15. What have you learned from Tri-Media? How can this be brought most effectively
into your journalism?
Throughout my first year of study at university, within Tri-Media there have been three primary areas that the course has focused on, particularly with regards to the implementation of software and how that can be incorporated to boost and enhance your versatility as a music journalist.
The first of our three assignments focused on video recording, primarily working with the software Final Cut Pro to edit and modify our captured material. In addition to learning how to operate new software, this was an important module in understanding how the face of traditional journalism is changing. A lot of music magazines have their own website, and are utilizing this opportunity to embed various forms of media, such as songs, radio and of course, video into their sites. I have included a couple of relevant hyperlinks at the bottom of this piece as an example; the effect the internet has had on traditional journalism has demanded an increase in the understanding of the mediums which are used to communicate to consumers.
I also found our third and final assignment within Tri-Media to be particularly important. Working with software designed to assist with the creation of websites (DreamWeaver), and image editing (Photoshop) meant, much in the same vein of Final Cut Pro, as journalists we were being introduced to applications and practices which are far more relevant to the modern day journalist as opposed to 30 thirty years ago. In the future as possible candidates for journalist roles, the knowledge we have learnt in just this first year will give us an edge over other applicants. I also believe that with so much time spent on the production and editing of the Vibe magazine, as a group we spent a lot more time developing our understanding of semiotics, not only with regards to magazines but websites as well.
City and Colour - The Making Of 'Little Hell', 2011 [online video]. NME [viewed 10 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.nme.com/news/city-and-colour/56565
Kerrang! Podcast: Slaves To Gravity, 2011 [online video]. Kerrang! [viewed 10 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2011/04/kerrang_podcast_slaves_to_grav_3.html
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Monday, 9 May 2011
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 14
14. What is the difference between fan-writing and music journalism?
If anything, this question should be considered an extention of my previous posting; what I consider right now to be a source for some of the most creative music writing at present is fan-writing. However, as for the differences between fan-writing and traditional music journalism, there are some key differences. The first and most obvious of which is the freedom fan-writers have. As we've seen from websites such as Sputnik, fuelled by user-generated material, are 'free from the constraints of maintaining readerships, fanzines don't have to worry about being identified with a scene that has become passe' (Thornton, 1996). Another difference to consider is the position fan-writing occupies almost as a subculture to the traditional aspect of music journalism; 'presented as an alternative to mainstream media because of their existense outside of the economics of traditional media, giving them a subversive power and a way to participate in the art they are a fan of' (Wodtke, 2008)
Another key difference between both fan-writing and music journalism is the basis on which the content is generated. The large majority of fan-writing is unpaid, as opposed to music journalism which is traditionally generated by publications with paid staff. This leads me onto another issue and that is one of bias. Many would argue that the majority of fan-writing is far more in favour of said artists and to an extent I would agree with this, but should an article be considered professional or more respected just because the author is being paid to write set piece? By contrast there are articles or album reviews I have read online which, despite being submitted by a user of the website and by no means a 'professional' journalist; their prose and analysis of the particular subject has been considerably more accomplished than past articles I have read from established publications.
THORNTON, S., 1996. Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital. Hanover: NH: Wesleyean UP.
WODTKE, L., 2008. MP3 Blogs and Burke's Dramatism. Does NME even know what a music blog is? The Rhetoric and Social Meaning of MP3 Blogs [online], p. 52 [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/3997/1/Final%20Draft%202.pdf
If anything, this question should be considered an extention of my previous posting; what I consider right now to be a source for some of the most creative music writing at present is fan-writing. However, as for the differences between fan-writing and traditional music journalism, there are some key differences. The first and most obvious of which is the freedom fan-writers have. As we've seen from websites such as Sputnik, fuelled by user-generated material, are 'free from the constraints of maintaining readerships, fanzines don't have to worry about being identified with a scene that has become passe' (Thornton, 1996). Another difference to consider is the position fan-writing occupies almost as a subculture to the traditional aspect of music journalism; 'presented as an alternative to mainstream media because of their existense outside of the economics of traditional media, giving them a subversive power and a way to participate in the art they are a fan of' (Wodtke, 2008)
Another key difference between both fan-writing and music journalism is the basis on which the content is generated. The large majority of fan-writing is unpaid, as opposed to music journalism which is traditionally generated by publications with paid staff. This leads me onto another issue and that is one of bias. Many would argue that the majority of fan-writing is far more in favour of said artists and to an extent I would agree with this, but should an article be considered professional or more respected just because the author is being paid to write set piece? By contrast there are articles or album reviews I have read online which, despite being submitted by a user of the website and by no means a 'professional' journalist; their prose and analysis of the particular subject has been considerably more accomplished than past articles I have read from established publications.
