Using InDesign

I started to create my double page spread, contents page and front cover on a programme called InDesign, it is created by Adobe. Adobe describe this programme as "It is a versatile desktop publishing application that gives you pixel-perfect control over design and typography. You can create elegant and engaging pages for print, tablets, and other screens, and you can also use new Adaptive Design Tools to easily repurpose layouts to look great on a variety of pages sizes, orientations, or devices."

"InDesign is the successor to Adobe's own Page Maker which was acquired with the purchase of Aldus in late 1994." 

Here is a video showing how i created my double page spread:

After this video was created i added some more to my double page spread this includes; very light pink boxes to break up the background of the page; pull quote as a headline of the page

Here is a video showing how i created my contents page:

Photo Shoot - Planning Sheet

I think my house style should look sleek and chic, busy but not cluttered and eye-catching. It should create the impression of being a magazine aimed at people interested in pop/ hip-hop music like Nicki Minaj. Here is a table to show how i will use lighting and different techniques throughout my shoot.

What to photograph	What techniques to use	How I achieve
Cover photo	The image of the model or band will need to be the main focus of the photograph. The lighting will need to draw attention to the image. The image needs to be bold and catch the audience’s attention from a distance. The photograph needs to represent the magazine genre.	Have lighting which brings out the features of the model in the photograph. Photograph against a white or light coloured background so that the model stands out. Dress the model in clothes which are suitable to the music genre of the magazine.
Contents page image	This image could take up the whole page, but leave white space around it in order to put the contents of the magazine there. This image like the previous image needs to stay with in the house style of the whole magazine and follow the same consistent flow of the rest of it.	Photograph something powerful which will catch the audience’s attention as soon they open the page. The image could be of one model who reflects the genre of the magazine, but smaller images around it to make the magazine appear more interesting as it has more than one feature. Have the camera angle so that the model has a direct mode of address.
Double page spread image	This photo needs to be large in size, and could be either an extreme close up which would immediately grab the reader’s attention, or it could be a long shot. The lighting needs needs to accentuate the model’s features.	The model should have a direct mode of address. The lighting should accentuate the models features.

Rough Drafts

I created these rough drafts of my contents page and double page spread so that i have a clearer idea of what it will look like as a finished product. I used Powerpoint to create these drafts and unedited photos for the images, this is not what i will be doing for my final piece.

Double Page Spread Article

What is the story behind "Marilyn Monroe"?

"From when i was small i have always admired and adored her, she is a fantastic role model to me as i feel we are the same in many things, for example the fact that i am different in the world of female artists as she was portrayed different in the world of acting, she was seen as 'trouble' but never actually caused any, and this is exactly how i feel as a female rap artist"

How long does it usually take you to write a song?

"Most of the time, songs that I write end up being finished in 30 minutes or less. "Marilyn Monroe" I wrote on my bedroom floor in about 20 minutes. When I get on a roll with something, it's really hard for me to put it down unfinished."

Is 'Marilyn Monroe' your favourite Nicki Minaj song?

"My favourite song is defiantly my brand new single 'Marilyn Monroe', this is because it is so different to my usual music, so for the time being this is my favourite."

Is 'Marilyn Monroe' inspired by working with Madonna?

"I think in some ways, yes the song is defiantly inspired by working with Madonna, when working with her i found a different side of myself, and i really liked creating this soft song instead of rapping all the time"

Is this a whole new Nicki Minaj?

"No i am still same old me haha, i really like writing softer songs but im still excited about rapping! I think i will just try and juggle both sides of my life and see how it goes! I am still here and will never leave my rapping life style."

A lot of people are asking with such a young audience why do most of your songs include curse words?

"I include curse words in my songs to release what i feel inside, sometimes they are necessary to get the message across, however i do always make sure that i release a 'clean' version on top of the original, so that my young fans can still listen to my music without it becoming offensive. As i said before, Marilyn Monroe doesn't include any curse words as it is very different to what i would usually do!"

Do you have any tips for young song writers/aspiring rappers out there?

"Write your songs not for a demographic or for getting on the radio. Write your songs for the person you're writing that song about. When I sit down, I say to myself, "O.K., who is this about?"

Do you get bored of hearing yourself on the radio and on the telly?

"i don't really have time to sit and watch things that are on the telly, but i don't get tired of hearing my songs, as they are my life and what i do, however i much prefer performing them then listening to them! Haha."

