Magazine practical task research and planning

 Research

1) Use Google to research potential magazines that you could use as your brand/design for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and upload an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle magazines or a similar genre as these are more achievable to re-create.

   

2) Choose one of the three magazine brands to use for your project e.g GQ, Vogue or The Gentlewoman. Then find three different front covers for your chosen magazine and embed them in your blogpost. Analyse the fonts, colours and typical design. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? You need to become an expert in the design and construction of this magazine and its branding.

1: Red serif font, model covering title which signifies brand loyalty, direct address to the camera, medium/long shot, summer dress, sunny, star power,only 2 cover lines

2: White serif title, cover line, title in sans, serif in red, white represents purity of the woman, barcode at bottom right, light baby blue background contrasts with the white and matches it, creating an innocent and pure ideology, star power

3: White and pink symbolises femininity and reinforces the female stereotypes, vogue title covered by models head which shows brand loyalty as those who buy vocal will already automatically know the magazines name, headline of the magazine in bold black to stand out against the pink and white colour scheme

Planning

1) In your blogpost, write your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. It must be 100% original - all your own words.

Stage style

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

.in a studio

.white background

.studio lighting

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

.best of 2025

.top 10 places to visit

4) Sketch out your cover on plain A4 paper using your written planning. Take a photo of your sketch and upload it to your blogpost.

Photoshoot

We will do a photoshoot in class next week with lighting and backdrop. However, if you prefer you can arrange your own photoshoot for the cover image in your own time - you can use your phone or your own camera to take an image. If you don't have a phone or camera that is suitable, you can sign out a camera from Mr Ray.

1) On your planning document blogpost, state the date, time and location of your photoshoot and the name of the model or photographer you will use (you can choose anyone to be your cover model or you can be the cover model yourself).

Publication to blog and evaluation

1) Once you have completed your design you need to save or export a copy as a JPEG image. Then, upload it to your blogpost. 

2) Upload two genuine covers of the magazine you have used and put them next to your front cover. This is a brilliant way to check how professional your work looks alongside the real thing.

3) Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your brief to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover stand up alongside the genuine covers of your chosen magazine? How professional is your work alongside those genuine examples?

I think I did quite well to create a new magazine as I used lighting and typography in order to reinforce the conventions of a magazine cover.

4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

.Have better lighting

.Use props