THORNTON, S., 1996. Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital. Hanover: NH: Wesleyean UP.
WODTKE, L., 2008. MP3 Blogs and Burke's Dramatism. Does NME even know what a music blog is? The Rhetoric and Social Meaning of MP3 Blogs [online], p. 52 [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/3997/1/Final%20Draft%202.pdf
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 13
13. Where is the most innovative music writing now? Give some detailed examples.
My prior reflections have often made reference to the introduction of blogging as a serious threat to the future of broadsheet journalism. The construct of the internet and particularly social media are in turn providing an outlet for anybody with the freedom to express their own opinion and form communities based on those points of view with a worldwide audience. The most innovative music writing I believe right now would take place in an online environment where music fans are included in a more central role in the creation of music criticism. This doesn't mean to say that traditional journalism cannot play its part, but print journalism as we know it does not give the readership a significant voice; they simply play their role as the consumer, the target demographic as it were. Music writing is a vague term in scope, but I will try to use a couple of examples here to show what I believe very much represents a potential standard format of music journalism for the future.
The first of my examples is Absolute Punk, a website which in many ways would not exist if it were not for reader involvement. In short it is a music site with blogs, reviews, forums, band profiles etc much like any online music site (Kerrang, NME). However, unlike traditional print journalism where established, salary-led publications direction is based on a particular demographic to meet economic demands, this website is maintained and supported by music fans, and therein lies the primary difference. Excluding management who oversee the sites business plan and finances, the majority if not all of the content is user-generated., meaning there is no demographic to cater to, no financial demands; the website, as mentioned above, provides an outlet for like-minded individuals to come together as an online community and discuss music. In traditional print journalism there is simply no means of providing the readership with a platform to so readily communicate to each other. I have visited the website for the past three years and in all probability accounts for 90% of my association with any form of music publication/criticism.
My second example is more suited to music writing, but I felt that the inclusion of Absolute Punk was an absolute necessary to highlight the signifiance I believe the internet plays in the creation of these online communities. Sputnik Music, much in the same vein of my first example, is an online music website consisting of music news and forums etc, but primarily album reviews, which are submitted by readers of the site. Sign up as a member is free, meaning anybody with internet access is able to pen a review of any album and upload it for submission. Each album review is then subject to praise or criticism from the online community, ranging from the prose, content or context of the article. In constrast to the balance of Absolute Punk, this website is considerably more suited to creative music writing, and traditionally users submit an increasing level of content.
Without the experience or training individuals would encounter as a print journalist, what is to say that anybody is qualified to write an album review in this context? Surely there is going to be an indefinite level of unfiltered bias? These and many other issues have arisen as a result of this format of online journalism - none of which is my concern. This question focuses on where the most creative music writing is taking place at this current moment I believe these online sites and particularly the communities that contribute towards them are significantly more creative and stimulating than the majority of current publications geared towards music criticism. We have already seen from my earlier blogs on how much of a significant role magazines and the music press play in the construction of subcultures, often defining them as they see fit. It is an intriguing thought then to consider the set of circumstances we have seen above and if there ever rose an occasion where these online hubs made the transition from the role they play today (arguably, on the periphary), to more of a central position in music criticism and what that would mean with regards to its influence on the construction of relative subcultures.
My prior reflections have often made reference to the introduction of blogging as a serious threat to the future of broadsheet journalism. The construct of the internet and particularly social media are in turn providing an outlet for anybody with the freedom to express their own opinion and form communities based on those points of view with a worldwide audience. The most innovative music writing I believe right now would take place in an online environment where music fans are included in a more central role in the creation of music criticism. This doesn't mean to say that traditional journalism cannot play its part, but print journalism as we know it does not give the readership a significant voice; they simply play their role as the consumer, the target demographic as it were. Music writing is a vague term in scope, but I will try to use a couple of examples here to show what I believe very much represents a potential standard format of music journalism for the future.
