Final Magazine

Here are the images for my magazine cover, contents page, and double page spread

Front page

Contents Page

                                    

Double Page Spread

                                

Flipsnack: https://seraphicfinalmagazine.com (Here is a link to my digital magazine) 

To have a better visual and more appealing appearance, I transforms my work into a digital magazine / book maker.

Critical self reflection

 This is my critical self-reflection for my magazine project

CRITICAL SELF REFLECTION by Kalista

Here is a link in case the embedded file does not work:

Critical Self-reflection

Double page spread Research & Development

This is my double page spread research and development for my magazine project 

Reflection: In the process of doing my double page spread, I have quite a difficult time of figuring out what layout do I want to do and how it would suit my front cover page. However after searching for inspiration using different resources as first I went to google and I don't really like the images there so I went to Pinterest where the double page spread is more modern since lots of younger generation uses the app and also spend their time there, I finally get some ideas on how it wanted it to be. 

Here are some inspirations that I found in Pinterest that caught my attention: 

First of all I really like the design of how the text that is following the shape / figure of the model as I think its very interesting to read rather than sticking with the original structure, and because my target audience are teenage girls I think they will be engaged with the contents if the layout is creative and a bit different than usual. 

My sketch:

After some research I get some ideas and vision on the potential double page layout I am going to make.

Moreover, for the font I decided to use this font which is kind of a script like I think it really radiates elegance and also the color I chose brown and the background as well to be light brown as I think it will match with my theme and it creates a sense of comfortability with the audiences.

CHOOSING BACKGROUND

1)

2)

Rather than leaving the background plain / pure with one color, I have an idea to experiment with different fades of color in the background as my magazine also talks about comfortable and freedom of style, I come up with this idea where the first one the background color is beige / more to light chocolate while the second one is plain white. After some observation I think using the beige will be better since my contents page color palette is also leaning more of a like soft / brown-ish color. 

First double page spread attempt: 

Here I pasted the article that I have made and experimented with the color, in the bottom corner I changed the faded color to green just to see how it would work out. However, it does not really match with the color of the typeface I'm going for so I made different ones.

Here is my second attempt  with the blue faded background underneath the quote. I think blue suits more than green but I might need to adjust the color of the typeface and with the typeface being also the same color blue will make it harder to be read. Moreover, I think the text is overlapping the image and that 

However, I received some feedbacks from my peers commenting how my double page spread does not look like a real magazine therefore I made some changes especially with the background as they mentioned that the color scheme was a bit off. Therefore I decided to change the background to plain broken white color. 

Plain background color:

1)

This color is lighter and more simple than the previous one, as this gives a sense of simplicity and also makes the text easier to read rather than having a gradient background.

2)

 

     

 My second option is more to darker shade of broken white which I am going to experiment   with 

 Moreover, here is the design that I have experimented with: 

1) 

First of all, I really like this one generally because of the structure and also layout, it is very    neat and I also made the masthead underneath the model's figure to make my model / main figure to be seen and recognizable. However, I am still unsure on which background color I should pick for my double page. 

2) 

This is my second option for my double page spread, I changed my background to a lighter color and I think it is easier to read and I also play around with shadows, which I think it is very interesting as it really emphasizes my model / main image. I also have experimented with the color, I tried to change the masthead to a red-ish color and it turned out I really like it and because I think the color is more fresh and from my research the color red means excitement and love which would be beneficial for my magazine as i would engage younger audiences.

3) 

This is my revision for my double page spread, I made a lot of changes throughout the        process of making especially in the color scheme. I also really like this layout which is not a lot of things going on but As the main image for my double page  spread i edited it so its more to purple-ish color. The reason why I chose purple is that because it represents royalty and adventure and I want my audience to look at my magazine that way.

I decided on the main character in the middle using the shade of purple since it represents adventure and royalty as I would want my audiences to look at my magazine that way. 

This is the same typefaces that I have experimented with my previous double page spread, however, due to the big changes that I made for my double page spread, I also decided to change the color to match with the bland background. Moreover, I really like the cursive font which creates elegance. However, I prefer the serif font one as it looks very classy and easy to read especially if my target audiences are teenagers which prefers things to be convenient and easy. 

Contents Page Research & Development

Here is my work on my contents page including the research & development

Reflection: Honestly, doing the contents page really consumes all of my time and I have experimented a lot with creating different layouts and I have been very indecisive throughout the process which leads me to be unmotivated to do the contents page as I am also loaded with different tasks from different subjects therefore I kind of stopped doing my contents page for a while as I haven't get my creativity but luckily, after a setback I have finally made my breakthrough and change my layout to a more simple and minimalistic one rather than sticking with my previous ones.

