'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Review

Flow’ contents page 2 review from KKelso1

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 8

The final step for this page was to add the names of the magazine's social media pages. Like I said when talking about the front cover, social media is one of the best ways to promote a brand or company in this day and age, so having social media accounts allows the magazine to communicate with readers in ways that wouldn't be possible a few years ago.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 7

The next step was to add the page number and the website as I did for the first page of contents. This gives the reader an indicator on where they are in the magazine. The website can be used to look at extra content not available in the magazine, such as video interviews and Q&As.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 6

For my third and final photo, I decided to place the photo on the left side and place the writing on the right side, in order to effectively use the space and create an aesthetically pleasing layout in the process.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 5

I then added another photo showing someone else who is featured in the article, and again I added some context underneath. I decided to use a red background this time in order to match the house style of the magazine. I also added new sections to the 'Regulars' section, to use up more space and display more of the content available.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 4

Once the photo was in place, the next step was to add a catchy headline as well as add some information relating to the article.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 3

This is the first photo included on this page, depicting a set of models in band form. The background of this image is black; this allows the image to stand out as it is a direct contrast from the white page.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 2

For the next step, I added in the sub-headings for the page, titled, "Also This Month" and "The Regulars". "Also This Month" is pretty much what it says on the tin. It features artists and stories that didn't quite make the cut on the first page. "The Regulars" is a list of features that are included in most or every issue, for example the monthly and trending charts and reader letters.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Step 1

I started off my page by adding a white background, the same background I have used for all previous pages. To do this, I simply clicked on the 'Gradient' tool on the sidebar which brought up a drop-down menu with two options: 'Gradient' and 'Fill Bucket'. I clicked on 'Fill Bucket', made sure the colour displayed on the top-right was white, and then clicked the transparent page, which turned white.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Flat Plan

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 2 Introduction

I have decided to create a second contents page to include more information on extra features that I wasn't able to fit onto the first page, as well as indicate the regular features that are designed to be a signature Flow feature in every issue. This second page will give me extra space to include some extra photos featuring other models which helps improve the variety of the magazine, rather than using only the one model which would be bland and unoriginal.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Review

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 6

The final step was to add the cover story to the contents. This is when we interview the cover model about their life and work, so we give it as much exposure as possible as readers may be very interested in what they see.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 5

I added three featured articles within the magazine. All three are interviews with famous existing rappers to give the magazine publicity as their fanbases are some of the biggest in the industry, so more fans will want to read it.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 4

The next step was to add a background. Like my front cover, I decided to go for a white background, as it is a colour that is heavily featured in most magazines because of how simple it is and how easy it is to write on it. To do this, I used the 'Fill Bucket' tool from the gradient tool's drop-down menu, made sure the colour in the top-right was white, and clicked the transparent background to convert it to white.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 3

For the third step, I set out the title of the page using the house style seen on the front cover,white text on a red square background. This gives the magazine a more vibrant style and gives it a unique feel.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 2

For my second step, I added the page number and website of the magazine. The website will give readers extra content as well as exclusive prize giveaways.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Step 1

To start off my contents page, I inserted the image of the cover artist that will appear on this page. This is the only image that will be on this page; the second page will have more photos used. The photo has been edited slightly using the Smudge tool on the edges.

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Flat Plan

'Flow' Magazine Contents Page 1 Introduction

The next page I am creating is the contents page. It is pretty simple to understand the purpose of this page; it displays the content within the magazine, whether it be exclusive interviews or monthly charts. On my contents page, I will try and give the cover story, featuring the cover model, as much exposure as I can.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Review

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 13

The final step was to add a barcode in the bottom corner of the cover. All magazines must have a barcode somewhere in order for them to be purchased. The cover is virtually always chosen as it makes it easier for shopkeepers. Above the barcode, there is also a release date (the day that the magazine went on sale) and the price of this issue.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 12

I included logos of four different social media companies (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat) to represent that the magazine produces extra content on these platforms. Social media is always a great place for promoting and exposing a brand so the magazine uses this opportunity to its max potential.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 11

