Within the process of making my contents page and improving my DPS and front cover I have learnt more design skills to help portray the indie genre more effectively. Skills in InDesign that I have learnt include:

• Changing the opacity of colours to let colours merge together. This creates an interesting page as it adds dimension and the illusion of many layers. This helps to portray the indie genre as it creates a unique and quirky vibe which is conventional of the indie genre.

• Changing the shape of the elliptical tool to create interesting text boxes. In my contents page I created two boxes out of the elliptical tool and distorted the shape to create an individual and unrepeatable box shape for my contents page captions to go in.This created an appealing page layout for my target audience as the uniqueness fit with the indie genre while making the page aesthetically pleasing.

• Using the drop shadow tool on the images on my contents page to make them stand out. This helps the stars to appear like they are coming out of the page and gives them an illusion of a heightened status. This makes them seen spectacular and extraordinary which fits into Richard Dyer’s paradox of the star.

I have also learned more skills on Photoshop. Specific skills include:

• Using the brightener tool to make my stars appear more lively. I specifically used this tool on the star’s eyes to brighten them so that the stars look more animated and real so that the audience feel connected to them. This connection makes the star seem friendly and laidback which is a convention of the indie genre.

• To cut images out I learnt to use the quick selection tool. I used this to cut an individual flower out of one of my images creating an interesting headline layout for my double page spread. The unique and distinctive vibe that the flower gave the headline fitted in with the conventions of the indie genre.