New and Improved DPS

This is my new version for my double page spread.

I chose a different picture because I feel that the old picture is too far to see the model's face.

Just like at the contents page, I left deleted half of the background on the picture and kept the wall on the side. I kept the bricks because I like the patterns that its making.

Also, the background for the whole page is still gray to follow the house style for this issue.

I added swirly patterns on the background so that it doesnt look borring on the eyes.

New Front Cover Design

This is the new front cover design. I kept the background black and white whilst the model is coloured, however I replaced the old masthead to the newer masthead. 

This is what the old front cover looks like:

Compare the old version with the new one, the first one looks tacky and low quality. With the use of Photoshop, it looks more professional and authentic because its simple yet refined.

  

Improved DPS

The only thing that I changed in here is the second page because the first version looks too simple. The effect of the hands looks like that there is a concert which links to a type of music magazine. Again, the background is gray to follow the house style of the magazine.

I kept the masthead on the top right corner so that the reader will recognise what magazine they are reading. Also, I added a title interview on the left corner to follow with the contents page.

The text that I used for the title jason is 'Bleeding Cowboys' which I edited in Picnik. I chose the colour red to follow the house style of the magazine.

New Contents Page

This is the new contents page version.

I used Paint online editting website to add the texts on the page. As you can see, I added the masthead name on the top right hand corner with some lines beside it looking like barcodes so that it looks interesting.

I added the title of the page on the top left corner so that it can be easily seen by the readers so they know what they are looking at.

There are 3 sections on this page:- features, interviews and monthly section.

The text are slanted a little to follow with the building and also the model is also slanting a little. I did this so that the page will look more interesting.

I used a colour red for the title so that it follows with the front cover and yellow because the model's shoe has yellow bits in it.

I might consider changing the text to regural because I dont like them bold and also I should work on my title more.

Improved Contents Page

I edited these images from Photoshop Element 9.

My first attempt was the one on the left which I deleted the background of the image. I only kept the model and the building as he is lying next to it. I didnt delete this because it will look weird if I did. I simply made the background white so that I simple to add with text.

Again, I attempted to make the background by using two colours: black and white. I used a gradient tool for this. I made the bottom bit dark to light to suggest dark for the ground and light for the sky.

The last attempt that I did is the best in my opinion because I like the detailed scratches on the background. Also, it's gray so again, it links to the front cover page of the magazine.

Questionnaire Results

1. Which magazine page did you like the best?
[ ] Front Cover     [ ] Contents Page     [ ] Double Page Spread
7/10 people prefer the Contents Page because of the good layout and the way that the images are edited. 2/10 people like the DPS because of the typography used and the 1 person like the Front Cover because of the colour scheme.

2. For the front cover, is the colour scheme suitable?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
Majority of the people said that the colour scheme is suitable on the magazine because it suits the clothing if the model. However, one person said that I should another colour because it looks dull.

3. Do you think that I need to add more cover lines?
[ ] Yes    [ ] No

Most people said that I need to add more coverlines such as advertising a CD, poster, adding more famous artist, etc.

4. In my opinion, I think that the masthead should change. Do you think I should?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
5/10 people said that the masthead is satisfying already, but the other half said that I can do better.

5. Do you think I should keep the barcode or not?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
The majority said that I should include the barcode on the front cover because it's part of the conventions of a magazine. However, others said that I shouldn't to challenge the conventions of a magazine a little bit.

6. For the Contents Page, do you think that it's lacking of information?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
6/10 people said that I need to add more information on the page such as adding a monthly section. They also suggested that I should remove the editors letter.

7. Do you think I should add more images?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
8/10 people said that I should keep the contents page simple so that the page does not look busy.

8. Is the Colour scheme suitable for the page?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
Majority of the people thinks that the colour scheme goes well because it suits the clothing of the model. However, they also suggested that instead of purple and black the colour scheme can also be purple and yellow.

9. For the Double Page Spread, do you think that it needs more picture in it?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
9/10 people said that I should add more pictures. They said that I should add 1 or 2 more pictures on the page.  

10. Is the colour scheme suitable for the page?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
Majority of the people said that the colour scheme goes well on the picture.

11. Do you think that I should add more information for the article?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No
Most people said that I need to make the font size smaller, meaning I need to add more information on the article.

Questionnaire for my Current Magazine

This questionnaire were asked by people between the age range of 16-25 which they are a fan of R&B/Hip Hop music.

