Front cover Development

Background Colour

I've gone for a white background as that is what the majority of the magazine covers use, and allows for the red font that I was thinking of using for my masthead and the text below it. 

Masthead Design

This is the masthead of the magazine. It is in the font Arial Black as it is bold and stands out on the page. It is also in white as I changed my background to black to go with my picture. I have also included at the top of the page the issue number, month it is from and the price so customers know how much it is.

I have decided to change my masthead to the font Marker Felt Thin, as it looks more street-like as well as looking more to an age range I am aiming for. I have also taken out the word 'magazine' as the readers will know it is a magazine allowing the title 'Raw Rap' to have more significance on the page. It is also in capital letters to look more powerful. A slogan is also at the bottom of the masthead, which makes it seem as if it is a great magazine. The issue date is also underneath.  

Image Dilema

Both pictures have been edited so that there is no trees or houses behind the fence. The colour adds more colour to an already black page as well as its vibrance. The monochrome edit on the 2nd picture looks dramatic but also looks boring. My double page spread is based around the monochrome design, so I may have to include pictures from the photo shoot which have colour on the front cover to include some variation.

I have made a decision to change my picture on the front cover, as it wasn't working as well as I first thought. This picture also allows the white background and new masthead to work better on the page. I will include a drop shadow on the picture to make it look as if it was taken in a studio with artificial lighting.

Design Problem

Despite my original design being good, I felt that after looking at more magazines and asking my peers about it that I would change it. I have now put featured artists on to give a hint at what is in my magazine. I also have the main headline down the bottom as it is now attached to the picture. It will also be in the biggest font on the page. Sub headings will be on the page in different places to make sure there is no bit which is left blank or boring.

The Headline

I have created the main headline for my magazine which relates to the double page spread. This has exclusive at the top of to make the reader feel that this is a very exciting interview. Also, the bands name is in the biggest font below the masthead, which is what makes it stand out on the page. The shadow I've added creates a sense of importance with the name of the group RG4, and makes the viewer want to read it. 

I have put an orange outline around the headline to mix in with the colours of the rest of the text on the page and stand out compared to the orange in other bits of text.

Guests

I have included guests in white and orange boxes which stand out compared to the text which is left without them. These boxes are also smaller as they are only guests and not the main part of the magazine.

Barcode Placement

The barcode will be in the corner as it isn't a huge focus on the magazine cover. It has the price by the side of it so the viewer of the magazine knows how much to pay for it.

Focus Group

I showed my final front cover to my parents and friends, who felt that the colour of red looked a bit tacky on the white background. As my double page spread will have a black background, I need to use a white one for the front cover to stand out. I therefore trialled numerous colours such as yellow and green, which both don't fit well. I then used orange and sent it to the focus group, which they felt fitted well with the background and picture of the models.

Contents Page Development

Background Colour

I have decided to use a white background as it will contrast with the black I am going to use on the title and sub headings on the page. It also allows any colour to be used on the page allowing for bright and dark to be used. 

The title of the page

Instead of just using the title 'contents', I have decided to use 'Raw Rap This Week'. This will engage the reader in what will be in this weeks magazine and not look as boring as just a one word title. I have also used the masthead's font as the title's font as it has to show some relativity to the magazine itself. The issue number is also put underneath the title, like the front cover. 


Picture Issues

As I didn't have a huge amount of pictures from my first photo shoot, I had to take some more so that I could fill up the page with content in the magazine. I therefore introduced a new model and this time a female. This adds diversity of gender and therefore catches more than just a male audience.

Message From the Editor

I have decided to include a message from an editor of my magazine so I can engage my chosen audience in the magazine and let them know that the magazine loves their support for reading and appreciating it's articles. I have also chosen a picture of the editor so people know who it is.

Change to Advertisement

Instead of a message by an editor, I have changed it into an advertisement for what was on the front cover of my magazine. Without guidance, the reader will not know where one of the main competitions is in the magazine and that is why it is needed more than the message. After focus group feedback, I made the word 'WIN' to only orange and the others to grey and white. This allows it to stand out more the reader and notice it easier. I have also changed the box to black as grey doesn't fit well on the page. The shape was made in word and the effects given to it such as the colour overlay were done in photoshop.

Article Placement

I have put my articles for my magazine on the left hand side giving my pictures a lot of room on the right. I have used a bold sub heading to know what these articles are and their importance in the magazine. The orange links with the front cover of the magazine and felt it was best to link it with that to represent my magazine. This also shows the stories importance, as not much of my page uses the colour.

Numbers

I used the orange to link back to the front cover and show representation of the magazine itself. As it is in graffiti form, it looks more urban giving the feel of the magazine off to the reader. The white lining of the number shows it's importance.

The white and grey is used only for this number to relate to the monochrome design of the article and so it stands out on the page as being the main story within my magazine. Due to focus group feedback I have changed it to orange and white like the others as they said it doesn't fit the page. 

Focus Group

I gave the contents page to a focus group to give me feedback on what needs to change. They said I needed to make all the numbers the same colour which i eventually did. They also liked the layout of my content, but felt that there should be more so I therefore had to work with different font sizes to fit a bit more information in. My title of the contents page was also a bit boring and they said I should include some orange in this. I have therefore decided to just make the name of the magazine orange to continue that representation. 

Double Page Spread Development

Background Colour Issue

I was split between a white background and a black background for my double page spread. The white was good as everything could be seen clearly and it is a simple way of displaying everything. The black background however adds a sense of mysteriousness to the article. 

