Evaluation
- 1. Evaluation. When looking at the whole process of production within the weeks which were set I was able to finish each of my final products (fanzine, broadsheet and tabloid) within the deadline, using my time outside of college hours to get my work up to standard, as well as the fact that I was taking into account some of areas which could take me more time because of the process, or needing my skills to be developed upon. For example using InDesign for the first time required me to experiment and learn more into the programme before I was able to create my final products. Another example of when time management has come into practise could be looking at some of the principles put into place before production can begin, as tabloid and broadsheet have a set layout/ template/ house style to stick to whereas fanzine is a lot more experimental allowing you to create something new and innovative, which therefore required a lot more time. Across the whole course I feel that time management is something that I have been able to keep to, as a skill leaving contingency time in case improvements need to be made or elements go wrong which has definitely worked in my favour. As well as making sure that the right planning has been put in place to make production more easier to undertake for example flat plans, image and font choices. As the presentation show that I have put together you can see the process of development and the stages of production that I have gone through to get my final products. An example of this could be my design for a tabloid newspaper headline. A hippie special. And the process of development that was taken originally starting out with a traditional sun template and overlaying it with my own concept, as you can see here layering up different images that relate to hippie for example campervans, flowers and peace signs which have worked well to get the desired look and then allowing me to add text something which required a lot of development as it became challenging to create something which is realistic yet still fits with the subculture and house style of the newspaper therefore font choice colours and strokes were important to be considered. In terms of the process of development and recording my results I felt that I have improved as I have gone along as remembering to assess each area and taking screen shots as I went along was challenging at first but I feel as I talked about the areas which needed to be improved the developed improved allowing me to get more out of my product. another example been the layout of the main story which has taken a number of different formats before the final one was chosen upon;
- 2. In terms of the equipment I have used to achieve my final products, InDesign was the key program, as it is most commonly used for text based and editorial pieces. This itself was a new skill that I have picked up and have learnt to understand, and so with this being the case as I kept creating my final products from broadsheet to fanzine I feel that you can see going improvements of my skills. For example been able to use the grids and guides has become a useful tool for more of the formal layouts in order to set out the columns images and headlines, and is a skill that I will be able to use for future reference in a place of work. As well InDesign, Photoshop was also used something that I have used in the past and works better for creating the visuals for my newspaper front page, in this case the broadsheet newspaper didn’t require Photoshop as design is all based around the text and the placement of this. Whereas something like the fanzine article required Photoshop a lot more because of the fact that the fanzine is based heavily on the visual aspects of the magazine and seen as more as art. Especially in the case of ray gun a person who inspired my very different and edgy design for my fanzine page. This part of my fanzine in particular was created using the lasso tool and cutting out all of these different hippie fashion photography photos and layering them up to create this boarder like effect, and then with this gradual fade applied more of a sutal look to it which then allows the text to be applied on InDesign. In terms of the technical aspects overall it is a very important part of production in order to create something to a professional standard and so text is another important part to the technical side of the to get that high standard, sourced from the website da font both for the main body of text and headline, in the case of the fanzine using a typewriter style font. When looking at the technical qualities to the newspapers we have studied especially looking at the broadsheet newspaper the research was an important part of the pre-production process as it allows me to address the common conventions of these newspapers and look at the ratios and portions before I begin to create my own designs, then allowing me to move onto other stages such as the flat plans. As well as using a real life logo to base the whole designs around making it look more professional and high quality. When addressing the creative side of my work it is important to understand the fact that there were some restrictions with the tabloid and broadsheet designs which rained in the type of development that could be made. For example the use of the guides put in place for the helped me to get everything in proportion everything from my text so that it doesn’t run of the page, the widths of my columns all match up as well as any additional areas like dates, prices and bar codes all line up. In comparison to the fanzine which is a lot different in terms of what you can and can’t do, as there is no rules and the sense of creativity and the possibilities are endless. In this case the culture I choose hippies really helped me to run with a theme revolving around this very nature like bohimeuim style
