy. it's supposed to be eye-catching but pleasing. I could also think about the different colours I could use though and think about added textures and effects to give the edgy effect I want. 

I was still unclear on what design style I wanted to pick so I chose to experiment and make a draft of a cover to see if I was lenient to one side.

These are the first cover designs that I created which I based on one of my previous sketches. There were aspects that I liked about both and things that I would like to change if I was to recreate. The first design is very bold, I wanted it to have the 21st-century look and appeals to a much younger audience. Something I would've liked to add was more color, I used red as the main color however I don't think it stands out enough so I would work on this next time. I experimented a lot with fonts as well, especially for the title. I think it is different from the usual magazine font however I would like more of a range to keep it interesting throughout the cover. I do think it's a very well balanced cover with the detailing I wanted and therefor a strong contender. 

The DayDreamer magazine was definitely girlier than my actual style. This isn't a problem but is probably why I am a little indecisive on it. I think this definitely corners my target market. on the previous cover, I have both male and female whereas here it is very particular to a female audience. I do however think this is ok, I know how to cater to that audience however to cater to both is something I am unsure of. I do think it's a trendy twist on the standard magazine cover and I like the use of the white boarder which is all-round and fonts I picked. it doesn't stand out like the previous magazine but it also doesn't blend in as its different. 

I was still unsure even after these tests so I decided to take to my social media to see what my current "audience" prefers. On my Instagram account the gender is split 50/50 which perhaps made the results a bit bias but it was still important for me to see what would be the more popular content therefore the more profitable style. the age range is also very broad but I took this into account when looking at the results. 

So I posted a picture of both of the designs and then put a poll for my followers to pick which they prefer. 

Although there was quite an obvious winner it was still an interesting test to look at the difference in popularity and who knows, maybe Instagram would prefer one design however if I was to post it to my Facebook which has a maturer audience the results would be different. 

 I still wasn't happy with the first magazine cover it felt as if something was missing that was important. I decided to do a little brainstorm about what it is I wanted this "brand" to portray. here are some of the key aspects I came up with

• BOLD
• Colourful
• Outgoing, street style (graffiti, etc)
• younger target market (teenager/ young adult)
• inspired by brands like off white
• for boys and girls
• EDGY and DIFFERENT

These points that I listed above where what inspired my next experiment. Out of curiosity, I wanted to work with the previous photo from my "daydreamer" magazine and see what results I could get if I tried to use that image to create "the bolder the better" magazine. I thought an abstract looking piece would be effective so I started playing around on photoshop to see what I could create. Something I have learned while learning how to use photoshop is that if I don't go into it with a set result the outcome is usually better and more creative. 

This here was the outcome that I came up with. I loved the look of it and how different and authentic it looks. I didn't think however that it was the right look for my magazine but the experiment was something enjoyed and helped me a lot work out and solidify the branding of the magazine I wanted to create. It was a good break and little task to detach myself slightly from being a perfectionist and pushing my self out of my comfort zone. So with everything, I have previously learned I looked at then recreating the more popular cover but this time with the main focuses in mind.

this is the outcome and as you can see there are some clear changes from the first design. I decided to experiment with a fully white background to brighten my cover and give a fresh look to it. I also did this so I could add in that pop of yellow into the design and make the cover more vibrant than dark. the difference this makes is impactful. the red in my images stand out more and allowed me to add more detailing such as more tape features and more cover lines. it's still a busy and interesting cover just with a revamp. I also had a think about some of the articles that I would actually be interested in reading in a magazine like this and could tailor it a little more. mentioning things like the festival is a good way to showcase extravagant and outgoing fashion while advertising a personal article called "things ill change about my life after quarantine" gives the audience something to relate to and make them want to read it.

Personally, for me, I do struggle to make decisions when it comes to comparing two designs and picking one I like better. I like both for numerous reasons which are why posting on my Instagram story and leaving a poll is a useful tool for me as it can help me make a judgment on what content others want to see. personally, for this project, I prefer my second experiment and like the changes I made however, it was very close between the two. 

this isn't however the final magazine cover but with all the experimenting that I had done in this blog post, I have decided to take aspects from the two covers (for the bolder the better) and blend them together. I think it's hard to solidify a look when I haven't experimented much with the inside as I don't want to restrict myself with what I can do there. I want it to work well collectively as a piece and through the experimentation, I feel confident I can produce this, and exploring all these ideas has been effective in narrowing down what I want to show.