Double Page Spread Plan

Following my research into double page spreads i have decided to do my double page spread on the cover star of the magazine as this seems to be a recurring theme with many hip hop magazines. One thing I'm going to incorporate into this article is a question and answer style, as i think it keeps the article not to formal and therefore makes it more interesting for the reader. By using a question and answer style it will also help the reader to identify the information they want quickly and efficiently, therefore making it a very easy system to use. Another thing i am incorporating in the double page spread is an image wrapped by the text, i think this helps to break up the text an make it look less threatening to the reader and therefore they will have higher intentions of reading the article. My article will be based on the debut single of Nicki Minaj, making it an exclusive article and therefore different to any other hip hop magazine.

Contents Page Layout

I wanted to make my magazine contents page sophisticated yet simplistic, this will make it easy to read and therefore creates an instant attraction to the readers. I want to keep the colour scheme of black pink and white, to keep the magazine looking girlie, in order to appeal to its audience. The main articles are placed with images and the more important the article the bigger the image is going to be, this structure is inspired by the XXL contents page as i think it is a very classy and high profile design, which is what I'm going for with my magazine. I am going to have images linked with articles in the main section of the page, and then on the right hand side a small article list with their page numbers on to help the readers locate the page that they are looking for. Another thing i want to take from my research into the contents pages is a strip of information along the top of the page, this is where I'm going to put subscription details and the website address. Finally i am going to put 'JAM' as the masthead  in the top left hand corner of the page in bold capital letters, this is to once again attract the reader and make it the first thing the reader sees when opening the magazine. 

Front Cover Final Design

Here is my final front cover idea, i have taken inspiration from each cover i have created in my initial ideas to create the final one. From idea 1:

• I have taken the image angle and placement, this is because from my research this is the favoured one out of the ideas i put forward. This type of image creates eye contact with the audience and therefore instantly connects the reader and the cover. 
• Another thing i have taken from initial idea 1 is the No 1 mag rosette, this is because my research shows that it helps the magazine stand out from any other music magazine and therefore creates a unique feel for the cover. 
• Finally i have taken the use of a pull quote onto my final idea as i feel that it gives the audience an insight into the magazines content without giving too much away, this is brilliant for drawing in the readers attention. 

               "I admire and adore her"
From idea 2: 

• I have taken the colour scheme from idea 2 as i think the pink will keep my magazine related to the female audience, but i also think that with the black and the white background it will keep my magazine looking high quality and chic, and therefore more attractive to the audience.
• Another thing i have taken from idea 2 is the layout of the page, from my research it shows that the picture on the left hand side and the text on the right is the best way to grab the readers attention, this is because you read from left to right and therefore all the information grabs your attention instantly and makes it a really easy to read front cover.
• Finally i am going to use the 'win VIP tickets to see Neyo' from this idea because the prize offered is tailored to the audience i am aiming at and therefore will draw the readers in and feel like they might be getting really good value for money. 

From idea 3:

• From this idea i am going to use the font of the masthead, i really like this font because i think it is big and bold yet still very sleek, its not too rounded but not to square which makes it easy on the eyes. Named 'soup of justice' 
• Another thing i am going to take from this idea is the 'free downloads' this gives the audience a feel as if they are getting more for their money and therefore may give me a chance to sell the magazine at a more premium price. 

From idea 4: 

• The one thing i am going to take from idea 4 is the main image, i want my cover star to look pretty and elegant in the cover photo and i think that the image on idea 4 is exactly that!

Initial cover ideas feedback

Here is a video of two people giving their views on my intial ideas to help me make a decision on my final idea. One thing that i got from this information was that the best cover star photo was infact the full body picture from initial idea one and another thing from this idea which was the best is the pink rosette as it makes the magazine stand out. I also found out that number 1 and 3's layout was very hard to read, and that number 2's layout was the best.

Initial cover idea 4

This idea was inspired by all different magazines, the cover photo i believe is very feminine and flattering, and the artist has eye contact with the readers and therefore indulging them in the magazine straight away. I once again incorporated the 'win' section and the 'free downloads' to keep the readers with further incentives of buying the magazine, it differs it from other magazines and could be the deciding point between the readers buying JAM magazine and something else. The colour scheme for this cover is black and white and grey, partly inspired by VIBE magazine, the colours keep the magazine sleek and therefore making it more attractive to the female readers. 

Initial cover idea 3

This idea was inspired by Hip hop magazine, this is because the cover star although important, to me it seems like it is a cluttered cover and doesn't seem to have much structure, i decided to do a cover like this just to see if it was a good way to go. I incorporated another 'win' situation on this magazine to help the readers have another incentive to buy the magazine, however i also included the 'free downloads' again inspired by my second design to give the readers more value for money. The idea for the image came from Q magazine with Madonna as the cover star, this is because it is quite a intense picture with the eye contact of the cover star, however still is feminine and sexy. The colour scheme i used for this cover was inspired by XXL magazine, this is because from earlier research i discovered that a lot of music magazines incorporate the colour red in the covers, this helps the cover be instantly recognised as a music magazine, and also keeps the magazine multi-sexual. 

