Looking back at your preliminary task (the college magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

I have become more aware of how much magazines have developed the way they get their magazine shown. It had changed so much from just magazines in small retail shops to big magazine industries to being sold and advertised online and maybe even into mobile apps.

I have gathered much more information on the magazine industry; I know have a much better understanding on how much it actually influences people all over the world. By learning about the stereotypical means that the media places upon society, I have a much better understanding on how marketing, advertising and image influences what people would buy. For example a woman would be expected to buy a glossy fashion magazine where as a man would typically buy a sports magazine, that is if he wasn't ‘hard at work’.

All of the research proved useful when developing my ideas for the magazine, I was able to see the big and subtle differences between what make a magazine appealing. By looking at the different layout of magazine I could see how particular ones show different styles of magazine and how these particular layouts will attract different target audiences. Also by seeing what is advertised in the magazine i was able to see how every little thing in the magazine should always be aimed at the target audience.

I have also picked up on how much presentation really matters; it’s all the little details that are on the cover that make a person want to buy it, especially when you are aiming for a particular audience. Things such as text alignment, if it’s out by a few centimetres, it looks wrong or too messy. If I don’t like the way it looks then why would anyone else? Presentation is everything. By learning how much presentation means to the media I was able to achieve the desired affect that I would want my target audience to feel. I also played with the opacity levels on some of the layers on my front cover, I feel that by adding new elements to the cover then it would keep it interesting.

It is always important to make drafts. I made a few drafts before I made final decisions and even after I decided what I wanted I still made alterations. But I wouldn't have been able to make these without getting feedback from other people, by talking on what other people said then I could widen my target audience by making something that everyone likes.