TASK 4: Evaluation for my College Magazine

What went well:

From the results of the questionnaire I have received, I can tell that my audience thought that my magazine was good. One comment about my magazine states “the front cover is well presented” this shows that I have met the criteria of a magazine front cover as I had all the conventions that should be in a magazine e.g. a large masthead which stands out the most on the magazine, the date and cost, the issue number of the magazine, cover lines, a cover artist, a good colour scheme and other magazine conventions such as the barcode. This is supported by the comment “I think it has an appropriate main cover star and the magazine has a suitable colour scheme.” Overall the feedback I got on peoples’ opinions on my magazine were positive. I also got positive feedback on my layout of my magazine which I had based on the plan I had done previously to meet a standard magazines conventions, one comment says “it is will structured and the masthead is a reasonable size” this shows I have a good understanding of how a magazine should be structured. Again, I had only positive reviews on my layout of the magazine which shows I have a clear understanding about how a magazine cover and contents page should be laid out.

 

What I need to improve on:

From the feedback I had received, I also got constructive feedback about the areas in my magazine that needed improvement. One area that my audience suggested I could improve on was the colour scheme of my magazine front cover. I got mixed feedback such as “good use of colours” and “I think the colour scheme is appropriate” however one of the users says the front cover is too bright which is linked to how my photo was taken. To improve on this next time I will use a duller background and have the photo more professionally taken. I was also told to use ‘brighter colour font’ to stand out from the background from another user and the colours I had used did not compliment my background as well as I would have liked it to. I also asked specifically for my users to tell me what I could improve on. One improvement area I could have also improved on according to my audience was my fonts and to use different fonts to make my magazine more appealing. Furthermore I was told I could use better pictures which links to the fact I should take my photos more professionally. Personally I thought that I should improve my photoshop skills not only to make a better magazine, but to improve the quality of my photos. Overall I could take positives and negatives to help me improve the next time I make a magazine.

 I feel that I have learned a lot during my time during media. I now know how to take more professional photos using lighting, shading effects, the different shots I could take and the clothes I could use to represent a certain genre and I know all the conventions needed to make a successful magazine such as the where the masthead needs to be, the type of cover lines I could include to make it seem interesting and how to lay out a contents page. I also feel that I have managed my time in Media well as I came late 4 weeks into the course however I have now caught up and doing well.

3 key points for development when producing the main task:

·         I will make sure to change my colour scheme to make it suit the background I had on the magazine which also should be a one coloured plain background to make it easier to find suitable colours to help it stand out.

·         I will also make sure to use different fonts and font styles to make my magazine more attractive and catch the eye of the audience.

·         I will improve my photoshop skills to produce a better magazine overall.