1. Which magazine page did you like the best?
[ ] Front Cover     [ ] Contents Page     [ ] Double Page Spread

2. For the front cover, is the colour scheme suitable?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

3. Do you think that I need to add more cover lines?
[ ] Yes    [ ] No

If so, what else do I need to add? e.g A free poster
_____________________________________________________________

4. In my opinion, I think that the masthead should change. Do you think I should?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

5. Do you think I should keep the barcode or not?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

6. For the Contents Page, do you think that it's lacking of information?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

7. Do you think I should add more images?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

8. Is the Colour scheme suitable for the page?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

If not, what colour scheme will fit better more?
_____________________________________________________________

9. For the Double Page Spread, do you think that it needs more picture in it?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

If so, How many?
[ ] 2     [ ] 3      [ ]4     [ ] 5+

10. Is the colour scheme suitable for the page?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

11. Do you think that I should add more information for the article?
[ ] Yes     [ ] No

If so, what kind of questions shall I add?
_____________________________________________________________

Target Audience

My main target audience of this publication are for the people (male and female) who appreciates R&B/Hip Hop music as it is completly based around this genre of music. It will appear more to young adults as this genre of music is more popular to the younger generation. Magazines such as Vibe, Hip Hop Connections, XXL and The Source are a typical Hip Hop magazines which probably most of the Hip Hop listeners reads them.

Hip Hop Connection Magazine Analysis

Hip Hop Connection Front Cover magazine:

The masthead here is very big so that it can be easily recognise by the reader. The designer placed an album at the bottom left corner of the magazine to make the consumer want to buy this album. I really like the layout of this magazine so i might consider placing the cover lines on the side of the page.

I like the wat that a quote is placed under the artist name 'The Game' and I could do this under my main cover line.

A barcode is placed at the bottom right hand corner of the magazine with the price and date of issue to follow the codes and conventions.

The main image suits the theme of music because of the way he gives a pose as if he is a gangster.

Hip Hop Connection Contents Page:

Again, the main image here gives a daring look which links to the theme of magazine which is Hip Hop.

The designer placed the title of the page and date by the model's forehead  so that it can be easily seen the readers. The features are clearly laid out on the side with page number besides them. It's simple so I should consider making my contents page simple too.

Hip Hop Connection Double Page Spread:

This article uses 3 columns with 3 different models at the bottom of the page. The use of colour again is consistent as the designer uses the same colour as well on the contens page (red and black).

The designer separated the titles and a little bit of information on the second page so that I stands out on the page for the readers to understand.

They also placed a caption by the image so the reader will understand where and what this photo is taken.

The designer also placed the title of the page and the masthead on each top corner of the magazine so that the reader will know what magazine this is.

XXL magazine Analysis

XXL Front Cover Magazine:

You can alreadry tell that this is a Hip Hop/rap magazine because of the models used. The models are very "gritty" as one model has a lot of tattoos on his body and also the way that he is wearing lots of "bling" onto his body. Also the other person wears a kind of scarf to cover up his face suggesting a ganster type which relates to theme of Hip Hop magazine. The way that one of the model wears his trousers lower that usual and the way that he shows off his boxers links to a type of urban, ghetto Hip Hop. The use of typography are in bold texts to suggest importancy especially to the name of the rappers. The masthead is covered by the models as the masthead is already well known by Hip Hop readers. The use of colours are black , white and red which is a typical Hip Hop colour that is used in every Hip Hop magazine. The barcode is shown at the bottom right hand corner so that the readers will know what issue and price this magazine is.

XXL Contents Page Magazine:

Again, the typography is in bold letters to continue with the house style. 'Doin' lines' stands out well on the page because the font size is the largest on the page. The model is in a daring position which links to a type of ghetto style. The orange colour of his jacket which is used for the brackets below the title, so that the model and the layout will combine together. The texts are organised as it is placed on the side of the magazine. I've noticed that a lot of Hip Hop magazine contents page are very simple as they focus more on the actual typography. As you can see, the masthead still shows on the contents page so that readers will know and recognise the magazine. Also, the date of issue is place at the bottom to let the reader know what issue it is. The background is simple to follow the house style of this magazine.

XXL Double Page Spread Magazine:

The texts is well organised as they use columns which shows what real articles looks like. The model wears a black hoodie which the background of the first page is also in black to continue with the house style. The model does not give an eye contact suggesting that the model is famous enough to look at the camera. The title for this page is also the same with the contents page to follow the house of the magazine. It is also large and bold to suggest importancy. 

Newer Masthead Ideas

These are my new designs for a masthead:

I edited this text in Photoshop Element 9. The text that I used for this is 'Velvenda Cooler'. I added an arrow going up on the letter U and an arrow going down on the letter A just so that the masthead looks better.

