Magazine practical task research and planning

 Research

1) Use Google to research potential magazines that you could use as your brand/design for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and upload an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle magazines or a similar genre as these are more achievable to re-create.

2) Choose one of the three magazine brands to use for your project e.g GQ, Vogue or The Gentlewoman. Then fiind three different front covers for your chosen magazine and embed them in your blalyse ogpost. Analyse the fonts, colours and typical design. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? You need to become an expert in the design and construction of this magazine and its branding.

 

Fonts: The  fonts that was use for this front magazine is serif, reinforcing the brand's elegance and fashion style. The font was used through the whole of the cover lines where some of them are in Italic. This connotes the feminine and sophistication of the stlye that the cover is trying to communicate. 

Colours: The colour scheme that was used was white, black and orange/red. These colours connotes simplicity and the reinforcement of female power and the idea that the front cover doesn't need to be extravagant or dramatic which again reinforces girl power.

Typical design: The typical design shows simplicity where the main image's make up and style shows minimalistic style. 

Cover lines: The cover lines reinforces girl power "Meet the most powerful women in Britain". Also, this reinforce the idea of fashion style as it said "How to detox your Wardrobe".

Camera shots: Over-the-shoulder shot show the emphasis on her body structure and beauty.

Fonts: The font shows sans serif which shows simplicity which can be casual and the idea that the main character is positioned with the idea of subvertion of traditional sterreotypes as she's on the floor with a casual and not so elegant posture. 

Colours: The colours scheme that was used was white, black and blue. This connotes contentment and serene style.

Typical design: The typical design shows casualty and the reinforcement of french style. This is reinforced with the use of her pants where it is kind of see through this also due to the idea that french style is known for their sophisticated and unique fashion style.

Cover lines: The cover lines are written in French which reinforces their fashion and where it has originated from.

Camera shots: The camera shot is long shot, showing her full position and outfit whcih reinforces her fashion sense. 

Fonts: The font shows sans serif which shows how the texts can be simple while the main image is much more dramatic, allowing audiences to focus and acknowledge the main image.

Colours: The colour scheme shows black and blue connoting simplicity and calmness. 

Typical design: The typical design shows a contrast between simplicity and dramatic layout. This is reinforced by her costume which shows her wearing an older style which slightly reinforces the royalty design. 

Cover lines: The coverlines reinforces fashion as "Fashion's Big Year of Change". This is reinforced with the use of her costume and make up as well as her hair which is shown in a exaggerated form but again reinforces the idea of royalty and older generation. In addition to this, her body language seems to also be dramatised and slightly represented as provocative and overpowering at the same time.

Camera shots: The camera shot that was used was medium shot which allows audiences to focus on the main image's fashion and her make up. 

Planning

1) In your blogpost, write your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. It must be 100% original - all your own words.

- Style like a "Bebot"

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

Model - Kim

Costume - Modernised traditional costume, linking colour scheme of the costume to the texts

Make up - Only simple make up 

Lighting - High - key lighting to focus on her make up and costume

Setting - White background to give contrast to her costume and could also add simplicity, linking to modern culture

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

• Fashion's new hybrid : Modern & Traditional 
• Exclusive interview with Kathryn Bernardo
• Top 10 rising styles amongst Filipinas
• May 2026

4) Sketch out your cover on plain A4 paper using your written planning. Take a photo of your sketch and upload it to your blogpost.

Photoshoot

We will do a photoshoot in class next week with lighting and backdrop. However, if you prefer you can arrange your own photoshoot for the cover image in your own time - you can use your phone or your own camera to take an image. If you don't have a phone or camera that is suitable, you can sign out a camera from Mr Ray.

1) On your planning document blogpost, state the date, time and location of your photoshoot and the name of the model or photographer you will use (you can choose anyone to be your cover model or you can be the cover model yourself).

• Date - 3rd of May
• Location - outside of school (inside a flat)
• Kim

Photoshop or InDesign?

You will have one Media lesson to create your magazine cover on Adobe Photoshop or InDesign but you will probably need more time than this. In order to complete this work, you will need to work in DF06 when you don't have other lessons or use Photoshop/InDesign at home. You already have access to Adobe at home via our fantastic Adobe Creative Cloud subscription (worth around £25/month!) as long as you have a PC or laptop that can run it.

Publication to blog and evaluation

1) Once you have completed your design you need to save or export a copy as a JPEG image. Then, upload it to your blogpost. 

2) Upload two genuine covers of the magazine you have used and put them next to your front cover. This is a brilliant way to check how professional your work looks alongside the real thing.

3) Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your brief to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover stand up alongside the genuine covers of your chosen magazine? How professional is your work alongside those genuine examples?

I have succeeded to create a new original edition of an existing magazine. My work doesn't stand up much with the comparing magazines, it's more simpler than the others. I think my work is professional when it comes to the editing of the cover lines as well as the other texts. I was able to use colour schemes that matches the costume of my main image. Also, how I was able to come up with an additional design that makes my front cover elegant.

4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

I think I could have done more with how I took the picture as the comparing magazines had a much better resolution and a much higher quality. I could have make the cover lines stand out a bit as the font that I used was a bit thin, I could have made the fonts much more visible. Also, when I was taking the pictures, I could have made the lighting much more brighter to highlight the main image's make up as well as her facial expression.