Magazine cover learner response

 Magazine front cover - Learner response

Create a new blogpost called 'Magazine cover learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Add your finished magazine cover as a JPEG image.

2) Type up your feedback from your teacher. If you've received this by email, you can copy and paste it across - WWW and EBI. You don't need to include a mark or grade if you don't want to.

WWW: This is a good cover without quite reaching the top levels of the coursework mark scheme – an excellent opportunity to develop our skills for next year. You’ve clearly researched the magazine and worked hard to add lots of design touches in terms of the masthead, boxes and lines found on the professional example. The challenge now is making sure our own versions of these elements are up to the standards of a professional designer.

 

EBI: When you put your cover alongside the real example (‘Split decisions’) I can see exactly why you chose your image. However, there are key differences – note how the depth of field is used in the professional example to blur out the busy background whereas in yours both the ceiling lights and people in the background are relatively sharp and distracting. These are the elements we need to keep in mind when producing coursework. Similarly, the font/typography, boxes and lines you use are not quite spaced correctly or in keeping with the original. Generally I’d agree with a lot of your evaluation but I think you could have analysed this a little closer in terms of the gaps between your work and the professional examples.

3) Consider your mark against the mark scheme above. What are the strengths of your production based on the the mark scheme? Think about magazine cover conventions and the media language techniques you have used to communicate with your audience (e.g. mise-en-scene, camera shot etc.) Notice the focus on narrative in the mark scheme for Media language.

I think one of the main strengths of my magazine cover is that I clearly understood and applied a lot of the key conventions found in professional magazine design. I put a lot of thought into the masthead, the boxes, and the lines to reflect the example I was working from. I also made sure to select an image that linked well to the theme of the magazine, and I used mise-en-scène to help communicate a certain narrative to the audience. While it’s not perfect, my work shows that I have a good understanding of media language and how different elements can be combined to create meaning. I’d say my production fits somewhere around Level 3 or Level 4 on the mark scheme, as I demonstrated a reasonable control of connotation and narrative, even if some of the technical elements still need refining.

4) Look at the mark scheme again. What can you do to move your mark higher and, if required, move up a level?

 

To move my mark up, I need to focus more on the finer details that make professional designs stand out. For example, I need to improve the depth of field in my photography—blurring out the background would have helped keep the focus on the main subject and avoid distractions like the ceiling lights and people. I also need to work on my typography and spacing; the fonts and lines I used weren’t perfectly aligned or suited to the style of the original magazine. On top of that, I think I could have analysed my own work in more depth when evaluating it, especially when comparing it directly to the professional example. If I can improve my technical polish and be more deliberate with my use of media language, I could reach Level 5.

5) What would be one piece of advice you would give a student about to start the same magazine cover project you have just completed? 

My advice would be: don’t underestimate the importance of the small details. The image and masthead are important, but things like font choice, spacing, and layout make a huge difference in how professional your work looks. Also, when choosing your image, really think about what’s in the background and how it contributes (or distracts) from the overall message. Keep comparing your cover to real magazine examples and ask yourself: does mine look like it could be sold on a shelf next to it?