Q6- What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Technologies used in my music magazine:

Conventions of technology which I used and developed played a big part in my music magazine. Through my research of the music magazine industry, I discovered that technology was a significant aspect in the promotional side of music magazines and this was partly because music as a genre is accessed through different technology. I found out that music magazines used technology to promote and expand their companies; whether it was conventions of apps available on smart phones, digital subscriptions of magazine issues or just promoting their online version of their magazine through their print version, music magazine companies are hugely benefited by incorporating technology. They are able to provide their target audience with an easily accessible way to consume their magazine benefiting consumers in terms of providing them with an extra method of consumption whilst also increasing the amount of consumers benefiting the business in terms of profitability. I also used technology in the construction of my product which benefitted the overall look + style of my finished product.

I was influenced by the promotion to the right which I found on NME'S website. I discovered that Smart phone apps became a convention in the majority of music magazines therefore I wanted to incorporate this type of technology in my product. However I wanted to develop this convention used by NME, by incorporating an app with relation to my artist, Tyra in my music magazine. I was inspired by the use of VIBE's app to the left, promoting a music mixer available on Smart Phones therefore I used this particular convention by creating a music mixer app however I developed it by completely associating the app with my artist instead of the music magazine in general. I created a Smart Phone app called 'TYRA'S TUNE OVERLOAD APP' which acts as a music mixer but with Tyra's music. To the left, is the design of my app that I used on my double page spread alongside the article of Tyra. I used bright and bold colours in the design of my music app to follow conventions of the VIBE music app, in particular yellow. I admired the colour scheme and felt that it would be suitable to use on my double page spread to contrast with the white background. I used blue to also contrast with the white background as well as the yellow. I chose a speaker for the design of my app and created a reflecting effect to make it look appealing and interesting. I was inspired by the use of speaker by the type of speaker used on the VIBE app. Here is a reminder of my double page spread:

I positioned this app at the bottom of the page, to act as an extra to the article promoting the artist further. By incorporating this type of technology I felt that I would be benefiting my consumers as well as my artist by making the consumers feel familiar with the 'norms' of technology that they are used too in magazines with the same genre e.g VIBE. 

I then incorporated technology on my contents page and was inspired by conventions of subscriptions promoted through technology. Like the image of NME'S promotion of subscriptions, I wanted to create a subscription similar and I felt that the contents page was the best place to locate it. NME have created a subscription package for consumers to access their magazine on their home computers, laptops or iPads making it easily accessible for consumers. This convention which has been displayed in many music magazines e.g Vibe and Substream and as seen in the image above, NME and is what inspired me to use it in my magazine to ensure my magazine benefited as well as my consumers. Here is the subscription I promoted:

       SUBSCRIBE TO Superior

Get 12 editions monthly of Superior on your 

smart phone, laptop or home computer for a yearly subscription of £28.68! 

Get a digital edition of Superior's monthly release available on all smart phones and save by  60p at just 2.39!

I wanted to use the convention as seen in NME by incorporating one digital issue price and a yearly subscription however I wanted to develop this convention by incorporating smart phones as part of the promotion as I felt that just having computers and the iPad like the NME package, was limiting the appeal as people, in particular my target audience of a new generation, are becoming more mobile with most things and would allow my subscription package to be even more accessible if individuals were able to access it my magazine through their smart phones.

Technologies I used to construction of my magazine:

InDesign:

I used this program for the construction of the three creations of my music magazine, front cover, contents and double page spread. I also created my flat plans for each design using this program for brief guidelines for me to follow when it came to creating the final designs. I found the program difficult to use in the beginning but once I had a few practices and played around with the different tools I soon got used to it and was comfortable processing certain skills onto my three creations. I used the colour swatch tool to create shades of colour for the text on my double page spread; I created the particular grey I used for the answer text on the article and a particular red for the 'T' in the masthead and the questions text I also created the column for my article to sit in using the column tool. I found this really useful as it allowed me to specifically choose the width and length of the column. I could also do this for the margin spacing on each of the three creations, it allowed me to create small margin spacing so I could fit everything that I aimed to put on. It also provided me with a tool to create frames around images on my double page spread to suggest a fun and quirky look whilst also letting me rotate images to the extent I wanted. Over all I learnt that InDesign is a very helpful way of producing material in a professional and realistic form and includes the appropriate tools for a good finished product.

Photoshop:

I used Photoshop for all of the images that I have used for all three creations, apart from the three small images on my double page spread as I was satisfied with the original images straight off the camera. I used photoshop to create a white background for the main image of my artist on my double page spread by using a colour in tool; although this was a time consuming effort, the over-all look of the finished product was worth the time rather than a messy and un-neat finished product which I would of gained if I was to of used Paint. Photoshop also provides tools which edit the colour scheme of images; I increased the brightness and contrast of my main image on my double page spread to gain a sharper and more dramatic look. I also used the program to create a black background for both of the images on my contents page; yet again this was time consuming, yet I was really pleased with the over-all finish of the images, in particular the one of the duo 'CLONED'- I gained a really neat finish in and around the second artists hair as the program allowed me to zoom in as much as I needed to see what I was doing properly as well as allowing me to get the exact colour of her hair, applying it to the tool's brush and colouring it in to gain a perfect match. I also used the program to create the green colour scheme through-out the image on the front cover; the program enabled me to increase the green to the extent I wanted it whilst also allowing me to increase yellow tones through the image. Overall I found Photoshop very useful, although I had to be patient at times, I was comfortable and aware of its tools as I had used it before. This program also taught me that with the appropriate editing tools you can completely change the look, style and message of a particular image; this was what was most beneficial for me.