Progress

Design specification almost complete - done but very messy.

Converstations with developer- will report on progress.

Sketches of layout and design - to be scanned and posted once find a new scanner or alternative.

Content retrieval - still on going

Photos - Photos for cover and insides to be taken at the right opportunitys.

Graphics for the website and for the cover- to be designed further soon.

Written content - write content for articles section (also take photos for and relevant info).

Contact with designers - once I have gotten further with the tasks above I will start communicating with designers for profiles and interviews.

Presentation blues

Wasn't able to present my 'work in progress presentation', but it was for the best, letting my project develop at its own pace instead of cutting corners or rushing work to be able to show more visuals. I was blue, as extentions are new to me and not much liked, though presenting when I go back after half term is good, I will have visual work to show- designs and I would be full in the design stage, looking forward to.

Issue ideas

I brainstormed loads of ideas for the previous proposal magazine topics and noted them but for this proposal I havent noted them on this blog, my bad.

I know the first three are

Paper - so much can be down with paper in design and art, this one might be my favourite soon see, will include simple projects like origami but also slightly more complex ones, like creating something from cutting out a shape from a piece of paper, with the cut out bit still connected, theres an artist who does this but its stunning and inspiring, perfect to mention maybe Ill try and do a profile on the artist. I'm looking forward to this one.

Grafetti- I think ill do this one as its definatley a talking point, which is what I want not only for the readers to view images and learn new techniques, ideas but also discuss design topics, is grafetti bad good? can you call it art? etc, but also ill include street art, and grafetti on more than walls, clothing design, and projects such as grafetti for excersize books and poster art.

Recycle - an issue on reuseing materials for design, show examples and easy projects. Also a good discussion topic for the blog. I like the idea of reusing lego as dominos by just adding on stickers, I think I posted an image earlier.

These are definate.

Other ideas for issues include:

Type
3d - look at movies, look at old 3d through red blue glasses.
color
sound
flash
best of digital design
animation
comic/storyboarding art
texture
doodles
pattern
collarge
advert
pixel
think-an inspiration issue
experiemental design
influences from culture - america, china, japan, brazil, europe, etc.
photography fun
promote - how they can make a difference, promoting themselves.

This is the fun thinking but cant collect too much content, ill do the three months for the hand in so it will cover the end of my time at uni, then I can always research and collect info during the summer for the following issues.

Scanner crisis

Really it seems to one problem after another, I must have broke a ton of mirrors or was cursed by wrong doings in a previous life, unluckyness follows me. My scanner broke, it was a crap one so doesn't surprise me, though it was only bought recently so it shouldn't have.

I needed it to scan in the sketches for the layout, the sketch for the marketing material and pages of designs that have caught my eye and are some what relevant in getting across the design in mind for this project. Oh and any further sketches or things I see.

This is a problem, I don't know how to fix, I wouldn't say there is any close internet cafes with scanners? actually there proberly is but I cant see myself doing that and scanners in uni, I cant even log in so use of the scanners is even more impossible, unless I befriend someone but I'm not in uni long enough. Ponder Ponder, I try giving my scanner a good shake up, though at the moment the sound it is emitting is pounding my head. I would look at picking up a cheap scanner but I still have study material to buy, and that was a cheap scanner and it lasted a piterful amount of time.

Something to ponder further I can't think, with the noise its making.

Extention?

Looks like I have no choice but to ask for an extention for the work in progress presentation, I juggled so much especially trying to catch up, I failed to spot the deadline in time, for anything decent, I'm disappointed but couldn't have been helped. I didn't think I would ever ask for one on this module but my minor, multimedia computing I don't relate well to so its hard as it is but when its research based it almost is impossible, (i cant read well any more, cause of my learning difficulty) and this has had a knock on effect with this module.

It was only at the end of the summer I was dignosed with a learning disability and its has taken time to be able to work with it, even now im still behind. Hopefully next semester when I start new modules I can get a bulk of work done for double project, I wanted to spend more time on this module than what I have done, but I am still looking forward to doing the designs and putting the content up and putting it all together, and I hope to carry on the magazine beyondmy time at university.

All I have to do now is email Vicky, I hate asking for extentions, I haven't ever done in previous years, so its new to me but I dont like it, no choice, in order to catch up with my project timing and get fair grades I have to. Ill post how it goes.

Designers contacts

Because I changed my proposal for the project, some of my work was wasted, I had been gathering contacts of educational figures to contribute knowledge, project ideas etc, but now because of the change I have been collecting designers contacts instead, I will do this untill I have a spread of designers from different aspects of design, then I will send them all out a contact asking to include them in the magazine in the form of a profile or interview. The wasted time couldn't have been avoided I'm glad I changed the project idea.

