Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Megan Finch

• Back at the start of the year, I was able to understand the task that had been set but not fully understand or know how to use the applications provided, such as Photoshop and Indesign and this was preventing me from completing a final product to the best of my ability. When it came to finally making the final music magazine, I had the necessary skills and practice to use these applications to the best of my ability and produce a magazine cover, contents page and double page spread at high quality.

• When I first started my school magazine, I did not fully understand the basic idea of a conventional magazine structure and what I should be aiming to produce. I did not look into the importance of a target audience neither did I use all the tools or applications available to me. This resulted in a final product which needed plenty of improvements, I feel that I only constructed the school magazine on what I would imagine a school student could create.

• However, learning from the mistakes I made from my school magazine and with plenty of practice on the applications provided I produced a music magazine which I can say I am proud of. I looked into styles which I would enjoy to create and took my inspiration from ‘Top of the Pops’, a music magazine which is aimed at young girls. From that, I managed to gather all the information about my target audience – the styles, colours, models and stories they would like to see in my magazine and using this information I was able to produce my final piece. Learning about conventional magazine structures also helped me to produce the main structure on Indesgin, where as for my school magazine I simply threw it all together.

• I am glad I made my school magazine as it provided me with the knowledge and experience which I needed to create my final music magazine using the applications. I was finally able to use Indesgin and Photoshop with confidence which allowed me to produce the appealing and professional product.

• Looking at my music magazine and my school magazine next to each other, I think I can say that the difference is amazing and in the short amount of time my skills have improved dramatically. My school magazine is completely amateur and basic for the reason It was my first ever time creating a magazine. After getting the hang of the applications I was able to make myself a goal that was to produce a professional looking music magazine which I think I have done.