Learning Magazine Conventions
While learning the magazine conventions, we went thought the different genre choices that is used to form a magazine convention. The terms we went over were masthead, cover image, cover line, barcode, feature article, plug/puff, boxout, strip/banner, and dateline.
- The masthead is the overarching title of the magazine cover, usually at the top of the form.
- The cover image is a close-up or mid-shot of the main subject and connected to the feature article
- The feature article is usually exclusive and appeals to a larger audience
- Cover lines are catchy phrases that tell you about the article
- Puffs/plugs are graphics that are not squares and draw the reader's attention
- Boxouts are puffs or plugs that use quadrilateral shapes
- Strips usually include information on minor details or articles of the magazine
- Banners are strips but larger
- A dateline is the month and issue number of the magazine
- A barcode has a price, and is usually found on the corner of a magazine cover
Genre Choice for my Magazine and How it is Conveyed
The genre I chose for my magazine was fashion/clothing. I used sophisticated fonts to portray the sleekness and minimalistic values of the fashion brand that I advertise in the magazine. Moreover, I used catchy cover lines such as "The Season of Coats" and "Winter Fashion to Love" as a way to catch the reader's attention on pieces that are suitable for the cold time of year. Regarding fashion pieces to wear, I even implemented a puff that advertises fun fashion pieces to wear during the cold season! For the cover image, I added a frosted rose, because it symbolizes the frigid season, while also being a metaphor for the fashion brand's elegance and its romanticism of different fashion pieces. Because it is a clothing brain as well, a banner displaying "The Future is Fabrics", pays homage to the brand's sophisticated fabrics! Some of the taglines that come under the banner are "Accents and Minimalism", Sustainability & Success", and "Stunning Silhouettes". All these conventions help advertise the fashion brand, while staying close to its thematics of elegance and minimalism, and straying away from tacky and saturated designs.
Finished Magazine Cover
Challenges and Successes
Challenges
A huge challenge I faced was learning how to use Adobe InDesign for the very first time. There are many factors that were in place, and I had never used the software before. Understanding what the tools mean and how they work was a real challenge! Applying the tools was even harder, especially content placer tool. Some of the items on the canvas were arranged out of order, so I had to work around the content placer to rearrange them correctly.
Successes
A success I had was importing shapes into InDesign. If I saw a suitable shape or design I wanted to add into my magazine, I could export it from Canva! This saved a lot of time and helped shorten the over all process of creating the cover.
Important Takeaways and How I Can Apply it to my Next Portfolio Project
Obviously, learning the basics of how to use Adobe InDesign was a huge learning curve that I did not expect! However, I managed to understand some of the basic uses of different tools through various tutorials. I think just learning the basics opens up a new realm of countless possibilities that are each waiting to be fulfilled within InDesign, and I fully expect to learn even more as I go through this course. Additionally, the skills that I learned in this project will easily carry over other projects that require any type of digital design.