As for the list of contacts, which is growing all the time, this won't be used untill the design specification is handed over, as its the priority. This task has been done instead of high agenda its been done during my time spent on the computer in general, I visit alot of designer portfolios, blogs etc, so its been an easy task, just jotting done names numbers etc.

The kinda of email will be just something allong the lines of asking if they would like to feature in a magazine aimed at the early creatives, just answering a few questions a profile about your design. Who am I, a sentence will do, Then say more about the magazine what it covers whats its purpose and follow up with I would like you to feature within the magazine even if you can just give a word or two of advice to young creatives.

tadaa, well a bit better written though, but nothing written to formal, I always get a better response back by email when I'm a little more human in a email.

The designers I hope to feature, will be designers that specialize in

webdesign
experiemental design
game design
photographers
illustrators
video design
packaging design
Graphic design
animators
character design
identity design
advertising

Fields that primary school kids can relate to, product design for example less so, as its something a primary school kids might not have the means to experiement or explore. Video design I have included as primary school kids are very aware of video, even if the issue is mainly about showing how the mtv videos are designed, or the tv adverts are done.

I must admit I have more illustrators and graphic designers contacts than any other designers. Though graphic design is a good type of design for getting interest, as its so relatable, drawing isn't hard I would say but time consuming, and children can see that and are more willing to give it a go.

youngCREATIVE structure

I haven't as yet really commented on the structure of I wouldn't say the magazine as thats only one part I would say of the artifact that is youngcreativemag.co.uk.

Well the website structure that the online magazine is part of is broken up into sections of the website, The magazine is one section, the blog to accompany the magazine topics is another section, the third is archives, this would be previous magazine issues, then the final would be a contact section.

Within the magazine section the content is broken up into, the different forms,

article- this would be a article written by me, to inspire, would include photos, it might be upon an exhibition, things a primary school kid maynot have access to but is interested in, it could be just to show different things to inspire or to promote talk within a topic, might be linked the months topic.
profile / interview - it might be one some months the other other months, but would consist oif information on designers in perticular fields, showing some of their work.
projects - how to tutorials, or ideas that the user can try.
links - links for further reading or websites under the months topic.
Recommendations - within the months issue, any recommendations such as books, places to visit etc.
resources - extra resources such as templates.

Under the blog section, well a blog, but every month I will post entries of images of links or questions for anyone reading to ponder or talk about, but the blog will be open, so if the user is stuck on a topic, or wants to know something perticular, they could post querys to be answered or they can email me work that they have done and I will post it up, Its very open, but I will put on a log in to post, so I can control it in part.

I though I would mention the structure and my ideas as I am working on the design specification and twinning features etc. But the above is guarenteed to be featured.

Photo ready

Allong with the website I bought a digital SLR, its a beauty, with a nice lens. Been waiting ages to get the one I was after, now I am ready for the time I need to take pictures for the covers and for the articles and of any bits that I recommend. But they will be beautiful photos and do the website proud. A magazine has to have good photos. Though not studio perfect I dont have those resources on hand.

Website crisis over

I own www.youngcreativemag.co.uk , its mine, finally the previous crisis has been sorted. I've only just paid so by tommorrow its should have all gone though. yeh.

Cover design

The design I had in mind for the cover, which would be on the index and maybe a thumbnail on the website, which will be modified for a main graphic header on the main mage.

It will consist of a bold photo on the topic featured by the magazine monthly, for the recycle issue it could be some dustbins, but hopefully professional looking photo. Then I will take it into photoshop play with it then into illustrator and I will add graphics over the top, this is really popular at the moment, I like this style, but in mind its something I done as a child doodling over the newspaper/magazine images with a biro or ink pens (even though you later realized the ink didnt dry and it ended up on anyone who touched it, including your lower arm as you were drawing), in other words its something relatable, a primary school child can look at it at see how it was done.

Some examples

I love this its done by Container
http://container.me.uk







More sutle, done by designchapel.

















Vault49 - pieces done for VH1, they have many alike for different projects.

Found my mink

The font I fell for but just couldn't get hold of, a friend had on their new laptop (it came as standard), maybe it once was on mine but I have so many fonts stored it probally got moved onto disk and lost. I dont care cause I have it, yippie!

Design in mind ++++++

Colour

Like I've mentioned before the foreground will be white and the background a pattern/ texture.

The main colours I have in mind are CYMK, in use of the menu, to seperate up the sections, though maybe a more dirty yellow more mustard.

A grey in use as a core colour but different shades.

Though I took a swatch of something I like:

Maybe its the colours but then maybe its the texture to the colour I like and the white in the image is slightly gradiented but it still has a crisp feel to it. Colour I can always experiment with later on, especially adding texture later on.

Design in mind +++++

Features that are more closey knit with the structure include the following, they also can really bring elements together-

Shapes over images:
(goes well with the crisp whitespace).






















(the large number over really looks good, maybe for an issue no).












