This is my swede of the MOJO music magazine, I re-created this on Adobe InDesign. Mine is at the top and the original is at the bottom. I have learnt through doing this how to use InDesign and how to apply my media detective skills in searching for the more intricate parts of the magazine. I found that magazines have universal similarities like the masthead, cover lines, cover star, tag lines and more which all come together to make the main template for magazines in all styles and genres.
Whilst I was doing this I noticed some strengths and weaknesses in my use of Adobe InDesign, I have made a list of three main points for each…
Strengths…
- Using the various tools to create/re-create the differing fonts in this magazine cover. I was able to use tools like font style and size, bevel and emboss, drop shadow, step and repeat and more to create the best styles of text as I could.
- I was able to use other types of software like Adobe Photoshop and 1001 fonts to add more to my magazine than I otherwise could. for example I could not get a black silhouette with a transparent background to go into the blue pug on the left so I made a black silhouette on photoshop and used the “magic eraser” tool to cut out the background making it transparent.
- I was also best at placement on the page and layering. I was able to layer the page well so the right things were in front and in the background for example the masthead was in the background behind the photo and pug in top right and left.
Weaknesses…
- I could have been better at creating the pugs in the right size and shape. the blue and red pugs half way down the page were circular but they also had jagged edges almost like a star.
- Using the right photograph. The background to the photo in the original magazine is darker and the cover star is a bit bigger so I could have used photoshop to make that more suitable to the original in my own.
- I could not find the exact barcode or picture. I could have also found the right picture for the background but I used a slightly different one to compromise.
I have found some useful videos on how to make and design my own magazines better in the future, One is a more basic over all tutorial video to remind me when needed and the other is a more targeted video that helps me create better shapes used for pugs/puffs.
Basic Over All Tutorial Video…
Create Better Soon…
I have now had the practice of making a magazine on my own, I now feel more confident in my abilities to craft my own media and therefore more confident that I will be able to make a well thought out music magazine.