Spread Feedback and Final Revisions

    This article will be about the 2-page spread that I will be creating/using for my magazine. Included in this blog will be peer feedback that I have received on my spread, as well as the editing process/final revisions on the spread I have chosen to use. I will also include analyzation of the changes I made, and explain the editing used based off of the feedback that I had received.

Non-Revised Spread

Peer Feedback

    This section will include the different feedbacks I had received, and I will also include not only the things that were recommended to change but also those that people liked about the spread. If a point has been restated by multiple people, I will only include it once. Here are the points of feedback that I had received by six different peers:

Liked:

• Paragraph structure and organization
• Instructional steps
• Top image
• Content and layout
• Drop cap

Needs to Be Revised:

• Bottom image should be changed and decreased to fit the content better
• A wider variety of color and fonts should be used to make the spread pop
• Bold the subheadings so that they stand out
• Change the background color to look more professional

Revised Spread

    In my revised spread, I used most of these points to create a better version. On the positive side, I kept the first image, layout, and paragraph structure; I did decide, however, to change the second image from the original orange mousse to another picture of the same mousse without any topics; this is so that the image corelates with the content and other main image evenly. I also changed the background color scheme to a light orange/cream color, which helps the text and images to pop/contrast much better than the plain white background color scheme before. In terms of font or layout, I changed the color and font of the title to a lighter grey with a shadow; this helps the title stand out against the dark base colors of the main image. Along with this, the subheadings are now bolded in order to stand out compared to the rest of the text.

Conclusion

    In conclusion, the revised version is my final decision of which spread will be used in my magazine. This 2-page spread contains all the key components of a food magazine spread, including page numbers, a title, a main image (or two in this case), and subheadings with a detailed instructional article. In the future, I will be using this spread to help in my CCR (Creative Critical Reflection).

 Spread Mock-Up and Elaboration Choices

    This blog will be about the 2-page spread that I will be creating for my magazine. Included in this blog will be the final mock-up I have made with analyzation of how it is good or bad, along with the editing process and why I have chosen this mock-up compared to the others.

Final Mock-up

    This is the mock-up that my final mock-up layout is based off of:

    Edited version:

    This is the final mock-up I made for my 2-page spread, which is based off of the first mock-up. This magazine spread has a very simple yet compacted layout. The title of the spread is at the center of the left page, just above the start of text and in the main image, in complete lowercase and bolded lettering other than the starting letter of each word; this spread 's title is in a light grey color, using a simple Serif font, so as to maintain the simplicity of the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid white color is used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading, blending the two perfectly (explained in my Color Theory blog). As can be seen, the very light-colored tones of the image contrast with the title. During editing, I brightened the images in order to make them stand out better, compared to the original version which looked dull. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. The main dish is shown not only in the top half of the page, but a smaller version 0f the Mousse has been included as well just under the stand first. Overall, this spread contains about 3-4 main colors, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. The text is placed into two side-columns, not thrown about the page, keeping it very organized and simple. To keep this simplicity while also adding more contrast to the page, I changed the font to Times New Roman and added a drop cap; this gives a more professional look. Lastly, the beginning of this spread includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

Layout Comparisons

    In this section of the blog, I will be comparing the final mock-up (shown above) to the original layouts which I did not choose; I will also provide an explanation of why.

    This was the second mock-up that I had made (for a more detailed explanation of this spread visit my blog "Spread Format/Planning"). This mock-up was good in the way that images and text were formatted, however there are some areas of it that look awkward or unprofessional. For example, the pull quote in large bold letters looks very out of place in the blank space of text, as if it was thrown in to take up space. The image also looks unprofessional between the two columns because, due to formatting issues, the text cannot be placed in an even column around the photo. This creates a very messy and unorganized look, which is not fit for the organized and relaxing aesthetic of a food magazine.