(although in this image its a menu the transparent retangular shape looks well over the image, though a tad darker would look great).


Perfect alignment:

(with more whitespace, I would prefer fro my project, but this works well when square images and photos and plain colors are boxed up).




































A more unusual feature is a post it note doodle/illustration for a header image for the article section:















(cute).

Design in mind ++++

More features that are maybe maybe nots but have caught my eye for this project:

Corner labels:






























(maybe on images or for the title?)


Labels when rollover images or buttons:










The dashed line: (to seperate sections?)




Image thumbnails/ multiple thumbnails:

















Arrows/ highlighted text:

Design in mind +++

Ways to emphasis text but also features that would bring the design together.

Star graphics:









Simple shapes for text:
















A side tag:














speech graphics:



























Icons:








Date in a box: (I like it, maybe for the bottom or for the blog?)

Design in mind ++

Talking about menus, heres just some styles that caught my eye, that might might not work but worth looking at!

Tab menu:






3d boxed/ key:





















Simple menu:








Text menu:













Icon simple menu:









Realistic textured menu:





Again the menu is key, I want something simple as it is for a magazine, though none of these are overly complex, there might be elimated for being too much, as I need two menus a side menu for the blog and content and a main menu for the different sections. Though for the moment I just need to measure the location and size of the menu buttons, I can always place the design in after.

Design in mind +

The back ground swatches, Im thinking pattern for the website background which will contrast against a crisp white foreground.

Square dotted:


























Cork and board:

















Angular pattern:

























I'm not sure which I like the most, though this decision can be left till last in the design, once all the other elements are in place, (the menu is key) each would have a totally different fill to the online magazine design.

Design in mind

Ive been collecting swatches and ideas for the kinda design I have in mind for the online magazine. But was leaving it for the design stage but upon working on the design specification, I cant list measurements if I don't work out the exact design. So thats what I am doing now, going through the design elements so I can get the design specification done as soon as possible. Once I have worked out the measurements I will hand the structure development to the developer, which I will mention how I found the developer once my parts handed over.

So the following posts will be design elements, that may or maynot be used but there form caught my eye for the magazine design.

Basically Im thinking chrisp white magazine back with sharp colors and shapes, though maybe with an angular pattern on the main background (white on top). I don't want mass colour overdone to appeal to kids, I want a more grown up design, thats I've seen been used for teenagers alot especially from the 80s, less neon though. Kids are better at knowing good design from bad design, so putting more design input into a older kids artifact I hope to prove works.

So the following posts will show these elements, then the posts after will be the idea I have for the cover and what I currently have in mind for the marketing material.

Status

This weeks task is completing the project design specification to hand over, needs specific layout, type and colour and measurements, allong with the summary of the task, the purpose, basically what I'm looking for/ how I want it to turn out.

On top of collecting resources for 3 months content. Maybe some more detailed sketches and swatches/ styles/ graphic ideas for my project. To make the time after I get the shell back from the developer I already have parts ready to place straight up.

Mink heaven

MINK – looking for a main font for an online magazine is tricky, but key. I have a billion fonts however none of these clicked with what I had in mind, I looked through free fonts available but again nothing, either too plain or too elaborate, the type had to be thick, simple lettering with something different to the rounding of the letters, so key letters in the title stand out, but a type that works smaller for headings.

I spotted a dreamy font, perfect for my needs, love it, though it comes at a cost. I could always replicated something similar though a slight change would destroy the font besides I need all characters including numbers and symbols, which would take up quite a bit of time, especially as I’m very fussy. So it looks like I’m buying the font, its worth it.

Web address crisis

THIS IS A MUCH OLDER POST WHICH WAS WRITTEN NOW AND ONLY JUST UPLOADED


Well it was a crisis at the time, it was after I changed my idea to young creative magazine, I decided upon youngcreative.co.uk, the same name as the magazine exact and .co.uk as it will be clearly British design in branding, it could always be expanded and then become .com, but as to start on something manageable and recognisable, especially when I advertise it to children. The web address had to be short and clear, basically obvious to know as long as you remember the magazine name. It was going well, the web address was available, but the day before I went to purchase the web address it was bought up. What could I do next, I played with changing the magazine name but nothing stuck, it had to be that name, but if I added characters to the address name then the easy recognition will disappear. Eventually I saw light when I looked at many magazine web addresses, like digit magazine which adds mag on the end, if the address is stated on the advertising and a mention to add as a favourite is on the site then it might just work, www.youngcreativemag.co.uk, is available, I hope to snap it up soon.

Type

Typefaces I'm keen on,

VAGRundschiftD














Square 721 BT














Pump Demi Bold let














BN Cosmic girl






I like them because they are simple but attention to the edging, whether its extra curve to the edges or an extra stretch to the characters. This would be for the magazine name, but thinner versions for the main headers.