Technologies
- 2. TECHNOLOGIES USED When creating the final products, I used lots of software's in order to create the effects that I wanted. Most of them, including InDesign, Photoshop, PowerPoint and Microsoft Word I had used before, but ones such as InDesign/Photoshop were never in this context and it was interesting to learn how they could be adapted to create something like a music magazine. For the software's such as PowerPoint and Word it was more a case of organisational need and was useful in planning and presenting my work. The technologies I used that were new to me were the websites available on the internet such as Survey Monkey, YouTube, Blogger and Slide Share. Most of these sites were new to me and I learned how to create all sorts of resources in order to complete research and how to present my work all on one blog.
- 3. PHOTOSHOP Photoshop was not a new software to me before this project. I was familiar with how to use it, however I did learn how to add new layers to an existing image (for example text boxes and photographs) in order to create this front cover and also the contents page of the music magazine. INDESIGN Similar to Photoshop, I have used InDesign before but not in this particular way. I had never created a document before and it was useful to learn how to link text boxes together so that the writing flowed; to learn how to reduce the opacity of the background image so that the text was clear to read and to create column lines across the document so that I had the conventional guidelines to follow, of that of a real music magazine. WORD/POWERPOINT These two software’s were pretty easy to work with. They are really familiar with most people yet they were extremely helpful in organising my work into clear and concise documents in order that when uploaded to the blog they were clear. I also used them within the planning of my final products, for example when creating a pitch or just drafting the final pieces.
- 4. SURVEY MONKEY I had never heard of Survey Monkey before this project, but however found it extremely useful when completing my market and audience research for the product. The service I found to be very quick and easy to use and was a key piece in learning how to acquire the information I needed in a clear and easy way for the audiences. YOUTUBE I used YouTube additionally on the blog as a way to present information. I learned how to upload an edited video of my creation and post it/embed it onto my blog SLIDE SHARE This service was again used for presentational purposes, as it allowed me to upload my slideshows onto its sight, also making it public to audiences and available to me to embed it to my blog in a suitable mannar.
- 5. Looking back at the production processes of this project, I feel it would have been impossible to create it without Photoshop and InDesign. These software's made the final outcomes look professional and allowed me to complete more that one task at a time, which in turn make it quicker to create and gave a more authentic effect. On the other hand certain software’s were not as necessary, for example Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. These were only used for presentational effect, and therefore could have been replaced with hand written pieces that would have conveyed the same information. After this project I do however see the benefits that technology has and would have preferred to use it over hand writing. The technological convergence allowed it to be efficient and quickly one but with greater quality and accuracy, and that each piece of software is compatible with each other is another benefit (posting slide share’s on the blog/Photoshop and InDesign for images etc.) The other key convergence is that of social media’s. Without being able to share creations online, market and audience research would have been made difficult and wouldn’t have been done with the same accuracy otherwise.