Evaluative Blog

 For my A2 media project I decided to create a newspaper with 2 pages, a poster and a website. Immediately I began researching existing newspaper front covers, in order to gain knowledge of what is typically involved in a front cover. I hoped to find out about layout, colour and picture use through this. I initially decided I would like to create a newspaper aimed at local students, as having looked at newspapers such as The Echo and The Recorder I found these less interesting. I decided to complete a student newspaper as I felt I could achieve a good result, as I was aware of what my target audience wanted to see and read. 

Looking at newspaper front covers it immediately became aware I needed to create a masthead that would feature throughout my project. Seen in my previous research of The Epigram and Varsity, they use a masthead consistently throughout each issue of their newspaper and in their website so the audience can relate it to their product. Looking at both The Epigram and Varsity I saw that they each identified a colour scheme for their front cover. As my newspaper would be distributed around Essex, I chose to have the colour scheme red, the colour that represents Essex. My masthead is similar Varsity in the fact the masthead contains a box out for added attraction. Each newspaper also featured a brief subheading about the newspaper such as 'Bristol University's Independent Student Newspaper'.  I felt this was needed to emphasise the area in question, therefore used a sub heading, 'Essex's Leading Student Newspaper'. 

 This is my masthead, compared to Epigram which is featured throughout my blog in research. The individual 

font used separates newspapers, as well as the use of different colour.

From this research I also found that front cover typically contained 2 articles. I wanted to include 3, as I felt that 2 was not enough and that space could be arranged more wisely. I also chose to take my own approach with the amount of pictures featured, as the researched newspapers only contained one, backing up the main article. 

My website follows many conventions of researched ones, containing tabs, pictures, and aspects such as logo's for following the paper on social networking sites such as twitter. My poster also reflects typical posters, containing short snappy headlines to entice the audience into buying the newspaper. 

I feel the combination of my main project and ancillary tasks has been very good, as I have kept a theme and a motif running throughout. The colour red has been used frequently throughout my newspaper, website and poster, ensuring the audience is relating the colour to my particular product, and the area being mentioned. The 'BIG STEPS' logo, as seen above, is clearly seen in each task, showing they are all related. I initially began using red and black dots in my newspaper as I saw most newspapers used thin lines. I intended to produce something which looked visually appealing and fun, as well as unique. Therefore I began using dots to separate articles in my newspaper. This continued in my poster as I began using bigger dots as a contrasting background for text, still in keeping with my colour scheme. As these are used in all my media, this would enable audiences to clearly establish they are all different forms of media of the same product. 

Through my audience feedback I became aware of effects I had used that had positively added to the overall look of my products, and what I could have done to improve them. I chose to let people pick 3 points about one of my tasks that they liked or disliked, but did not limit how much or what they could say. I chose not to do a questionnaire, as I wanted the validity of peoples personal opinions, instead of them simply choosing a box that was close to their views. I have learnt that having a ongoing theme and colour is extremely effective in attracting the audience and showing the relation to each task. The dots became a frequent part of my project, but I was unaware whether this would have been as effective as I'd hoped. From people's feedback I was relieved to find it was a good point of my project, adding an element of fun and attracting my target audience. The feedback also made me think about my audience. From my feedback you can see that even older and younger people were visually attracted to my product, but some immediate text discouraged them. 

Throughout this process I have used a great deal of media technology in order to complete my project successfully. One of my aims as I was beginning this project was to improve my skills in photoshop, and an increased use of this software proved to help this. I also used InDesign and Dreamweaver a great deal in creating my website and newspaper. I used photoshop to create my poster, in which many photoshop effects can be seen. Brush strokes have been used to add effect to a simple white background, then effects such as outer glows. InDesign enabled to be create my newspaper accurately. I found this software easy to handle. During my planning stages I used photoshop as I needed to practice and test out effects that could be used in my practical task.

The first media technology I began using was the internet, initially setting up a blogger site. The internet was used to view newspaper front covers, then to be annotated, this research was also carried out when i began thinking about my ancillary projects. The next technology I had to use was a digital camera, in order to take my own pictures for my newspaper. Without this technology I wouldn't have been able to complete this, and the use of a good quality camera enabled the images to look better. I again used the internet and newspaper when it came to evaluating my products, where comparing final products helped me see what improvements I could make.

I feel I have created a newspaper relevant to both the purpose and audience of it. I am pleased with the results of my ancillary tasks as I feel they combine with my newspaper and are obviously linked. Given more time, or the oppertunity to do this project again I would choose to involve more sketches and drawings in my planning, however I feel I have worked on my target of posting work more regularly, and using photoshop more.