The first of my examples is Absolute Punk, a website which in many ways would not exist if it were not for reader involvement. In short it is a music site with blogs, reviews, forums, band profiles etc much like any online music site (Kerrang, NME). However, unlike traditional print journalism where established, salary-led publications direction is based on a particular demographic to meet economic demands, this website is maintained and supported by music fans, and therein lies the primary difference. Excluding management who oversee the sites business plan and finances, the majority if not all of the content is user-generated., meaning there is no demographic to cater to, no financial demands; the website, as mentioned above, provides an outlet for like-minded individuals to come together as an online community and discuss music. In traditional print journalism there is simply no means of providing the readership with a platform to so readily communicate to each other. I have visited the website for the past three years and in all probability accounts for 90% of my association with any form of music publication/criticism.
My second example is more suited to music writing, but I felt that the inclusion of Absolute Punk was an absolute necessary to highlight the signifiance I believe the internet plays in the creation of these online communities. Sputnik Music, much in the same vein of my first example, is an online music website consisting of music news and forums etc, but primarily album reviews, which are submitted by readers of the site. Sign up as a member is free, meaning anybody with internet access is able to pen a review of any album and upload it for submission. Each album review is then subject to praise or criticism from the online community, ranging from the prose, content or context of the article. In constrast to the balance of Absolute Punk, this website is considerably more suited to creative music writing, and traditionally users submit an increasing level of content.
Without the experience or training individuals would encounter as a print journalist, what is to say that anybody is qualified to write an album review in this context? Surely there is going to be an indefinite level of unfiltered bias? These and many other issues have arisen as a result of this format of online journalism - none of which is my concern. This question focuses on where the most creative music writing is taking place at this current moment I believe these online sites and particularly the communities that contribute towards them are significantly more creative and stimulating than the majority of current publications geared towards music criticism. We have already seen from my earlier blogs on how much of a significant role magazines and the music press play in the construction of subcultures, often defining them as they see fit. It is an intriguing thought then to consider the set of circumstances we have seen above and if there ever rose an occasion where these online hubs made the transition from the role they play today (arguably, on the periphary), to more of a central position in music criticism and what that would mean with regards to its influence on the construction of relative subcultures.
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 12
12. What have you learned about magazine design and the way it communicates meaning?
(Discuss examples from the music press).
'At its simplest magazine design is the way in which words and images and physical elements such as paper and binding work together' (McKay, 2006). Throughout the process of creating a magazine during Tri-Media, and particularly during Popular Music Journalism Practice, I have come to learn a lot more about the semiotics of magazine design and what this means for the consumer.
I've learnt through my work in Tri-Media that magazine covers play a key role in advertising themselves to potential consumers; 'what's more, the cover has to do this more or less instantaneously...if it's doing its job really well, then the cover will tempt readers away from those rivals [re; regards to other magazines]' (McKay, 2006). As I've discussed previously, the design chosen by the group used to front our issue of Vibe magazine was a clear winner and clearly its design struck a chord with the students, but why was this? I believe there were two specific reasons for this. The first; 'Make certain the cover logo (the name of the magazine in type or art) is easily identifiable' (Mogel, 1998).
Clearly we can see from the design on the left that the design in question accounted for this, as it did the second reason; 'Think of the cover as a poster. Would the reader want to hang it on his or her wall?' (Mogel, 1998).
What is particularly true is if you apply these rules to the majority of current music magazines such as NME and Kerrang. In addition to Q and Mojo, the covers of these magazines have a strong sense of direction. Such is the case using the front cover of the NME (right), as whilst the easily recognisable title connects with the consumer, who is generally able to identify it almost immediately, I feel their contrasting use of colour for each issue creates a strong sense of identity to each different cover story they run with. 'The choice of colours for paper and ink can affect more than the straightforward look of a page...like all other design choices these carry additional significance' (McKay, 2006). We've touched on the imagery of magazine design previously - we see here that in conjunction with the mug, cigarette, the overcast shade of blue and bold, dry stark use of black text as a choice of colour, all these semiotics collectively gather; providing the consumer with an idea of what they may expect the content of the magazine to include.