Here are some references on how I want my contents page to look like, moreover, I am planning for my contents page to look minimalist and clean as my demographic target audiences would be teenage girls, and I believe for teenage girls, aesthetics plays a significant role. A minimalist design approach can provide an appealing visual experience that resonates with their sense of style and sophistication. Clean lines, modern typography, and tasteful use of whitespace can create a visually pleasing contents page that draws readers in.

I Think the first content page really shows the minimalistic and classy sides of fashion with not so much colors going on and it looks very structured and neat. I would use this style but I target my magazine mainly towards teenage girls so I think I might need to have a more catchy style to suits teenage magazine conventions and make the color more pop out. Moreover, the second content page seems to be more vibrant and cheerful which have more images in the magazine, but lacks of sentences. So, I prefer the first one but I might change the layout according to my research. Lastly, the last magazine content is a double page spread, so I think it is a more work to do and required extra time to make so I'll probably go with the first design. After I've done some research I have decided to use the minimalistic and neat style.

My sketches: 

 

I draw 4 different layout for my contents page and I think since my magazine mostly will be talking about tips and tricks, how to dress up well, confident, and stylish I will need more space for the text and also the same amount of space for the pictures therefore the layout that will suit my magazine the most will be either the top or bottom right. Additionally, I have research more on contents page and have found several interesting and unique ones that I'm considering to try and experiment with. 

Things that I have changed/development: 

Firstly, this is my first idea of a contents page before I did experimentations with other different layouts. I am not really sure and don't think its great as I think it is too crowded and I want to make my contents page more simple and neat. Moreover, this looks messy as text can't be read even though I have adjusted the color to the brightest but since the background is not plain it won't work. Due to that I decided to make the background being plain and added some pictures to create a sense of neatness and organized to make the text also seems to pop out. 

Before that, I have tried creating layer between the main image and the text. However, I think this is does not look good and need further improvement. Hence, after a bunch of trial and error I realized that image cuts are better to put in my double page spread as a friend of mine said so. Due to that, I picked another images to put in my contents page. 

Here, I totally changed all the layouts and make the contents title like a curve to imply a meaning of "effortless elegance" as my front cover page mentioned and only have 2 pictures to create a minimalistic style for the magazine and for the audiences to also have a balance focus between the text and the image. 

However, my teacher gave me feedback of how my contents page does not really look like a real magazine and I also noticed that especially from the placement of the image as I have never seen a magazine who have this kind of structure before. After some research, and looking through Youtube to find some inspirations I finally get some reference of how I want my contents page to look like

. 

 I have been contemplating on which background color should I use for my background:

1) 

For the color of the background itself I make it similar with my double page spread which is a broken white / cream color as my location is more to nature which implies freedom on choosing and experimenting with your style. After some time, I had a change of heart where the cream-ish color looks too dark and I think it could have an affect to how the audiences would perceive it as dull and uninteresting, therefore, I chose a lighter color for my contents page which is leading more to clean white rather than cream. Additionally, I improve my contents page as I feel like the uses of the negative white space is not being used effectively, this is my new contents page:

I would say I am very relieved with how my contents page turned out, from a lot of changes being made with the design and layout but thankfully after my last research I knew that I was going back to my minimalist design. I also believe that  while maintaining simplicity, a minimalist design can also convey a sense of youthful sophistication that resonates with teenage girls. This balance of elegance and modernity reflects the magazine's emphasis on effortless style and appeals to the tastes and sensibilities of its target demographic. On top of that, the color scheme I make it similar with my front cover page as my magazine is very nature and green vibes which would make the audiences feel safe and also connected as that is what the color green symbolizes.

Furthermore, I also included my website at the bottom right corner of the contents page. 'www.seraphicmagazine.id' this website include my full magazine and also additional information about Seraphic Magazine. Due to my target audiences being mainly teenagers, most of the time they will spent their time in the digital media and therefore I think adding website in the contents page would really benefit me as I could reach wider target audiences compared to just printing the magazine.

Front cover layout Development

This is my front cover layout development page

Reflection: It took me sometime to figure out what I really want for my front cover page. Here below is my experimentation with front cover design, with experimenting different colors and also style of design. Through my experimentation of my front cover page I would say I it is quite a journey as I am also pretty indecisive of which photo I should use for my final front page. Moreover, I enjoyed working on my front cover page as it unleashed my creativity and it is such an opportunity for me to also explore different visual styles. Lastly what engages me the most is that I can learn on the psychology behind design choices and learn how to tailor covers to resonate with specific demographics.