    This was the third mock-up that I had made (for a more detailed explanation of this spread visit my blog "Spread Format/Planning"). This mock-up was good in the way that images and text were formatted such as the pull quote and images, however there are some areas of it that look awkward. For example, the blank space on the left page looks very unprofessional and too open, as if it is missing something. While blank space can sometimes be a good thing, in this case it looks very unprofessional. The text also looks unprofessional due to being placed in paragraphs; this causes the text to be cramped into one area and clumped together, becoming very uninviting for the reader's eyes (in short, there is too much in one area). This creates a very messy and unorganized look, which is not fit for the organized and relaxing aesthetic of a food magazine.

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I have decided to use this final mock-up because it is the most organized and aesthetically pleasing of the other mock-ups I made. The other mock-ups have disorganized or messy looks, on top of blank space and awkward areas which make for an unappealing layout. In order to draw the reader's attention to the spread, the layout must be organized but spread-out information, with bright images that give a relaxing emotion to the spread of a food magazine. Therefore, my final mock-up is the best one.

 

Spread Format/Planning

     This blog will be about the 2-page spread that I will be creating for my magazine. Included in this blog will be some of the mock-ups I have made for the spread, along with analyzation of why they are good or bad. In the end, I will decide which to most likely use.

Mock-ups

       This is the first mock-up I made for my 2-page spread. This magazine spread has a very simple yet compacted layout. The title of the spread is at the center of the left page, just above the start of text and in the main image, in complete lowercase and bolded lettering other than the starting letter of each word; this spread 's title is in a light grey color, using the same font, so as to maintain the simplicity of the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid white color is used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading, blending the two perfectly (explained in my Color Theory blog). As can be seen, the very light-colored tones of the image contrast with the title. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. The main dish is shown not only in the top half of the page, but a smaller version 0f the Mousse has been included as well just under the stand first. Overall, this spread contains about 3-4 main colors, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. The text is placed into two side-columns, not thrown about the page, keeping it very organized and simple. Lastly, the beginning of this spread includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

    This is the second mock-up I made for my 2-page spread. This magazine spread has a very simple yet compacted layout. The title of the spread is at the center of the left page, just above the start of text and in the main image, in complete lowercase and bolded lettering other than the starting letter of each word; this spread's title is in a light grey color, using the same font, so as to maintain the simplicity of the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid white color is used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading, blending the two perfectly (explained in my Color Theory blog). As can be seen, the very light-colored tones of the image contrast with the title. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. The main dish is shown not only in the top half of the page, but a smaller version 0f the Mousse has been included as well in between the two columns. While this may look cool, the negative is that due to formatting on the site used it cannot be columned in that area, creating a very messy/disorganized look. Overall, this spread contains about 3-4 main colors, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. The text is placed into two side-columns, not thrown about the page, keeping it very organized and simple. A pull quote has been included in the color green with bright red boxed lines around it in order to separate from the rest of the text while still blending in color; it is next to the recipe ingredients, just under the stand first. This pull quote "pulls" the reader's attention towards the text so as to give them a break from all the small words, while also drawing interest. Lastly, the beginning of this spread includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

    This is the third mock-up I made for my 2-page spread. This magazine spread has a very simple yet compacted layout. The title of the spread is at the center of the left page, just above the start of text and in the main image, in complete lowercase and bolded lettering other than the starting letter of each word; this spread's title is in a light grey color, using the same font, so as to maintain the simplicity of the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid white color is used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading, blending the two perfectly (explained in my Color Theory blog). As can be seen, the very light-colored tones of the image contrast with the title. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. The main dish is shown not only in the top half of the page, but a smaller version 0f the Mousse has been included as well in the bottom corner of the right page alongside a pull quote above it. This pull quote "pulls" the reader's attention towards the text so as to give them a break from all the small words, while also drawing interest. While this may look cool, the negative is that the image and pull quote don't fit very well and, because of this layout, leave a blank patch in the left page, creating a very messy/disorganized look. Overall, this spread contains about 3-4 main colors, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. The text is placed into organized paragraphs; however, the formatting of paragraphs is very compacted within the page making it a bit of an eye sore. Lastly, the beginning of this spread includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I will most likely be using the first or second mock-up. This is because both of these mock-ups look very well done and organized, while the third looks compacted/disorganized and leaves a lot of blank space on one page. However, if I use the first, I would like to include a pull quote in the text, and if I use the second, I would like to switch the pull quote and image.