MCKAY, 2006. The Magazines Handbook. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge
MOGEL, L., 1998. The Magazine: Everything you need to know to make it in the magazine business. 4th ed. USA: Graphic Arts Technical Foundation
(Discuss examples from the music press).
'At its simplest magazine design is the way in which words and images and physical elements such as paper and binding work together' (McKay, 2006). Throughout the process of creating a magazine during Tri-Media, and particularly during Popular Music Journalism Practice, I have come to learn a lot more about the semiotics of magazine design and what this means for the consumer.
I've learnt through my work in Tri-Media that magazine covers play a key role in advertising themselves to potential consumers; 'what's more, the cover has to do this more or less instantaneously...if it's doing its job really well, then the cover will tempt readers away from those rivals [re; regards to other magazines]' (McKay, 2006). As I've discussed previously, the design chosen by the group used to front our issue of Vibe magazine was a clear winner and clearly its design struck a chord with the students, but why was this? I believe there were two specific reasons for this. The first; 'Make certain the cover logo (the name of the magazine in type or art) is easily identifiable' (Mogel, 1998).Clearly we can see from the design on the left that the design in question accounted for this, as it did the second reason; 'Think of the cover as a poster. Would the reader want to hang it on his or her wall?' (Mogel, 1998).
What is particularly true is if you apply these rules to the majority of current music magazines such as NME and Kerrang. In addition to Q and Mojo, the covers of these magazines have a strong sense of direction. Such is the case using the front cover of the NME (right), as whilst the easily recognisable title connects with the consumer, who is generally able to identify it almost immediately, I feel their contrasting use of colour for each issue creates a strong sense of identity to each different cover story they run with. 'The choice of colours for paper and ink can affect more than the straightforward look of a page...like all other design choices these carry additional significance' (McKay, 2006). We've touched on the imagery of magazine design previously - we see here that in conjunction with the mug, cigarette, the overcast shade of blue and bold, dry stark use of black text as a choice of colour, all these semiotics collectively gather; providing the consumer with an idea of what they may expect the content of the magazine to include.MCKAY, 2006. The Magazines Handbook. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge
MOGEL, L., 1998. The Magazine: Everything you need to know to make it in the magazine business. 4th ed. USA: Graphic Arts Technical Foundation
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 11
11. How does my writing compare with published writers I admire? What do I want to improve for next year?
With regards to music journalism, on reflection there is little or no-ones work out there whom I consider myself a fan of. On the other hand, there are definitely some writers out there whose prose and pieces I do enjoy. The advent of social media has enabled my generation unlimited access to creative writing, in particular I find the prose and wit penned by some journalisms to be particularly endearing. At present I am confident with the style and flow with which I use to write my pieces, and believe in comparision to others they do have a distinct sense of individuality. Sometimes though I feel my prose can be unnecessarily wordy, with sentences becoming cluttered and end up drawing the readers attention away from my original point entirely.
In direct contrast to my own style of writing, I admire writers who are able to draw a wry smile from their readers. This is usually from game or music bloggers, sometimes freelance, other times its from user submission. The use of humour in ones writing is a risky decision to take but I find that with the pieces I get most enjoyment from reading, its subtle enough to entertain but at the same time not laid on thick enough to turn you away. A commentary I came across recently, reviewing a particular title for the Nintendo Wii. I had never played this game, nor had any interest in purchasing it; yet the first line of the piece was well-written enough for me to invest time in reading the remainder of the article. To start; 'Conduit 2 Review: More like Con-don't-do-it 2: And with that headline, I exhausted and easily matched every bit of creativity that Sega and High Voltage Software put into Conduit 2, a half-rendered, poorly scripted, mysteriously voice-acted, first-person shooter for the Nintendo Wii' (Murdock, 2011). I love the character and wit of this piece, it encourages you, the reader, to follow the author and listen to his reasoning behind such a frank opening sentence.
So, for the next two years, I would love to increase the accessibility of my pieces. If i'm being asked to write a 200, 300 or 500 word article, I would have no problem doing this but still think that any personality that may come across in my writing won't be liked by all. Perhaps this is true of the articles that I enjoy reading, but accessibility and humour are definitely areas for improvement (in my own opinion).