Opinions on work completed

Once I had completed my main and ancillary tasks I decided to show my designs to a variety of people, most being from my target audience, talking to them about aspects of my project they liked and things they thought I could improve on. This produced qualitative data, providing a fair view on how my audience could react to my newspaper if it was distributed. I planned to ask 10 people, but due to time constraints chose to try and ask 5. I decided I would ask them to pick 3 aspects from one of my projects that I had done well, or could be improved. I was also interested in their ages, and how it influenced their reception of the media.These were the results;

Emma Ferguson - newspaper (18yrs)
*The product you have created can be identified as a newspaper immediately which is good, from use of columns and other things such as the headings and use of pictures.
*The colour red has been used cleverly to back up preconceptions of newspapers being in red, white and black. Essex is represented by red which shows the area of circulation.
*The advert for the meal deal could be improved by spending more time on photoshop developing a logo, this would make the newspaper look more professional.

Martin Wilkinson - website (16yrs)
*Because I'm not a college or university student the title of 'Big Steps' does not appeal to me, it sounds more adult and daunting.
*I like the use of red and black dots, it breaks up sections without using typical boring lines. I think this makes the website more appealing to students.
*The links are clearly at the top of the page, so the audience doesn't have to search around and find them.

Alex Shaw - newspaper (18yrs)
*The picture used for the headline of the paper clearly shows what area the paper will be distributed in and what the article will talk about, as it is a subject well known in Southend College.
*The black and red footer containing the lures is effective, with a point of the article being featured in the dots whilst the text gives slightly more detail and persuasion. Given the target audience, the  subjects of sex and music will both attract this audience to read.
*The voucher for the meal deal could be improved by using images from the internet combined with editing from mac software.

Caroline McCloud - poster (36yrs)
*I first noticed the title 'Big Steps' which is good as it is meant to catch the readers eye
*Looking at the sub heading 'Essex's Leading Student Newspaper' I would therefore not pick to read this newspaper, simply because of my age. Saying this the headlines used to persuade people to buy the paper are good, they would attract my attention as they do not seem obsessively student focused and cover a range of subjects.
*The use of red and black dots contrast to the white background. The white background is brightened up by the circular and waved effects. 

Jody Simpson - poster (20 yrs)
* The effects used on the poster are good and do not overpower any text or message of it, but complement it. I feel the effects used have input in showing that audience the newspaper is aimed at. 
*The variety of headlines used ensures that a wide range of students would be interested in this newspaper, and the headlines are written in bold and are snappy so it would take little time to read.
*Using Valentines Day as a theme obviously relates to the time of year, and will attract many readers (probably girls). I like specific features such as this. 




My Verdict. 
it is obvious from the feedback that I could have spent more time designing an appropriate logo for my Valentines promotion on my front cover, however I did receive some compliments about my newspaper.  A vital aspect of a newspaper is obviously being identifiable as a newspaper, which mine was. Out of the 5 people I asked, 3 were of my target age group. They all stated they would be interested in the headlines, and thought the colour scheme was suitable for the area and target audience which was very good. The other 2 were younger, and older. Their feedback was interesting as they both said they found their chosen media visually appealing, however at the mention of 'student' or the title 'big steps' it became obvious the newspaper may not be targeted at them. Overall I am pleased the colour scheme was well received, with the motif of dots also being noticed and seen as effective. The text was seen as short and relevant which I also found pleasing.

Final Website and development

 

This is the header of my website, which has the same design as my newspaper and poster. Each page that has been hyper linked has this header to establish continuity. Below this is the tabs bar, for which I have put 5 links, of which 2 are live. This is set on a white background in gray text, ensuring the colours of red, black, white and gray are continued. contrasting below, set on a gray background is the white text reading 'Essex's Leading Student Newspaper'. This is also used in the newspaper and the poster. This section of the website shows the relation to my main and other ancillary task, and reflects the chosen colour scheme. From website research I found that most sites featured their header at the top of the page as it is what will first be seen, therefore I have reflected this convention.

