Screenshot 1: I began the construction of my front cover by filling the background in black; I then inserted a masthead, a tag line and a bar code which are three main conventions of a magazine cover. I created the masthead by using dafont.com, and decided on this typeface because a survey I conducted showed this was the most popular one. Conventionally, the masthead has been placed right at the top and the tag line directly below it in small print, consisting of the date and the price. The date and price (particularly the price) are always printed in small letters on the cover so that peoples' eyes aren't immediately attracted to the cost and put off by it. I decided to write my tag line in italics however, because my SurveyMonkey results revealed that readers find a variety of fonts on a page more visually attractive instead of just one. The bar code has been positioned in the bottom left hand corner because this is the easiest place for a cashier to scan it at the till. 
Screenshot 2: Next I inserted my main image, a mid close-up of the lead singer of the band camouflage. I got rid of the background by using the lassoo tool and finally used the black brush tool to get rid of any excess particles. Conventionally, the cover image is supposed to be directly in the centre with cover lines on either side, however I placed mine on the right hand side. This is because I wanted the cover lines and photograph to be separate and not overlap so each would stand out more: text is easier to read on a plain black background rather than on top of a picture. Unlike most issues of NME, I ensured that the image didn't overlap the masthead because Electric isn't a well-known magazine yet so people need to see the text. I then inserted the subheading (the band name Camouflage) in a large, white sans serif typeface so it's easy to read on the page and is a different colour to the masthead so it's easy to read. Screenshot 3: Here I increased the brightness and contrast levels of my photo to make the edges blend in more with the dark background. It also made her make-up look more enhanced and her skin glow more, which is needed for a more professional-looking photograph.
Final Construction
Contents Page
Screenshot 1: Initially, I wanted to use the same newspaper-format contents page as NME. There was an issue with this however because after giving it n attempt on Photoshop, I decided that this style may appear too formal and potentially put off our 13-17 year old audience. The serif font alongside the plain white background and the neatly-aligned boxes would probably appeal to a more mature audience, i.e. those who read Gramophone, whereas a younger audience would prefer something more vibrant and eye-catching. On my second attempt however, I kept the layout exactly the same: the main article still directly below the contents' title with three smaller articles down the right hand side, then an advertisement and a "plus" column placed below the main article. I planned that the advertisement would offer free band t-shirts because over half of my SurveyMonkey participants said that this is the free gift which would entice them to read a magazine the most. I also planned for the advert to be placed in a different-coloured text box to the rest so it'd stand out more and grab peoples' attention as soon as they opened the page.
Screenshot 2: Here I decided to change the background from white to red because red is a vivid colour which matches the magazine's title 'Electric'. I also replaced the old text with a sans serif font from dafont.com, so it'd appear more enticing to our young audience (i.e. more friendly and less formal). I chose the typeface 'Mukokuseki Kitchen' because it was clear and easy to read, as well as the fact that I wanted to keep a paintbrush-stroke theme consistent throughout the entire contents page. As you can see, I changed the previous article boxes into smudges of black paint which I found on Google images. This is because in my main article, the band Camouflage are looking for new sites to film future music videos, and a lot of these feature graffiti art. Graffiti is a modern form of art which is often associated with teenagers, so I thought that subtly using this would entice a teenage audience. The rough edges also connote the ruggedness often associated with rock music, and make it appear so much less formal than plain, square boxes. The article boxes are however placed in exactly the same place as they were before, with the largest one being saved for the main article. 
Screenshot 3: Next I inserted the three images for my main articles: I did this by getting rid of the background of the photographs and just keeping the artists themselves. I used the araser tool on 100% opacity to completely get rid of the background, then turned it down to 30% to gently erase round the artists (particularly on my main article's photo) to make the edges of the photos look faded so they blend into the black boxes they've been placed on. I then used transform > scale to reduce the size of the images and move them to the appropriate place on the page. Initially the photos were going to be placed at the top of the box (like in NME), but I moved them to the bottom because the two top photos were mid-shots only showing half their bodies, and it'd look strange if they were floating at the top of the box with their legs cut off. Finally, I used image > adjustments > brightness/contrast to increase the brightness and contrast levels on each of my images and make them stand out on the page. I made sure that I left about half the box free for the text of the heading and caption for each featured article. Final Construction
Final copy of first draft: Next, I inserted a heading and subheading for each of my featured articles. The headings have the typeface Impact whilst the brief captions use the font Franklin Gothic Book. I made sure these were both easily readable sans serif fonts to attract our young target audience, and ensured that there was minimal text on the page because of a teenagers' potetntially short attention span. I also added a plus column (which is conventional to NME)written in Stencil Std. To the left of it I inserted my advertisement by using the same paint smear photograph I used for my other featured article boxes, but used the magic wand tool and the fill tool to turn it white. This is so it stands out on the page and you're immediately attracted to it: free gifts are a key selling point for teenagers. The text is in block capitals and is the largest piece of text on the page (excluding the main heading) in order to grab your eye. I also inserted the page numbers below each featured box which was different to what I initially planned: they were going to be in their own within my article box, however I experimented with this and there wasn't enough room in the boxes. The numbers also didnt stand out because they blended in with my images, so I decided to place them straight on the background where they're easily visible.
Final Construction
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