Project Summary
Kyanisha Morgan
This project has been a great experience in terms of self study and moving on to the final stages of the course. This project has been my favourite so far in terms of the projects this year, as it has meant exploring avenues that you are interested in. I have really enjoyed putting this magazine together and finding the content as publication work is something that I would like to explore in the future.
I chose to do a magazine inspired by A Magazine, I wanted to create a publication around an idea or thought rather than fashion itself to push myself as I seem to be drawn to things that are mainly editorial and serious in terms of fashion. I have found that through doing a publication on a similar basis as A Magazine interesting and also challenging as it has lead me to find things that are art based and also to find information that isn’t strictly fashion. I have also looked at symbols and tried to think in a non-literal sense about my subject and display it that way.
I chose to base my publication around the idea of the Greek definition of love, which is split into four: Affection, Sexual, Friendship and Unconditional love. This is something that I have enjoyed immensely as I have been able to explore something that’s quite personal and beautiful.
I have enjoyed creating a publication that is more conceptual rather than mainstream fashion/ commercial as it is more in a sense fine art based. It’s something that is out of my comfort zone and I would like to think that it worked. I wanted to create something that was relatable to people in terms of the content and also something that my audience could interact with if they wish, through the use of quizzes and cut outs.
The reason that I wanted it to be this way is because I feel that most magazines portray that they send out a certain message, when in actual fact they don’t stay true to it. Also I personally find that just looking and reading things without a full sense of touch or smell is less interesting which is why I wanted cut outs. If I had the money to do it I’d have loved to explore 3-d imagery within publications and think of scented things to include or something.
I look at A Magazine as a big inspiration as it covers the main aspects of major fashion magazines with fashion editorials etc. , but it then goes one step further with the person that is curating the issue making their issue personal. This is through them picking out editorials that inspire them, interviewing people they admire. This makes it something that is a one off and a collectors item, which is something I would like to see my publication as rather than a disposable monthly and seen as fast fashion and a way of advertising the latest fads.
I feel that I let myself down in terms of my magazine due to delaying doing work, this was due to not knowing if I could do my idea or not after emailing tutors. I feel that I should have just taken initiative and started the project rather than holding out for an answer, as I started coming up with other ideas and routes to explore later on through out the unit that I didn’t have time to do due to me leaving it late to start the project. Because of the email response I got for my initial idea I had to go into university for a tutorial to see if I could do my idea. I got the go ahead. I have to say the tutorial itself was one of the most unpleasant and antagonizing experiences I have had.
While I took on board what I was told there were unnecessary comments made, proving why I didn’t want to go and speak to that certain member of staff as I do not want unnecessary, catty comments made about how my main achievements are learning to walk and talk.
My organisation and planning for this project has been poor. Once again faulted by the fact I started the project late but also because even though I had made lists on what I had to do on specific days I never completed the lists fully and also I took up extra activities (work shifts, assisting) through the project which meant that time was eaten up which I should have spent on the project.
I did however when starting the project make a brainstorm of initial ideas that I wanted to cover and also to expand on for magazine content. This did help me greatly when it came to putting it all together.
For my project I asked two people to collaborate with me in content for my publication, I asked a friend to illustrate for me and also another to contribute some images and for me to interview her.
I found some areas harder to find content for and research into (unconditional and affectional love.) These are my smaller sections also due to me struggling with finding content matched with lack of time I had made for myself to find content. I had thought of other ideas that I wanted to include into the sections such as funny pet pictures into the affectional love and post it notes with peoples personal definitions of unconditional love down but I didn’t have time to include them. I also took out other pages like an illustration I did myself and a flat packed fortune teller as they didn’t go and also I didn’t know how to make on a professional looking level.
I have expressed my working journey on a level of what I have done on those days of my entry, I haven’t written about my ideas or possible ideas so much in it and I also know that I haven’t dedicated much time to my journal as I should have done in this unit, ESPECIALLY as it is a reflective unit. This I am sure will reflect poorly in my grade.
I feel as if I have reflected slightly more in my postings on specific things on my blog/online sketchbook (A new format I thought I would try out as most publications have an online platform, and also I was curious to test out how it would work after spending the past two years mainly using sketchbooks and previous projects this year experimenting with learning folders.)
One thing I have noticed about keeping an online sketchbook is that it is harder to see everything as a whole, but a pro is that it has made my work look neater as it is organised into sections and looks way more professional, which I really like.
I am happy with my publication. I know this could have been done better if I had started the project earlier but also if the project itself was longer as I do feel that 3/4 weeks to create a magazine is rather short, especially when we’ve had projects that have felt like they should have been shorter, some of the time used for them could have been dedicated into helping us grow and explore a more independent route of learning. Also I think more time would be vital in terms of collaborations due too other people’s commitments.
One thing I know has let me down and I wish I could have done is the lack of styled shoots in my magazine. This is something I would like to try out next time as this project has made me think that a publication is a possible route I could go down for my final project.
Also I photographed a lot of things for my magazine on a disposable camera as I like the way the photo’s come out and the photo’s were either too dark or didn’t come out and I left it too late too re-shoot. This is something that has let me and my magazine down, as it would have looked so much better and less bare than it is.
I think that my magazine on a whole the concept of it is strong as it is something that is created for the reader to engage in and can relate to as I have tried to feature people in that anyone can empathise with. Not any models anyone too mega as I want it to be personal to people from all walks of life in some way or another. I think it is appropriate for an older audience than myself but I do feel that it needs to be refined as some of my ideas in it may seem rather childish and inappropriate.
If I could do it differently I would put more time into it as it is something I have really enjoyed and also I would love to put money into it and explore different types of media and materials that I can put into and onto paper and actually print for people to interact with.
I feel that this is something that I will continue outside of university even if it is not my final project as I have always wanted to play around and create something that could be published. I have already started to think of possible ideas that could be used for my final project and things that I would like to include that involve more intricate work.
N/A Magazine 