 2pg Spread: Voice, Language, and Audience

     This article will be about the 2-page spread that I will be creating for my magazine. Included in this blog will be the codes/conventions of magazine spreads, along with examples. Also being talked about in this blog is the voice, language, and audience of food magazine two-page spreads.

Codes/Conventions of Magazine 2pg Spreads

    These are the codes/conventions of 2-page spreads (also known as double-page spreads)
within magazines!

Main Image: The main image in a 2-page spread usually takes up the entire left-hand side of the page (or entire left page), or it continues to spread across the whole 2 pages. For example, the image shown has a plate of food taken at a close-up shot level in order to take up more of the page while still looking delicious. 

Color Scheme: The color scheme for a 2-page spread can go two ways; it can either follow the colors used on the front cover, or use completely different colors that better reflect the content being talked about within the article. 

Direct Address: Direct address is used most often during the main image, as the photographer is aiming to engage the audience with the magazine. Because of this the image easily relates, making not only for a better image on  the 2-page spread, but it also allows for the audience to make easy connections between the main body text of the spread and the main image.

Mise-En-Scene: The mise-en-scene of the photograph within 2-page spreads usually reflects the dish/chef/food being talked about- telling the audience what type, or style, the food is- along with the background, lighting, and positioning of the image. Being that the image is related to the main body text, mise-en-scene is very important.

By-Lines: By-Lines are seen on the main image, telling readers who the article is written by and who took the photo. However, they can also tell things such as where the image was taken, the date of the image, and even who the person/food in the image is or who created it.

Drop Capital: A drop capital is important for introducing the 2-page spread article's starting line. Usually the very first paragraph uses a very large drop capital, and as the introducing letter, varies in size. However, most drop down about 3-4 lines.

Pull Quotes: Pull quotes can be found around the 2-page spread, either within the article or on the main image. These pull quotes are normally found in the article itself that represent a part of the story of the food/chef, and are normally bigger (larger) quotes.

Headline/Title: The title in the article is typically the biggest font on the spread page, dominating the smaller body text. The headline/title also has a different font and color than the rest of the spread, standing out from the main body in order to be clear for the audience. 

Stand First: A stand first is the introduction to the article itself. This introduction is usually just above- or around- the main image, and will always be found within a 2-page spread. The stand first usually says something about the dish or food shown, or relates to the main image in some way. 

Columns: 2-page spreads almost always contain columns. Depending on the contents within the page, there are usually 2-3 columns separating the main body text so as to prevent clutter. This also gives each paragraph or new sentence a bit of space from the last, making the article easier to read.

Contrast: A 2-page spread needs to consist of a contrast between the color of the text and the background. For example, in the image shown above it can be seen that the 2-page article has black text on top of a white background; black and white are direct contrasting colors.

Miscellaneous: The food/chef name can sometimes be seen in one of the top corners of the article. The date can be found at the bottom of the magazine of each page. There is normally an arrow or a page curl whenever an article is carried on from a double page spread to show it continues. At the end of each article there is normally a little logo or a bold square that states the end of the article; these can be seen throughout the magazine. At the end of an article, text can be found in italics which normally tell information about the food, dish, culture, chef, etc.

Voice, Language, and Audience of Magazine Spreads

    Voice in magazines is the tone, language, and structure of the article. This could be professional, formal, academic, informal, first-person, or could also be heavy on slang/technical terms. In food magazine 2-page spreads, it is recommended to use a more professional and layed-back voice, while also remaining formal.

    Language used in food magazine 2-page spreads is usually very relaxed. This makes the audience feel relaxed while reading the article, as well as providing simple explanations of what is happening within the article/spread.

