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Final Project

After some quick edits and frustrating corrections, I present to you the March 2018 issue of  Stagger!

https://www.flipsnack.com/staggermagazine/work-on-this-one.html

Telling The Story

This article is very important. It impacts not only my grade, but it is the story of a very close friend. She has given me the privilege to publicize her private and honorable story. The purpose for this piece is to inspire others. Even though this is a school project and is limited to a small audience, I still want to give a good story so I can fulfill the purpose. Here is the back of the book summary:

Iniya lived in South India for the first 10 years of her life. Being part of a big family has influenced her view of the world immensely. Knowing that every relative was only at most 4 hours away reassured her that no matter what, she would have her family to support her daily. The opportunity for a new job in the United States prompted her father to uproot the family for a promised better life. Iniya never comprehended the shift of customs that were placed upon her by the American society. Only realizing it after 2 years of maintaining an "apple pie" life.

I don't want to release any more details about my article, so I guess you'll just have to come back next week to see it!

Good News and Bad News

I always like to end positive so here comes the bad news:

I have yet to be satisfied with my Table Of Contents! I find that by limiting it to one page, it looks a bit less elegant and "simple" than how it looked before. Not only that, but I need to find a way to state that that page is indeed the table of content, since it isn't as clear as it was before. To resize everything and move it to make room for the heading is going to be SO annoying and frustrating! This table of content has become a NIGHTMARE!

But onto better news!

The advertisement and layout for the two page spread is ready. I believe the layout is perfect, but knowing myself, I'll keep editing the advertisement a bit more from time and time, nonetheless the general idea is there.

Following the black on the right and white on the left theme I created a while back, the advertisement holds a black boarder. The biggest issue I had was finding the main advertisement line. There was a lot of confusion. I first had the idea of "You're safe on our wings", but a close friend believed that this hinted at the fact that the passengers would be placed ON the wings of the plane. Of course she knew what I meant, but she suggested "You're safe with our wings." I don't know about anyone else, but that sounded a bit strange to me. In order to avoid all confusion and awkwardness, I opted out for the phrase seen above.

Now layout!

 

I wanted to keep it an even number of pages, so I thought about removing the page of just a large image in order to avoid another page full of words, but I couldn't. Since I am making a photojournalistic magazine, images are a must. Not only that, but the stories should be longer. My magazine isn't made for minor stories, therefore the amount of information presented should reflect that.

I'm starting to see the finish line, but I still have a lot to do. Gotta keep focused!

Buffering

I'm a bit behind schedule.. Thankfully I delegated two weeks for "review", also known as "Just incase I need more time", which clearly I do.
Coming back into class, it was pointed out that my two page table of content may not be as finished as I thought. The lines on each side of the page align with each other, but that may be the biggest issue. In a traditional magazine, The crest between pages will eat away a bit of the pages and lift them too. This combination will jagger the lines of the table of content, therefore it will take the readers a bit more trouble to associate with page goes with which story.
After many different variations, I untimely have to make my table of content on one page. Having my table of content on one page is a bit difficult for me. If I'm thinking about adding a description to each story, the one page will definitely be overcrowded! Yet that isn't my major problem. Some of the titles are too long, hence the page number won't fit.
In trying to find a suitable way to create my table of content, the problem of what will replace the other page of the magazine presented himself. Of course the only answer is an ad, but that just adds to the things I must complete, and I am already lagging behind.
As mentioned before, I was ready to complete one ad (which I have) but to complete two!? Looking for a way not make another ad, I opted to making the "two-page story" into a four pages. By doing so, there is no need for an advertisement. However, this does mean I have to write more, and since this is the number one thing I dread, it was a sacrifice I needed to do.
I hope that when writing about Iniya's experience in moving to the united states it will be easier as it is in my head.

Final Table Of Contents

As mentioned before, I needed to revaluate my table of content. It lacked pages, appropriate images, page numbers for the images, and the sizing was too big. Seeing that I only gave myself 3 days to work on the table of content, I shouldn't be surprised it didn't excel my expectations.

Now that I have given myself more time to generate story titles and I've been given feedback on how to move forward, my table of content is finally complete.

Seeing that I needed more stories and pages, I made the decision to thin out the black and white spacers. A member of the group meeting suggest that a description for each title would be appreciated. At first I didn't really think descriptions would be necessary and there was no room to put them in after the thinning, yet as shown above, there was, after all, some room. Although I do believe that the text cluster the page more than I would normally like it to, the title's do require a caption to express the intent of the magazine.
The text and style of the layout was not the only thing redone. I finally was able to fill out the pictures on the left side of the table of content! The toughest part was associating an image with the "Family vs. Individualism" story (page 85). I was between a family portrait or the image seen in the page. The deciding factor was that a majority of the family members would not be clearly visible, due to the fact that the framing would obstruct the view, removing all meaning to the picture.
Overall, I believe that my table of content is differently unique and informative. It maintains true to the image of Stagger and of myself. I'm glad I had the opportunity to re-examine the table of content before having to turn it in.



One point to my past planner self. Zero for my panicked future self.

Layout

Knowing that writing isn't my strong suit, I encouraged the completion of the two page spread by starting to put together the layout.
In learning about the different elements of a magazine, the most important thing to keep in mind is to have your text flow. One wants to avoid overwhelming the readers with too much information, therefore the occasional break of images avoids this issue. Furthermore, grids for text is the best way to guide the readers, so that each column break transitions them to the next column with no confusion.
Since Stagger maintains a photojournalistic genre, images are a must for the the two page spread.

I know that I will be working with the "My New Identity" story, therefore my text will consist of personal re-encounterments of the subject's experience. I'm thinking either interview style or personal story/telling. I'll decide soon.
Keeping you updated!