MURDOCK, T, M., 2011. Conduit 2 Review: More like Con-don't-do-it-2 [online] [viewed 9 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/conduit-2-review/
With regards to music journalism, on reflection there is little or no-ones work out there whom I consider myself a fan of. On the other hand, there are definitely some writers out there whose prose and pieces I do enjoy. The advent of social media has enabled my generation unlimited access to creative writing, in particular I find the prose and wit penned by some journalisms to be particularly endearing. At present I am confident with the style and flow with which I use to write my pieces, and believe in comparision to others they do have a distinct sense of individuality. Sometimes though I feel my prose can be unnecessarily wordy, with sentences becoming cluttered and end up drawing the readers attention away from my original point entirely.
In direct contrast to my own style of writing, I admire writers who are able to draw a wry smile from their readers. This is usually from game or music bloggers, sometimes freelance, other times its from user submission. The use of humour in ones writing is a risky decision to take but I find that with the pieces I get most enjoyment from reading, its subtle enough to entertain but at the same time not laid on thick enough to turn you away. A commentary I came across recently, reviewing a particular title for the Nintendo Wii. I had never played this game, nor had any interest in purchasing it; yet the first line of the piece was well-written enough for me to invest time in reading the remainder of the article. To start; 'Conduit 2 Review: More like Con-don't-do-it 2: And with that headline, I exhausted and easily matched every bit of creativity that Sega and High Voltage Software put into Conduit 2, a half-rendered, poorly scripted, mysteriously voice-acted, first-person shooter for the Nintendo Wii' (Murdock, 2011). I love the character and wit of this piece, it encourages you, the reader, to follow the author and listen to his reasoning behind such a frank opening sentence.
So, for the next two years, I would love to increase the accessibility of my pieces. If i'm being asked to write a 200, 300 or 500 word article, I would have no problem doing this but still think that any personality that may come across in my writing won't be liked by all. Perhaps this is true of the articles that I enjoy reading, but accessibility and humour are definitely areas for improvement (in my own opinion).
MURDOCK, T, M., 2011. Conduit 2 Review: More like Con-don't-do-it-2 [online] [viewed 9 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/conduit-2-review/
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 10
10. What form does fanzine/DIY culture take today?
'A fanzine (also called a zine) is an amateur publication created by fans, and circulated for a low cost (to cover production expenses) or free of charge...originally hand-drafted or typed on a manual typewriter and printed using primitive reproduction techniques' (Knowledge, 2011). However, as we've seen from earlier postings of mine, 'as with all areas of publishing, the Internet has had a tremendous impact within the areas of fanzines...the ease with which a website can be set up by almost anyone and then put into the public domain has led to a huge number of sites being established that could very easily be described as a form of zine publication' (Stoneman, 2001). I don't believe this should come as a particular surprise; the use of software to assemble and the internet to distribute fanzines is considerably more benefical to the publisher for many reasons. Of course despite the changes there is still a niche market for traditional fanzines; 'many fans of printed zines feel the object-in-hand is part of the total experience' (Fanlore, 2011).
FANLORE, 2011. Zines and the Internet [online] [viewed online 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Zines_and_the_Internet
KNOWLEDGE RUSH, 2011. Fanzine [online] [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Fanzine/
STONEMAN, P., 2001. Fanzines: Their Production, Culture and Future [online] [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdtitle.html
'A fanzine (also called a zine) is an amateur publication created by fans, and circulated for a low cost (to cover production expenses) or free of charge...originally hand-drafted or typed on a manual typewriter and printed using primitive reproduction techniques' (Knowledge, 2011). However, as we've seen from earlier postings of mine, 'as with all areas of publishing, the Internet has had a tremendous impact within the areas of fanzines...the ease with which a website can be set up by almost anyone and then put into the public domain has led to a huge number of sites being established that could very easily be described as a form of zine publication' (Stoneman, 2001). I don't believe this should come as a particular surprise; the use of software to assemble and the internet to distribute fanzines is considerably more benefical to the publisher for many reasons. Of course despite the changes there is still a niche market for traditional fanzines; 'many fans of printed zines feel the object-in-hand is part of the total experience' (Fanlore, 2011).
