Q7 - looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product (your music magazine)?

Early in the course I designed a new school sixth form magazine that acted as a preliminary task to the music magazine that I designed. The prerequisites were essentially the same, but it was just a Front cover and a contents page, we were not required to design a double page spread.
I feel that I have learnt lots of new ways in which to construct, refine and lay out a typical magazine since I finished my Preliminary task.
Firstly, I learned to use many new technologies more effectively and appropriately than before;
1. I have learnt to use photoshop to both edit photographs more effectively and also to construct a complete front cover, contents page and double page feature article.

2. I have changed some of my previous design elements, or simply just added some on. For example I have made use of a puff in my front cover, which was non existent in my preliminary task. I have paid more attention to the conventions used in existing magazines, and applied what I have found into my own work, for example I have made more significant use of hierarchy of text.

3. The idea of creating a double page spread was completely new to me, but I felt that the skills i had already put use in my Preliminary task and in designing my new front cover and contents, given a little tweaking could simply be applied in the same way. I also felt that the double page spread was a test on my preexisting knowledge of photoshop, but the key conventions were similar to what I had already worked with.

4. I used research to solidify my choice of genre and tone for my final magazine piece, whereas I had done no research in preparation for my preliminary excercise, so this was new to me. However, the excercise was simplistic and easily applicable, as I just handed out questionnaires to likely candidates and analysed the results.

Overall, I feel that since my preliminary task I have gained greater knowledge and understanding of key conventions and constructions of magazines. I feel that I have applied this well throughout my music magazine coursework.