    Audience is the target age group, or people, of a magazine spread. For example, it could be something like males from the ages of 14-24 who enjoy running marathons. In terms of food magazine 2-page spreads, typically the audience is women ages 25-54 who enjoy cooking. 

Food Magazines

    In this section of the blog we will be analyzing two popular food magazine 2-page spreads. These spreads will include the magazines: BetterLife and GlamLiving.

BetterLife

     BetterLife magazine is mainly known for its large collection of recipes, healthy meals, and dietary tips. The image shown is BetterLife's 2-page spread on the reoccurring topic of "Healthy Living".

    BetterLife magazine talks mostly about healthy recipes and dieting tips. Because of this, their main audience are typically adults and teens who enjoy cooking. For example, the target audience of this magazine could be women from the ages of 18-40, because they are the people who cook/diet the most often compared to other groups of people. The voice/language used in this magazine is very relaxed and layed-back, yet it is still formal.

    BetterLife magazine tends to use very simple yet compacted layout in their spreads. The title of the spread is almost always at the top left corner of the left page, always in complete uppercase lettering; this spread 's title is in the color red so as to contrast with the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid color, such as white, is typically used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading sometimes (explained in my Color Theory blog). For example, in the first image, a red napkin can be seen under the plate, matching the title; in the second and third image, the dishes are on red tablecloth. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. Overall, this magazine uses about 4-5 main colors each spread, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. As can be seen, the author's name is in the top left corner with an image of the author as well. The text is in columns, not thrown about the page, and typically is placed into 3-4 columns per page. By-lines are used as well to tell readers what the images shown are; this helps the readers to be drawn into the image and have a clear idea of what they are looking at. Lastly, the beginning of this magazine always includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

GlamLiving

    GlamLiving magazine is mainly known for its large collection of recipes, fancy meals, and drink tips. The image shown is GlamLiving's 2-page spread on the topic of "7 Dishes to get you everything you want in life".

    GlamLiving magazine talks mostly about fancy recipes and drink tips. Because of this, their main audience are typically adults who enjoy cooking and mixology. For example, the target audience of this magazine could be women from the ages of 25-50, because they are the people who cook/drink the most often compared to other groups of people. The voice/language used in this magazine is very relaxed and layed-back, yet it is still very formal.

    GlamLiving magazine tends to use very simple yet compacted layout in their spreads. The title of the spread is almost always at the top center of the left page, always in complete lowercase lettering other than the "G" in "Glam"; this spread 's title is in the color black, but with two different fonts, so as to contrast with the rest of the article. In terms of mise-en-scene, a solid color, such as white or light blue, is typically used in the background of the magazine spread to draw attention to the main dish; this main dish also matches in color with the heading sometimes (explained in my Color Theory blog). For example, in the first image, the very light colored tones contrast with the title; in the second and third image, the pink and other light shades also contrast with the title. Direct address is used on the dishes in the main images, which tend to be shot in close-ups, better engaging the audience with the spread. Overall, this magazine uses about 4-5 main colors each spread, contrasting the background color with the color of the main image/images and text. The text is in columns, not thrown about the page, and typically is placed into 3-4 columns per page. By-lines are used as well to tell readers what the images shown are; this helps the readers to be drawn into the image and have a clear idea of what they are looking at. There is also a pull quote above one of the main images to "pull" readers into the text. Lastly, the beginning of this magazine always includes a stand first, which provides the readers with a short introduction to the contents of the article.

Conclusion

   In conclusion, this blog sums up the codes/conventions of 2-page spreads within magazines, as well as showing examples of how they can be seen in food magazines specifically. All of these points made fit with my genre of choice (food magazines ) because they can be directly related, with examples, by many different codes/conventions.

Cited Work:

• ("Codes and Conventions of Double Page Spread",Sophie Meadows)   http://slides.com/sophiemeadows/codes-and-conventions-of-double-page-spread#/6
• ("New Food Magazine: The Australian Women's Weekly Food", MPA)  http://magazines.org.au/staging/news/new-food-magazine-the-australian-womens-weekly-food