The entire major project experience has been
both overwhelming and rewarding; I am incredibly pleased with the outcome of
this unit.
Creating Luxe
Undone has been a long process, the majority of which has been filled with
positivity and success, with only a few issues that I have had to deal with.
I
have come to learn so much about the design and creative process of online magazines.
Reflecting on my knowledge prior to this project, I realise just how much I
have learnt. Almost all of the processes I have completed throughout this unit
were entirely new to me at the beginning. I was able to acquire all of the
necessary information about these processes through both my university teachers
and also from my own research. I gained a much better understanding about
magazine production through online resources including webinars.
My
IT skills are an element that has developed phenomenally. The excellent
resources that were available were a huge contributor to the success of Luxe Undone. Initially, my understanding
on how to use the programs like Photoshop and InDesign were very limited. The
technical lessons were incredibly useful, making the creation of my magazine
easier.
I
have learnt how to build an entire online magazine, from a simple concept to a
live website. Having a mentor with a background in beauty journalism was
incredibly helpful, her critique and advice throughout the entire project has
been one of the most valuable resources.
Combined with the technical support from IT
teachers, I have felt very confident throughout this process thanks to their
encouraging and helpful teaching.
Throughout this process, I have learnt to research
efficiently and utilise many different platforms to do so. Sourcing content for
Luxe Undone, I engaged in great
discussions with peers about their interests and their magazine preferences. Social
media was another useful outlet to gain this type of information. Being able to
have instant updates to hand meant I could identify popular subjects and
emerging trends immediately.
The most successful
element of the entire process was the photo shoots. By planning and preparing
for each shoot meticulously, I saved myself the need to reshoot. This success
was also due to sourcing models that fit the looks perfectly. The careful
selection did mean I had to shoot a lot later than planned (because of their
availability), but I altered my schedule accordingly. The efficient execution
of each photoshoot meant I had plenty of time to focus my efforts towards the
construction of the magazine.
Some elements of the
production were not as successful. A lot of time was wasted
spent reaching out to contributors. The project proposal emphasised the concept
of inviting others to work on Luxe Undone
however, whilst actively working on the magazine, I had a change a mind. I was confident I could take on the entirety
of the magazine on my own and welcomed the challenge.
Another issue I had was sticking to the
schedule. I really struggled to keep up with my plan and this is something I
came to regret. During the final few weeks, I rushed to get everything complete
by the deadline. Upon reflection, this could have so easily been avoided had I
have kept to my schedule. I really fought with my motivation to get the work I
had planned, done however I was regularly consumed by other projects.
I had not initially considered the longevity of
the task, which is also why I found it so difficult to stick to the schedule. I
also had to adapt the content and limit it to an amount I could successfully
complete given the time frame.
When it came to
researching for article ideas, I found I was constantly thinking of what I
would be interested in writing about as opposed to what the target audience
would want to see. I feel there were times when the project went a little off
track because I would compile lists of content ideas entirely based on my own
interest. It was important that throughout the entire project I kept the
readers at the forefront of my mind and write specifically for them.
Building my website was
a very long process and throughout I was never truly satisfied with the design.
It would change and evolve regularly as I knew I wanted to achieve a very
professional looking, aesthetically pleasing site. I frequently referred back
to websites with an appealing layouts and designs for inspiration. Eventually,
I did achieve a design that I am very pleased with; I think the choices in
layout and font etc. are in keeping with the current trend of online magazine
styles.
There were points
during the process where I was unsure about the amount of work I had planned to
do. It was difficult not having any similar projects to compare my work to, I
felt as though I was not producing enough. Sharing my process regularly with my
mentor gave me the reassurance I needed that I was in fact on track and producing
enough work.
Producing all of the
written copy was something I should have completed at the beginning of the
project and I strongly regret not doing this. When I did eventually have the
written copy completed and I showed it with my mentor, she explained that my
writing was not as editorial as it could be, it lacked personal opinion and
experience and sometimes read more like a business promo than an article. I
felt as though I could have benefited with lessons in editorial writing. Had I
presented this work to my mentor at the beginning, there would have been plenty
of time for her to advise me on specific improvements and offer a general
understanding on how to write for editorial.
After launching the site, I noticed the
resolution of the font was a little low. Frustratingly, I had come to the end
of the project and hadn’t the time to speak with an IT teacher to help correct
this issue. In plain view, the site looks fine, however should the site be
zoomed in on, the resolution begins to falter. I wish I had launched the site
sooner so I could identify and resolve issues like this one sooner.
There was a conflict
with the styling that occurred before the second fashion shoot. The items of
clothing sourced by the stylist were not to my liking; I felt they didn’t best
reflect the vision of the shoot that I thought I had so clearly explained. The
option to reshoot on a later date was not an option due to the model’s
availability. I was very strapped for time however decided to go out and source
new clothes anyway. I feared the photo shoot would ultimately fail because of
this but, amazingly, it all came together. The entire shoot was a success and I
believe this is down to the revised styling. Had we shot in the original outfits, I doubt I
would have any successful outcomes and I would have to reschedule the entire
shoot.
It came to my attention, towards
the end of the project, that the way in which I approached the magazine was
unconventional. Reflecting on the process, I should have started by defining
the topics I would write about create all the written content before moving
onto designing the website and conducting photoshoots for feature pages.
The reason I did not adhere to this
method is because I found I was most inspired to begin the design and
construction of the website at the beginning, so it seemed like a good place to
start. The photoshoots were scheduled for much later due to model availability.
I didn’t want to compromise on my choice of model just because they were not
available sooner.
Improving this project, I wish I
had included more visual aids such as gifs and videos, really popular mediums
that would be of interest to the target audience. This project could be
improved also by exploring an even wider range of subjects, catering to all the
different topics of lifestyle. Though I had originally planned to do this, I
was advised by mentors to narrow the amount of subjects and write about the
most popular and relevant ones only. This meant I could focus on producing a
smaller amount of good work as opposed to spreading myself too thin.
Continuing on with this
project, I feel it would benefit from accompanying social media accounts to
promote and advertise the magazine. I envision this publication becoming a
professional outlet with sufficient advertising and marketing.
A key asset throughout the entire project has
been the feedback from tutors. The advice from mentors with a background in
magazine publication was invaluable. I was sure to follow through with every
suggestion they made and was honoured to learn from their experiences.
This project has given
me a greater understanding of what I imagine the processes of a live working
magazine encounter on a day-to-day basis. It has not only provided me with
plenty of useful skills that will be a great advantage in the industry.