- 3. to the whole layout using earthy and pastel tones thatas well as reflecting the ethics of a hippie but also has that feminine touch to it that this article will be based around. Looking at the whole design overall it is the one that I most happiest with as it is something very different to some of the usual products I have created in the past trying to create something different to the very structured things I have produced In the past, mixing a number of different element and components together. For example the background added was made up of mix and match shapes and newspaper print, lowering the opacity, to drain the colour out slightly living up to the theme of the newspaper and also gives more of a sutal effect. Another area been the image collage mentioned previously as I feel that this is something different to what I have created in the past giving the illusion of it been a boarder round the text. The placement of the text could also look at this area of creativity as the traditional format using the columns hasn’t been used presents in all odd columns and rectangular boxes to create more of an interesting way to present the information, Constantly changing the size of the font in order to create this irregular pattern creating something more unique and different. As you can see here from the example above even though I haven’t chosen on the font here you can appreciate the varying font size and the layout which has been chosen. My intentions and aims of this project were to create and set up by the page layouts from the previous project writing copy, on the theme of the hippie culture, and been able to set out these areas of text in the most appropriate way. Set by the brief that say ‘You have been asked to produce a student guide to factual writing as an introduction to a course. You should outline the range of different materials; the key elements required and then consider the need for bias within factual writing’, and so with these intentions realised I was able get some feedback in the long run because as well as been able to evaluate my own work it is important to get feedback from other tutors and peers, in order to get another other opinions and thoughts on my final products which helps make improvements and developments. Firstly looking at the broadsheet newspaper as feedback shows that they prefer the bold lettering that catches your eye, good use of column space, appropriate use of imagery in a broadsheet, and the overall appearance is professional looking, masthead is clear and concise; it links to the broadsheet theme of being formal. The use of side news story columns and use ofdrop capitals make the overall design appear as though it could be an actual broadsheet publication, so to speak. The main image could be brightened in order to catch more attention and to draw the audience in more, but apart from that, I can’t really think of any improvements on the page layout, and so if I was to continue on with my designs for a broadsheet newspaper I could look at creating a number of different versions using different images and effects over the photograph and then allow my peers and tutors to
- 4. comment further. As a part of my tabloid newspaper again a template has been used against my own work as an outline of existing products which can be put into my own work, and so feedback shows that the main headline is effective as is catches the attention of the audience as it is bold and in capitals, which makes it more emphasised in general. The use of a background image makes the layout appear more interesting and it is appropriate, as tabloid publications traditionally use a high amount of imagery. It fits the theme well and it uses informal language such as ‘Nessa’, which is appropriate for the typical audience of The Sun. The feature of an ‘exclusive’ section is effective, as this is also a convention that is featured in a tabloid, which makes it appear more realistic. An improvement could be that ‘The Sun’ logo could be moved up slightly to fill out the bit of white space on the top of the page. In terms getting feedback from my peers has really helped the development of my fanzine, as it is like asking people that would fit into my audience bracket, and getting a realistic opinion on my final product, because as you can see the design is very different with the text colliding and running of the page and so people of the same age range will help to understand and appreciate the work more. As some of the feedback gained stated that specific design is effective in the sense that it could actually be featured in a fanzine publication, because of the use of ‘free’ columns, where the text is allowed to be placed in any area of the page. The bright colours used within the layout are effective, as they will draw in the attention from the viewer and it also makes the layout as a whole look more visually appealing. The use of a range of different typefaces is effective, as it adds a sense of dimension onto the final design and the fact that some parts of the text are bold and enlarged, it helps the article to become more eye-catching overall. The faded images in the background make the layout seem more abstract and unique, which is why I think that this article would be most suitable for use in a fanzine publication. Then looking at improvement which could be made the opacity of the range of autoshapes/text boxes in the background could be altered so that they are less apparent and so there is more emphasis on the text and the images, which are the main parts of the layout overall. As well as the product there always needs to be a target market and audience for what you are writing about, because this can vary dramatically change the language, colours, fonts and layouts which have been used. For example the copy which I produced for my broadsheet newspaper uses a very different tone and language to that of the tabloid which we had to edit down and change some of the language to suit the audience. Because that of a broadsheet is seen as lot more upper class, well- educated with more of a executive style role in their job that will reflect on the tone compared with