This is the body of the homepage of my website. It features a few similar headlines to those in my newspaper in order to show the connection. Again, I have used red and black dots to separate the page layout, this is also a common feature throughout my project. There is one headline featured at the top of the page, showing its importance. The headline is catchy so I did not feel the need to give it further text as it is likely to make the audience curious enough to click on the link. Below this is the article which has also been used as the lead story for my newspaper. Its importance can be seen as it is featured with a picture and a small introductory paragraph. A smaller headlines is in the centre of the articles, giving no detail and simply being just a link. The last link at the bottom of the page also features a small introductory paragraph as I feel students would not necessarily be as interested in this article, so I have given them the relevant detail without having to be clicked on. The right hand side of the page contains links written as a list, in case the tabs were not clear below the header. The advertisement for top 10 bars has been carried from the newspaper onto the website as it would be mentioned in the newspaper article with links to the website. I feel the layout looks clean and modern, and follows the colour scheme of my previous tasks.

This is the advertisement for the Valentines meal deal, which is seen in both my previous tasks. It is in white text on a gray background, and stands out as the body of the page is in white. 

 

This is the header for the second page of my website, which is accessed by clicking on 'Local News'. The header is the same, as well as the tabs but I have changed the text in the gray box underneath. As the subject is news I have featured a local news headline, as well as a promotion for a new TV channel launch. The TV programme being advertised is one which has been created by a fellow A2 media student. Given more time I would like to see if I could get the text to move back and forwards within the line. 

 As the tab moves to a different page I wanted it to be clear it was different, therefore I changed the background colour to a slight gray. On this page I have featured one article, which is from the front page of my newspaper. This page is also separated by red and black dots. Looking at The Epigram website, I saw they had features about how to gain access to their facebook, twitter and other social networking sites like this. In order to create a logo to advertise Big Step's twitter address, I created an image relevant to the newspaper title, two big footprints. An aspect also included in The Epigram was a small box holding links to TV programme listings according to the day. As dots has become a motif in my project I used this background to house the text for the listings. I simply used red and white text and wrote days into the dot, changing some font sizes in order to make it look more visually appealing. The advert for the top ten bars is also used again, showing it is an important part of this month's issue.

Development of 2 pages and final image

 CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE FULL PICTURE.

This is the final outcome of the two inside pages of my newspaper. The first page is focused on the contents and making of the newspaper, detailing the editorial team and section meeting times. I featured the contents in a typical vertical layout, colour coding each subject. I wanted to colour code each item as when the paper is read people can either look for the page number they need or the colour, also making it more visually attractive. The page numbers featured by the contents are featured in red and black in keeping with the colour scheme of the newspaper. A different font is used for BIG STEPS on the initial page, which is placed in a red box out. The section meeting times and editorial team headings are placed in a gray box out, outlined by varying widths of black lines. I feel this looks effective as gray is an alternative colour to the ones used throughout. The text is in black so is easily readable and contrasts the gray background. All the features of these sections are in black with the subject and name being next to each other. An advertisement for a article in the newspaper is in a black dot, with alternative white and red text inside ensuring it stands out. The bottom right hand of the screen contains another black dot which features information about involving yourself with the newspaper. 


The facing page begins to cover news stories. It focuses on 5 articles on the page, the top articles being focused on random subjects and editors pick. In keeping with the time my newspaper will be released there is a feature on what people are planning to do on Valentines Day. The other 3 articles focus on Southend College and University and would be of interest to students. The top articles are separated by the use of coloured text, whereas the news articles are featured in black text. Again dots have been used, in the separation of the articles. I felt this would be a good effect as it is a reoccurring theme and provides more visual attraction than lines. As it is a student newspaper aimed at the younger audience I wanted an element of fun to be present throughout my newspaper. All the pictures used are relevant to the articles, with the headline also giving the correct introductions to the articles.The lead story is seen by the biggest headline and the biggest picture.

Final Draft of Newspaper Poster

This is my final newspaper poster which is advertising my university newspaper. The Big Steps header has been continued from the newspaper and website in order to become recognisable and establish continuity. I have also continued the theme of red and black as to relate all of the media together. I have used circular dots to attract attention and provide a background for the text to stand out. In the top left corner I have included the date of release of the issue that is being promoted. 'Find out Southends top 10 bars' generates interest in the article, and will appeal to the student audience. 'Bringing you even more news and offers!...Don't miss out!' aims to provide motivation to get the newspaper. The mention of offers will also appeal to students, as their social lifestyle is restricted by budget. In the bottom black dot, I have featured snappy headlines previewing what will be featured in the newspaper. I have aimed to generate interest from a wide audience of students, so have contained many different subjects. 'Spring trends...Nightclub brawls...College competitions...Car crash rescues...Valentines day...Southend sports' These headlines all attract interest in the popular areas of fashion, sports, social life, big news and competitions. I have used a white background as I felt it appeared more clean cut, however I did use some effects to make the background more visually appealing.I have used brush strokes which have been shadowed, and the texture has been changed in order to add contrast to a blank background. Onto the white background I have used a swirl of a black colour to contrast from the red of the strokes. The 'MARCH 2010' has had several effects added to it, such as drop shadow, bevel and emboss and it has been sharpened.