I was influenced at the Rap Up magazine as their masthead contains an arrow too. However this idea doesn't link to either urban or beat.

I did this in Photoshop Elements 9 but I wanted to add more details to it by extending the letter U so that it will look more urban by adding white squares to look like windows from buildings. I added the white squares on Picnik online because it's quicker and easier to edit it.

I still do not like this because it looks too simple.

I used the 'Velvenda Cooler' text for this because I find it interesting. I overlaid buildings on top of the text so that it will more urban looking. Just like the THE SOURCE magazine, I placed the word beat on the side so that it fits perfectly on the magazine because the word is too long.

I chose a colour red for the text because the model in my magazine is wearing a red top.

Again, I still used this text and colour but instead of using buildings, I changed it to equalizer to link with the word beat. However, I am not quite satisfied with this design because I think that it's not that interesting.

Because it's hard to choose which masthead to use out of the two, I added the buildings and the equilizer together as both style links to the word URBAN (buildings) and BEAT (equilizer).

The final outcome is shown below:

Influences to Re-Create a Masthead

 Vibe Magazine:

To begin with, most of the R&B/Hip Hop magazine have simple masthead just like the Vibe magazine. It's very bold and yet easy to recognise and remember for the readers. I could consider making my new masthead to be simple and bold without any weird detail.

 Rap-Up magazine:

I really like the way this masthead is made because of the arrow that is going up which links to the word 'UP'. I could also do this for my masthead: URBAN BEAT. Instead of using an arrow, I will use builings going up on the letter U.

The Source magazine:

Their masthead is very simple but it also stands out. Just like the THE word on the masthead, I might consider placing the word BEAT on the side too. I could also outline the letters of my masthead so that it will look more solid and strong which links to a type of Hip Hop attitude. 

New Front Cover Version

I am now using a new editting software called Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.

This is my first attempt of editting the picture. I made the whole picture black and white but i didnt really like it. I was influenced by the Billboard magazine cover of JayZ (as shown below) but i didnt like the way that the model is in black and white. I only liked the background to be in black and white so that the lights on the background will be more sophisticated.

As you can see, I left the background to be black and white and the model in colour. I did this by using 'reverse - black and white' in the Photoshop Elements software.

I also placed the masthead behind the model, but I noticed that the colour is wrong. It should have been red instead of yellow to follow the house style of the magazine. See the bottom picture for the final outcome.  

Now, the cover looks more better with the use of colours. However, I am considering of changing the masthead design because I do not like the way it lays out on the picture.

Organisation on Location, Costumes, Props and Actors

Location
I planned to take the photoshoot in an urban area such as the school playground (however, it does not look like a playground - its more like a park - as I chose the background to look more suitable for my chosen theme), and at the very top level in the car park where it shows the buildings behind the model.  When I took the photographs at the playground, I made sure that it's day time so that the people will clearly see the model as well. For the next photoshoot, I planned the location to be at the very top of the car park as it shows the buildings on the background. I made sure that its night time so that the lights from the builidings will show on the picture to convey the urban environment.  The picture on the contents page was taken outside as it emphasises the urban atmosphere by the use of the builings surrounded by him. I took the pictures during day time so that the image is in good quality.

Costumes
The costumes for the models are naturalistic costumes as they would normally wear a Hip Hop type of clothing in everyday life. In this case, their upper and lower clothing would be baggy, big, and always instyle. The colour of their shoes would normally be the same with the colour of their shirt or jacket.

Props
I planned not to focus a lot on props as I believe that the costumes for the models already represents the theme. I only used naturalistic props to emphasise a realistic lifestyle of the models so that the reader can relate to them easily therefore; they would want to read more.
Actors
I decided to have male actors because their costumes are more related to Hip Hop music and most of my female friends does not wear a Hip Hop style clothing. Although they could wear normal clothing such as dress and heels however, readers may find it difficult to relate the model to a Hip Hop theme. I made sure that the models have daring attitudes so that it relates to a kind of Hip Hop theme. Also, adding a happy emotion to convey that the model is happy with their luxurious lifestyle.

Influences

I was influenced with the way the composition of the photo is taken as the background is blurred on the background which could suggest lights coming from the buildings. I have already seen this magazine before so I have been thinking about this compostion when I was taking some more pictures as shown at the bottom of this post. The photos that I took are quite similar to this.
When I design my new Front Cover page, I might also consider making the background blurry and monochrome. I could also apply the cover lines on where the body is just like this cover.