- 5. the tabloid newspaper which are more working class, with more of an informal tone including stories that would appeal to the younger reader whether this been humorous stories or celebrity stories. As the language for tabloid is a lot more related and using puns as a way to engage the reader. Some other decisions it also effected was with ratio of text to image because not only is it the language but the proportions and tabloids are known to have significantly less text to images and they are more of the visual reader. That also reflects the colours that are used, with a broadsheet newspaper taking more of a traditional approach the only colour used in the image or as a part of the banner in comparison to a tabloid using colour wherever it can for more of the modern reader whether this is a part of the main body of text, stars and blobs, or within the headline. In comparison to that of my fanzine publication piece by peace, a fashion blog based around that of the hippie culture, and so this theme has been strongly put though and influenced some of my decisions. As fanzines can appeal to anyone they just have to be interest in the theme. In this case I am looking at the younger female audience, or even influenced by that type of lifestyle. For example the neutral earthy tones were influenced by the colours that hippies are known to wear, from tie dye, to wash out pastel tone. As well as incorporating that strong hippie legacy flower power through the head band of the bottom model. As well as providing examples of this type of clothes the loose and baggy fitted, long wavy hair, with maxi dresses and skirts for the audience to relate to. The language is also an important part in creating something that will appeal to the younger market, with more of a diary, personal approach that helps to address and connect to the audience with personal touches like the ‘love c’ to end the account/post. The research and pre-production stages were an important part of the process to gain an understand of that type of newspaper especially when it came to the tabloid and broadsheet newspaper, I had some idea of what was needed. For example a bold and chunky font for the headline of a tabloid newspaper, with a sans serif basic font for the main body of text to fit with thecomplementary look of this style of newspaper as well as a bold version of this for the lighting points or thestarting paragraph. In comparison to the broadsheet that takes more of a traditional approach with a serif font that makes it clearer and easier for the text to follow especially with an excessive amount of text on the page a common convention of a broadsheet newspaper fitting with the business format. Where as the fanzine was a lot more experimental in terms of text as you can see in my planning trying both the chunky and italics type text, which also is seen as more decorative and appealing to the female audience.When it comes to choice of images there was a distinct difference between that of a tabloid compared with a broadsheet newspaper, as tabloids look to use more celebrity candid style images that are there to show evidence as well as the use of more than one image, in this case to show the scale of this protest in a circular boarder. In contrast to a broadsheet which include one main image powerful photograph in a black and white filter, or sometimes even an image from the past this being the case because of the story that it is related to, and then in terms of my fanzine article I have used more of a cut out collage effect to the
- 6. arty scrapbook illusion sourced from the internet and then put together in Photoshop. The only problem that I occurred was making sure that the image didn’t come across grainy when enlarged the image especially some of the image was to be cropped out therefore a few changes had to be made until I was happy with my final image In terms of skills I previously used and developed programmes such as InDesign and Photoshop play a big part in this, because from looking at some of my first year work to some of my final pieces for this year my improvements show this as the execution of my work is another more smoother with more of a professional finish, as my own artistic style has grown, with basic photograph effects, and been able to use some of the tools like lasso, marquee and clipping mask tools all have helped me to create my final products, in some cases more then others, as prints like the tabloid and broadsheet have more of specific guidelines to abide by in comparison to the fanzine which allows you to express your own sense of creativity through the eyes of your reader everything from italics to chunky fonts. In this case I choose a typewriter style font that mixes the contemporary with the old history of the hippie culture and how long it has been around for. When it comes to looking at my products from a critical point of view it is important to look for areas that can be improved. In the case of the broadsheet I was most happy with the set out of my main body of text however at the top of the page around the headline and mast head which could be reviewed and looked at again masthead, because I feel that it ruins the look of my overall design as there is to much white space. Possibly using an existing masthead from either the guardian or the telegraph to produce something a lot more realistic, so another version to compare it too may be beneficial. As well as changing the set out of the headline as for the moment it is laid out to a centre orientation. Or as another element to be added to the design I could incorporate a banner across the page as a part of an offer or deal for the consumer, which could attract the attention of the audience and also proves popular among the new style of broadsheet newspaper. Looking at my tabloid design improvements could be made in the execution of the design because even though I have improved parts of this, for example the transition from image to black text have incorporated this gradual faded lighting effect from light to dark which also looks a lot more professional. But when it comes to the glow and then cut out of the silhouette could have been done better possibly adding more of a lighting effect to that. Taking into account the result I got from my peers and tutors as they are the ones most likely to be reading the article. As well as this apart of my fanzine could be seen as challenging to read, even though this is the look I was going for I could think about creating more of a readable version and gain a response for my peers to see which they prefer, but as I was inspired by the work of ray gun and the unusual
- 7. way he lays out his text running of the page and overlapping this is look I going for but still keeping the decorative background.