FANLORE, 2011. Zines and the Internet [online] [viewed online 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://fanlore.org/wiki/Zines_and_the_Internet
KNOWLEDGE RUSH, 2011. Fanzine [online] [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Fanzine/
STONEMAN, P., 2001. Fanzines: Their Production, Culture and Future [online] [viewed 8 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.lundwood.u-net.com/fandissy/fdtitle.html
Popular Music Journalism: Topic 9
9. Discuss the process of designing pages for Vibe - what have I learned about magazine semiotics? What is my design communicating to the reader?
There are two particular sections of relevance within the magazine when attempting to answer this question. I will touch briefly on the front cover, chosen by majority of the class, and will then go on to explain and analyse the design of my individual page; and what that layout is communicating to any potential reader. The front cover design for our issue of Vibe magazine was chosen from several available; all of which had been designed by students within the class. The chosen design was a majority vote, and I felt there was a couple of clear reasons as to why its design appealed just to the students.
In hindsight it is easy to easy why magazine semiotics are so crucial to the production of a magazine; they play a pivotal role in attracting and appealing to the publications target audience. Colour plays a massive part in this, with which different tones and hues carry their own individual meaning. The choice of red is stark, alert, and attention grabbing, but at the same time, 'colour cannot work independently of other semiotic resources such as image and text' (Jones, 2007). Coupled with the magazine title "Vibe", which has descriptive physicality about it, in addition to the the term "smash" on the front cover, add up to create very obvious imagery. Collectively this correlation may not be apparent, but 'visual images have great power, and experienced customers learn to read and decode them immediately, even those consumers who don't have the analytical vocabulary to explain why' (McKay, 2006). As for my magazine page itself, only in hindsight have come to realise how I could have improved my design significantly. My article is text-laden, very content heavy, and not eye-catching. Magazine articles, in reality, are much more relaxed as it were; 'pages that are too businesslike (too much text, too many ads) are likely to turn off readers' (Rothstein, 2007). In addition to this,
JONES, 2007. Colour in learning resources for science students at university: pedagogical and design motivations. [online] [viewed 5 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.asfla.org.au/semioticmargins/papers.htm
MCKAY, 2006. The Magazines Handbook. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge
ROTHSTEIN, 2007. Designing magazines: Inside periodical design, redesign, and branding. New York: Allworth Press
There are two particular sections of relevance within the magazine when attempting to answer this question. I will touch briefly on the front cover, chosen by majority of the class, and will then go on to explain and analyse the design of my individual page; and what that layout is communicating to any potential reader. The front cover design for our issue of Vibe magazine was chosen from several available; all of which had been designed by students within the class. The chosen design was a majority vote, and I felt there was a couple of clear reasons as to why its design appealed just to the students.
In hindsight it is easy to easy why magazine semiotics are so crucial to the production of a magazine; they play a pivotal role in attracting and appealing to the publications target audience. Colour plays a massive part in this, with which different tones and hues carry their own individual meaning. The choice of red is stark, alert, and attention grabbing, but at the same time, 'colour cannot work independently of other semiotic resources such as image and text' (Jones, 2007). Coupled with the magazine title "Vibe", which has descriptive physicality about it, in addition to the the term "smash" on the front cover, add up to create very obvious imagery. Collectively this correlation may not be apparent, but 'visual images have great power, and experienced customers learn to read and decode them immediately, even those consumers who don't have the analytical vocabulary to explain why' (McKay, 2006). As for my magazine page itself, only in hindsight have come to realise how I could have improved my design significantly. My article is text-laden, very content heavy, and not eye-catching. Magazine articles, in reality, are much more relaxed as it were; 'pages that are too businesslike (too much text, too many ads) are likely to turn off readers' (Rothstein, 2007). In addition to this,
JONES, 2007. Colour in learning resources for science students at university: pedagogical and design motivations. [online] [viewed 5 May 2011]. Available from: http://www.asfla.org.au/semioticmargins/papers.htm
MCKAY, 2006. The Magazines Handbook. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge
ROTHSTEIN, 2007. Designing magazines: Inside periodical design, redesign, and branding. New York: Allworth Press
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)