Research on my front cover page:

What similar about these 3 magazine would be the masthead being under the model's appearance. I think it is very visually unique and interesting. Moreover, the direct mode of address is also being used which creates a more inclusive and close relationship towards the audience. therefore, I would want my front cover page to also creates that affect towards my audiences.

front cover dev by Kalista

Magazine Layout Tutorial

 

 In this post I will demonstrate some basic design skills that I learned in class. 

Self reflection: During my experiment with front cover page layout I actually enjoyed a lot decorating and experimenting with different designs and font as it really help me pour my creativity and being able to see what I can improve next time. However, I need to be more precise and be careful with my spacing as sometimes I forgot about the borders and just straight up to putting my front cover layout together. Additionally, I noticed that this activities really boost my creativity as I can picture of which design I liked the most.

At first, I begin with experimenting by sketching possible front cover designs for my magazine. It took me quite along time as I have rarely experiment by drawings and I am not really confident with my drawing skill. But then, my teacher gave us some default layouts and told me to experiment and play around with it.

Here are the experiments that I made: 

Location Scout and Risk Assessment

 

This is my risk assessment of my photoshoot location

Reflection: During my location scout and risk assessment I was having a hard time contemplating and researching which location I should consider for my magazine that is convenient to shoot in, however, after also asking some recommendations from my relatives I've come to choose this place for my model to shoot in. I ended up shooting in an outdoor and more nature scene as this would capture the model in a sophisticated outdoor setting, such as a garden, wearing fashion-forward attire that blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings. This juxtaposition of elegance and nature conveys a sense of effortless style and harmony with the environment.

Location #1

Location 1 (Neun Cafe Sanur Balcony) 

NAME
Purpose of the shoot:	To find the perfect shot for either my front cover page or double page spread.
Media Language:	Vibrant color and lighting, cozy mise-en-scene, medium / cowboy camera angles, direct mode of address.
Pros of Location:	It is a restaurant / cafe so I could go there anytime, moreover the staffs are very friendly and this cafe also has a lot of pretty and hidden spot that I could use as an area for my photoshoots.
Cons of Location	Sometimes it is hard to control as there are customers that are going to eat there, so I need to find the perfect time when shooting the photos. Moreover, in Bali the weather could be unpredictable sometime so therefore I have to prepare a lot of tissues for my model in case it is scorching hot and might as well prepare an umbrella just incase it could suddenly rain.
Alternative location:	At a photoshoot studio, as I can book a time there so there will be lack of obstacles such as waiting for crowds to went by and have the studio fully myself therefore easier to control. Moreover, in a close studio it is very easy to arrange the props.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Potential Hazards	Natural disasters, over-crowding in the cafe, rainy weather, extreme hot weather, bugs that might harm the model.
Evaluate Risks	-  Over-crowding in the cafe could result in an uncomfortable environment leading to lower quality shoots. - Weather especially when it is raining could make me delay the photoshoots.  - Will need extra space for the equipment - Mosquito and bugs might be an obstacle as it is an open area
Control Measures	Search and look for a safer time when the cafe is not so crowded such as in the morning time, shoot during the morning to avoid overcrowding and potential bad weathers. Bringing several clothes just incase used clothes getting dirty.
Implementation Timeframe	Research training (20th January)  Finding the concept and outfit  Taking the photoshoots: (21th January)

Location #2

NAME
Purpose of the shoot:	For images in contents page and might as well in the double page spread.
Media Language:	Adjusted lighting, bright and vibrant atmosphere. The uses of high angle camera angle and medium shot.
Pros of Location:	- I can book according to my time and schedule therefore easier access.  - Doesn't have to worry about dealing with overcrowded. - Near my house so It is easy to re-arranged reshoots if needed.
Cons of Location	- Bringing own props  - Have been provided space / studio but needing to pay extra  - Only has one area
Alternative location:	(reason)
RISK ASSESSMENT
Potential Hazards	Potential hazard in this area would be bugs / rainy days as I picked outdoor location which will be hard to predict the weather to prevent the model from being overheated due to the hot unpredictable temperature in Bali or if it is raining we would further delay the photoshoot since it would be slippery and hard to take a picture.
Evaluate Risks	In the decorative pool where there are rocks, model might experience injuries since it is prone to being slippery and might even fall.
Control Measures	Make sure that surface are dry and model are able to swim incase something unpredictable happens.
Implementation Timeframe	Going to location (20th January) making sure and looking at the situation in the cafe and choosing the perfect timing to come and visit.  Taking the photoshoot with the model (21st / 22nd January)