In conclusion, I feel this I feel this is a suitable poster as it continues the theme of dots between the newspaper and website, which would enable people to relate each together. It has details of what will be featured in the issue in short and snappy headlines. The BIG STEPS is central to the page so it is clear what is being promoted. 

Improvements I could make given more time could be aspects such as placing a cost, or the mention that the newspaper is free. I perhaps would have also taken the chance to spend more time on photoshop, maybe involving some of my own images in the poster.

Final front page of newspaper

This is the final copy of the front page of my newspaper. I have included the chosen 3 articles on my front page, which do not appear crowded or too far apart. The masthead I designed previously in photoshop has been used with a black background to ensure it stands out more, and to follow to colour scheme of red and black. The pictures used on the front page are both highly relevant to the articles, the size showing the importance of each. Throughout my advertising I hope to include a pattern of dots, as I feel it looks modern and appealing. At the bottom of the page I have included a lure to attract my audience to read the newspaper. This again follows the colour scheme of red and black and uses dots symmetrically to look good visually. The lure's are briefly introduced, as the aim would be to entice readers to find the article and begin reading. I have included a promotion for a Valentines Day restaurant offer, as my newspaper would be distributed previous to this. Given more time, I will improve this as I feel it has not been done to the best of my ability.  In the bottom right hand corner I have included a black dot with bold white text, promoting the fact it is a free newspaper, which should appeal to students budget lifestyle.

Text and aspects of front page

In order to ensure my newspaper appeals to the correct audience I will have to include pictures and headlines that will cause interest. Therefore I brainstormed several headlines...

1. SOUTHEND RESIDENTS OPPOSE STUDENT ‘EYESORE'
2. LOCAL HERO SAVES FRIEND FROM BURNING  CAR   
3. STUDENT COMEDY CLUB CALLS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS!
4. VIRUS TAKES DOWN CAMPUS!
5. STUDENT FINANCE LEAVE THOUSANDS WITH NO MONEY!

In the end I chose headlines 1, 2 and 3; writing these articles to go with them. 

 SOUTHEND RESIDENTS OPPOSE STUDENT ‘EYESORE

    Angry residents of Southend yesterday protested against the new student campus, just walking distance from the college and high street.
The new campus features coloured blocks placed in horizontal and vertical positions. It has been built to house students studying at South East Essex College, which is also a University and is expected to hold 250 - 500 students.
    The campus, which is yet to be completed, has been protested since the initial idea. Shop owners and local residents have complained it does not fit with the style of Southend’s architecture, and will put off future tourists. Another source of recent complaints has been the use of colourful blocks, which shop owners have said is ‘unattractive and uneeded’. A statement given by Vera Lang, an elderly resident of Southend said that ‘Southend is a traditional seaside town, and it’s growing student status will sacrifice tourists.’
    Sources from the college gave us a statement in which they said they felt the post modernist  design of the building was a symbol of Southend’s status as a student town. 

 LOCAL HERO SAVES FRIEND FROM BURNING  CAR  

A hero who saved his friend from a burning car was last night being considered for a bravery award after risking his life. Rick Wakerly told of his ordeal after Murray Bass, 19, was trapped unconscious in the burning wreck.
The crash happened in Ramsden Bellhouse in the early hours of 5th January, after Mr Bass returned from his DJ job at Stock Brook Manor. The cause of the crash is yet to be established, however it is believed the poor weather conditions were involved.
Mr Bass has been placed in a coma after suffering a punctured lung, a broken jaw and bleeding to the brain. The impact of his injuries are yet to be determined.
Rick, 20, told of moments after the crash. “I was following him in my car, and saw his car had crashed into a telegraph pole and had set alight. I jumped out and tried to open the door, but it was jammed. I could see he was bleeding and unconscious so didn’t think twice about pulling him out”

STUDENT COMEDY CLUB CALLS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS!

Billericay comedy club - also known as the Loose Goose Comedy Club last week called for students of South East Essex College to get involved in the latest search to find an up and coming student comedian in Essex. The Loose Goose comedy club is held once a month at The Ivory Rooms,  featuring known comedians from all over the UK. Created and Compared by Sharon Andrews, she revealed the comedy club needs “fresh meat” to continue successfully at this venue, popular with the younger age group. All applications can be received through email or applying via the website.