Magazine practical production: tasks Create a blogpost called 'Magazine practical task research and planning' and complete the following tasks: 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.
Mix of font sizes, bold, italic and caps for emphasis
Bright, eye-catching colours: pink, yellow, red, white, black
Clashing colour schemes used to grab attention
Colour highlights used to match tone: red for drama, pink for romance
Cluttered but intentional layout, typical of celebrity magazines
Central image dominates with smaller images around it
Shapes like banners, boxes, and arrows guide reader attention
Informal, emotional, and sensational tone
Use of hyperbole, ellipses, and exclamation marks
Structured like clickbait: emotional topic + teaser
Often use rhetorical questions or shocking claims
Close-up or medium-close-up of celebrity faces
Emotional expressions (smiling, crying, shocked)
Glamorous or dramatic lighting and editing
Consistent look across all covers — recognisable layout and style
Strong emotional and visual identity builds loyalty
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.
BREAKING BARRIERS: DREAMS TO LAW
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.
Me, Smart professional clothes, good lighting and angle and locked in.
3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.
Hard Work, Hope, and a Quarter Zip: How I’m Building My Future4) 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).
29/04/25 / me / clifford chance office
Photoshop or InDesign?
You will have one Media lesson to create your magazine cover on Adobe Photoshop or InDesign but you will probably need more time than this. In order to complete this work, you will need to work in DF06 when you don't have other lessons or use Photoshop/InDesign at home. You already have access to Adobe at home via our fantastic Adobe Creative Cloud subscription (worth around £25/month!) as long as you have a PC or laptop that can run it.
Online tutorials
The best way to learn Photoshop is simply to start creating your magazine cover and learn as you go. There are thousands of tutorials on YouTube to help you - here are just a couple of examples of Photoshop tutorials:
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.
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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?
My cover captures the visual style, tone, and audience appeal of the original magazine while offering a fresh and original concept. I have carefully considered the layout, typography, colour scheme, and use of imagery to ensure my edition aligns with the professional standards of the genuine magazine. When placed alongside real covers, my design holds its own—it looks polished, eye-catching, and consistent with the brand identity. Overall, my work demonstrates creativity, attention to detail, and an understanding of magazine conventions, resulting in a professional and convincing final product.
4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?
If I were to complete this assignment again, I would make sure to use the exact same dimensions as the genuine magazine covers. Although my design is strong in terms of layout and visual appeal, the difference in size makes it stand out in a way that feels less authentic. Matching the standard size would help my edition blend more seamlessly with real issues and improve the overall realism and professionalism of the final product. Attention to this technical detail would ensure that every aspect of my magazine: both creatively and practically, aligns with industry standards.
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