I looked at the cover and felt like the colour palette was too bland. I tried to convey the cover artist's dark and shady past using only black and white for the text and background, with only the cover artist having extra colours. However, I decided to choose a more vibrant design instead by adding red to the colour palette. This gives the cover a more interesting and professional look.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 10

The next addition to the cover was to add a banner at the top. This forced me to move the title down a little bit, but it is still clearly visible behind the artist's head. The banner shows a special offer within the magazine; a code within the magazine gives you a free track from 'Starboy', the new album by The Weeknd. This is a good way to entice readers as there are a lot of fans of this singer and also free stuff is often appreciated well.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 9

On the right-hand side of the cover, I have added a couple of brief summaries relating to articles within the magazine. These summaries are very short but snappy and they get the point across efficiently using the small amount of space left on the cover.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 8

Some magazines, like NME, sometimes display the names of artists within the magazine on the front cover in the form of a list. I did the same here, on the left hand side of the cover, as it is a good way to attract more fans of these artists and therefore more readers.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 7

My next step was to create written sections for the cover and set them up in the correct spots. Traditionally, in hip-hop magazines and music magazines in general, the headline is the artist's name and is placed on the bottom half, and I have decided to follow that trend. I've also included a little information underneath summarising some sections of the interview.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 6

I then added a full white background to the cover. I chose white as I believe that it compliments the colours of the model's outfit and the masthead better than any other colour; it makes them stand out as much as possible.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 5

After careful consideration, I decided to change the size and placement of the masthead and also slightly increased the size of the model image. I have decided to use this layout instead as many covers of magazines like Vibe use this same design, the model's head placed in front of the masthead.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 4

The next step was very simple. There is a small glint on each eye in the original image. I thought that this was an interesting feature of the image and it should be more exposed. Therefore, I again used the brush tool on Photoshop and added a tiny white layer over the top of each glint.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 3

I noticed that the eyes of my model looked very dark because of the shadow. I contemplated whether or not to keep it that way to keep that layer of mystery and darkness intact. However, I decided to brighten the eyes to make the model more noticeable. I used the brush tool on Photoshop to do this. I painted this part of the eye white to make them stand out. I used separate layers for each eye, so I was able to adjust each eye to my preference. In the end, I settled on lowering the opacity to 17%, as the eyes were way too bright at 100 and didn't match the feel of the image.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Step 2

The first thing I added to this front cover was the masthead, 'Flow'. I have chosen this font because it incorporates joined-up writing; the word flows from one letter to another.

Music Magazine Front Cover Step 1

This is the original image that I am using for my front cover. I used the Smudge tool on Photoshop to make some of the edges smoother. No other editing has been used at this point.

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Flat Plan

'Flow' Magazine Front Cover Introduction

Traditionally, the first step to creating an issue of a magazine is to determine the style of front cover you want to use. The front cover is used as a tool to entice consumers who have never read the magazine to give it a try, while for existing readers it is used to maintain their interest in terms of what the magazine has to offer. My front cover will try and execute that by being jam-packed full of content and colour.

'Flow' Magazine Pitch

'Flow' Magazine Reader Profile

The reader of 'Flow' magazine is a 24 year old fan who enjoys keeping up to date with friends and his favourite artists on several social media platforms. He enjoys a wide selection of different music genres, but his definite favourite genres are hip-hop and R&B. They prefer nothing better than relaxing in their house listening to their extended playlist after an 8-hour work shift. The readers of my magazine have good musical knowledge, and if they are not reading the magazine, they are looking for a gig to enjoy.

NME Magazine Reader Profile

The average reader of NME is in their early 20's, fast-moving at the cutting edge of current media culture and development. 69% of the readers of NME are male, with 52% working full-time and 29% still studying.. The total readership spends roughly £326million pounds on audio equipment per year, typically going to live music events (gigs) and other live shows as part of their spare time. The standard reader also spends around 9 hours per week on the Internet. In addition to this, the reader finds clothes and images important to their image; 71% of readers think it's important to look well dressed, with 45% spending a lot of money on clothes.

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Hi, my name's Kieran Kelso and this is the introductory post for my A-Level Media blog. For my A-Levels, I am taking Media, Maths Statistics, Music Technology and Italian. I hope that I will get the chance to go to university by getting the results I need in my A-Levels.