More Pictures

These photos were taken on January 2 2011.

I think that these two photographs are the most successful one so I can use either one of these for my Front Cover. I didnt like my first attempt on the draft Front Cover so i decided to change the picture.

The lights and the buildings on the background is very special as it relates to the urban Hip Hop culture which I am aiming at doing.  

The location is at a car park on the very top level. I really like the location because it obviously shows where the model is - Birmingham.

There is no special props used but the costume is well thought out as the model is wearing a suitable urban R&B/Hip Hop clothing.

What is Hip Hop?

Hip Hop is a musical genre which has been developed from a Hip Hop culture such as DJing, sampling, beatboxing and rapping. Hip Hop uses a style of singing called rapping. A singer chants or says a words with rhythm and rhymes. Usually, the lyrics would be about life of urban people in the big cities, gangs, illegal drugs or violence. Hip Hop music sometimes combines their style of music with reggae, disco or pop music.
As a culture, Hip Hop music involves a dress-code in clothing where they usually dress in "urban" clothes. Clothes such as baggy pants, oversize shirts and high top shoes (usually they prefer to wear clothes with brand names.) These are worn to show how "cool" or "rich" you are.
Dancing style called break-dancing or B-Boying is also a type of Hip Hop where they dance in Hip Hop music.

Hip Hop musicians usually use nicknames or stage names if somehow they do not like their own names to be used. Hip Hop musicians such as 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Eminem always uses their stage names - not their real names.

On the left is a picture of a man B Boy-ing and on the right is a picture of a famous rapper called Jay Z.

Before and After - edited images

This is the photo that i used for my Front Cover page.

As you can see, you can tell that there is a huge change on the picture considering the colour, the effects used, and the size of the model.

The software that I used to edit is Paint and the website http://www.picnik.com/

First of all, I thought that the model's skin colour here is dull, so i used picnik and added an effect called '1960's' and added it to his skin so that it will look more realistic and lively. Then, I changed the backgroud colour to black and white by using the effect called 'Focal B&W'. I chose to leave his face coloured and also blurred the background so that the reader will focus more on the model. Because I am going to place the masthead on the top, I needed space on the top of the picture. To be able to do this, I used Paint and used the 'select' button on the toolbar and only select and copy the very top bit of the bus. Paste this on the top of the original photo and repeat again to have more space. As you can see, it looks really obvious on the picture but this wouldnt matter as the masthead covers it.

  This is the photo that used for my Contents page.

As you can see, the original one is lacking of colour so i edited the photo at the Picnik website. Again, i used the effect called '1960's' because it gives a vintage effect and the colour stands out more. I didnt make any more changes in this picture because the image is already satisfying. 

This is the image that I used for my Double Page Spread.

As you can see, there is a huge difference on the image as I considered adding effects to make it look more professional. The image does not have enough colour so I decided to used the Picnik website and used the effect called 'Boost' as I want the trees on the background to be more green-er. The image now looks more brighter than before and the colours are more sophisticated.

Urban Beat Double Page Spread

I think that my double page spread became successful as i think that the layout is very authentic. I think that the model here is very daring suitable for the R&B/Hip Hop theme. I added the masthead name on this page so that the reader can still remember what magazine they are reading. Also, i added 'Interview' so that the reader will know what this page is all about. The colours that I used are still the same: purple and black, so that the house style of this magazine is not different. I really like the way that the texts are laid out on the first page. however, i think that i should delete the 'Jason' bit because the model's name is already placed on the second page. On the second page, I might consider changing the title 'Jason'  to a more interesting text so that the layout does not look boring. I believe that I should add another picture on the second page so that the reader will not get bored of just one picture. I might change the colour of the introduction so that it stands out well on the page.

 I did this design on Picnik to edit the picture and the titles, and I also used Microsoft Word to add the texts.  

Urban Beat Contents Page

I think that my contents page became very successful as the use of colour went really well with the model, as the model is wearing a purple top and purple shoes. for the top image, i cropped some bits out of the picture as i only want the detailed bit of the picture. I overlayed the contents text to the picture by using the Picnik online editting website. I really like this page as it looks really professional. for the model, i used paint and sprayed a black colour on the left side of the picture as i think that it would be too simple if i left it straight. I did this, so that it will look like that the image is penetrating through the black. I added the masthead on the contents page so that the reader will always remember the magazine.

I might consider making the editors letter smaller so that i could add more features for the contents page. overall, im incredibly happy with the design.

This whole page was edited in the Picnik and i used Microsoft Word to add the texts.