Initial cover design 2

This design was inspired by the XXL cover featuring 'Lil Wayne', one thing that i really like about this issue is that the cover star was predominant compared to the title of the magazine, and this is what i thought i would create in this design. By making the artist predominant to the masthead it shows that the magazine feels that the cover star is important for the magazine and therefore they should be shown more than the masthead. I used a picture of the artist singing because i felt like it showed the artist how they are and what they do, by having a non posed photo it makes the artist seem real and therefore the audience can connect to this from maybe their own concert experiences of watching that artist live. The idea of incorporating the 'free downloads' section helps to make the audience think they are getting good quality for the money, as they get extra on top of the actual magazine that they have bought. The colour scheme for this cover was inspired by Blender, although similar to Vibes cover they used less pink and therefore made the cover softer, by using just black white and pink it makes the cover look sleek and chic and therefore appealing to a female audience even more. 

Initial cover design 1

This idea was inspired by the Vibe cover of the 'sexy issue' one thing i specifically took from the inspired cover was the 'sexy issue' tag on the right hand corner, i used this inspiration and altered it to a No 1 mag rosette, this gives the cove a better image and makes it stand out from the others. One thing that i really like about this cover is that the cover star is addressing the audience and therefore drawing them in, this is why i used a similar sort of image for my cover star. The use of pull quotes helps give the reader an insight into what is in the magazine without giving too much away, and the idea of incorporating a competition such as 'win a trip to Bora Bora' gives the reader another incentive to buy the magazine. The colour scheme for this mag was also inspired by the same cover as Vibe as i feel like the pink and black and grey is aiming more towards the female genre and therefore keeping in with my overall theme for this cover that i am creating. 

Double Page Spread

Here is a mind map of my ideas for the double page spread in my magazine. The most common double page spreads seem to be covering a solo artist, whether its covering a comeback, a debut album or single release or a review on their latest gigs. However some magazines also cover such things as live events and festival reviews, some even send out special issues with "best concerts of 2012". By doing this type of double page spread i don't think the magazines full potential would be shown as there would be more text than images which is not the look I'm going for! Therefore i think i will include an article on a solo artist such as Nicki Minaj.

Content of Cover and Contents Page

Here is a mind map of everything i think i should include in my music magazine:

From research it is clear that most magazines feature "debut album" stories and articles on the artist, these are very common in my inspirational magazines and therefore it is vital that i include these items within my magazine. Another thing that i have noticed throughout my research of the magazines is content such as a chance to win tickets for a concert etc. Other things included in these magazines that seem to be successful are such things as crosswords and word searches to keep the audience entertained and therefore wanting to buy repeat purchases, these sort of successful features will defiantly become a part of my magazines. Questions and answer articles and live coverage are also very common in the magazines i have studied and therefore i will be featuring these in my magazine to give the readers quality for money and a good reading experience.  

Model/ Artist

By having myself in the magazine it means that my shooting scheduale will be more flexible and the only person i will have to rely on is myself.  
Her is my profile:
Name: Harriet MilnesAge: 17
DOB: 13/05/95
Looks: Blonde long hair, blue eyes and fair skin, 5'2 and petite.
Background: Nail technician, Fast food resturant chashier
Inspired by/idols: Marilyn Monroe
Interests: Music, Parties, Family, Friends, Work
Likes/dislikes: Hates: Brussle Sprouts Likes: Donuts 
Hobbies: working

Choosing A Font

Here is an image of all the fonts i was looking at before making the final decision to use 'Soup Of justice' for my masthead as it is bold but not too serious, and 'monofonto' for the rest of the text as it is simple and easy to read.

Magazine Names

Here is a mind map of ideas for the name of my magazine, i have split the names into three different into 3 categories. 
1) slang words
2) Random words
2) Music terminology
After doing this mind map i picked one title from each category these were; 'bop', 'beat' and 'jam'. After considering all three of these names i finally decided on the word 'Jam'. I chose this word because by referring to my previous research i noticed that most music magazine titles are short and snappy and some of them are initial isms and therefore i thought that my Another reason why i chose this word for this title is because it is a simple and recognisable word to the music industry. The word means "playing music informally" therefore the word also relates to  the genre because hip hop music is based around an informal atmosphere.