I chose to use the black background as I have chosen to make some of my photos black and white, allowing the black background to work well with these pictures. 

Picture Problems

I would like to use each of these photos for my double page spread, but as I already have chosen two, I may have to only choose one. 

Picture Positioning

The screenshot above is the design I will use for my double page spread. I decided to position one picture on the first page as that will be where the main body of the article will be. Instead of only using one mid shot of the model, I have decided to put all three on the design as the viewer of the magazine will now know which artist is who out of the group. The names of the artists are done in the font Chalkduster as it allows for a more street-like view.

Changing the design

                                 

After looking at my analysis of double page spreads and others on the internet, I have decided to put one larger image on one page and a big headline above it as it allows more pictures on both pages and leaving less for the article. If there was a lot of space for an article, it could look a bit boring and too wordy, and that is why I have enlarged the images over the two pages. I also added a promotion to advertise the artist and get people to listen to their new music. The font Chalkduster was used on the polaroid pictures as it gave the pictures a more self made view. 

Enticing Title

"The new brand of hip-hop is emerging" is the title I will be using, as it catches the reader of the magazine. The quite underneath is also powerful as it is an opinion of the artist, which is what the readers want to see when they view the article.

Article Sample 

I decided to use an interview for my article, so we could see that the magazine has actually met with the artists and got their opinion. I chose to have 1 member of the group answer each question as it gave mixed opinions on the questions. I also added bits where the group laugh as it shows that they are teenagers who joke around with each other while they are being serious music artists. 

What made you want to get into rap?

Oli – Well we’ve been together since I can remember, and we would go to HMV and buy new records every week. One of my favourite artists Jay Z, released the Black Album in 2003 and when my dad played it I was singing along [Laughs]. He is my idol.

How long have you been creating music?

Ali – Well my older brother creates beats on his computer and we were on them from like, 13. Back then our bars weren’t thought out to much but still had rhythm. Now they’re the best in Britain! [Laughs]

What do people think when hearing about your background?

Oli – We are from Reading, where not huge amount talented rappers make it, but the game there is huge. Caversham Heights is also quite posh so not many people think we can spit. Just because we were from a decent background doesn’t make us unable to rap. 

How did Def Jam get into contact with you?

Max – Well ever since we started making YouTube videos, we have been getting a lot of attraction from big names, and our recent Mixtape was huge. So they called Oli one day, as we didn’t have an agent, and asked to meet. The rest is history. 

What are your plans for the future?

Oli – We want to change the face of the British rap Industry! Signing with Def Jam is huge and will allow us to hit stages in America and Britain, better than any rapper in Britain.

Who do you feel is sitting on the rap throne at the moment?

Max – Joey Bada$$’s new album is amazing in the different music and no huge features, making it an individual effort. 

Ali – It has to be that guy Lil Wayne! His new mixtape is fire!

Oli – Probably J Cole, just the intro to his album says it all. 

Any exclusive news you want to tell us?

Max – Urrrmmm, well we are in the studio everyday, and you could see a new record hit the radio in a couple of weeks, so be looking for us! 

Where would you as a hip-hop like to be in 10 years?

Ali – Living the dream with 3-4 albums done, maybe an American tour under our belts. We don’t want to aim to high so we don’t come off as cocky kids, but we want to the most successful British hip-hop group for sure. 

What are your songs about?

Oli – All sorts of things. We talk about todays politics and how it effects the teenagers as well as the struggles for people our age and older. We also talk about other things, but you have to listen to know.

The article

I made the headline of the article huge to catch the reader as well as a quote which stands out as a sub heading. An introduction was made just about the main article to introduce the group and start the double page spread's information. The text was made so it could wrap around the pictures therefore allowing a more complex look as well as allowing more room on the other side.

The article is now on the other side with a gap in between so it looks like an article. Questions are put in a bold white colour while the text is a light grey, still showing the monochrome theme. 

Advertisements

I advertised the mixtape made by my chosen group so they can go out and listen to it. I put it at the end of the article so if they're interested in them, they know where to check out some of their music. The page number is also in the corner, linking back to what the contents page said. 

Focus Group

I gave the design to a focus group who said they liked the way it was laid out and the pictures used. However, the font used for my headlines was boring and doesn't fit the style used on the polaroid pictures. I therefore changed it to the 'cracked' font so it suits the style of the double page spread.

Picture Development

I created smoke coming from the mouth of the model not facing and the one facing. I also added a black and white filter to the picture to create a more suspicious and powerful image. I also erased some of the branches from behind as it looked cluttered.

I took this picture to show that the group are from the city and look over it, like a hero. This picture will be used on the front of an album which I will be promoting in my double page spread. I used the gradient map to change it to black and white and made it the lights more powerful by doing so. 

For all of the images above, I added some smoke to each model and put a clouded effect on so it is more evident. I also made all of them black and white to give a monochrome effect on each image to suit what I want on my page.

I added some smoke to come out of one of my models mouth to give a better effect of the smoke. I cropped the brick background so that it didn't interfere with the white background of my front cover. I also made it more vibrant to stand out on the front cover and made the image bigger so that they took up a bigger part of it. A drop shadow as also added to make it seem as if the picture was taking in a studio with artificial lighting.

For this picture I edited the gradient map so that it was black and white and matched the double page spread. I also added a cloud overlay so that it would look a little foggy and a bit more street-like. A black frame was also added to put it onto my contents page.

For this picture I decided to crop it and zoom in on the face of the girl in the photo. I also turned up the vibrance and the saturation of the picture to look brighter that what it once was. I inserted a black frame so it stands out on the white background of the contents page.