evaluation
techniques
For this project, especially in setting up this document, I practiced using parent pages, and other features I didn’t normally use or wasn’t as familiar with in InDesign. For example the effects available on InDesign, I tended to not use as I really only used the feature in Photoshop or Illustrator. On the final draft I wanted to focus on employing an organized work flow. It was definitely something I had to strive to work on and be concious of, but I’d say that my work is pretty organized in respective layers. I also made sure to place files and use links so that I may work nondestructively and so that I can tweak minor things without major issues, or lengthening work time..
objectives problems
I was originally stuck between two ideas, one that I was more excited to work on but didn’t have creative flow with which would have been the anARTchy magazine. I ended up choosing the first idea I had, so I wanted this magazine to focus on social change and activism in pop culture. I wanted it to be fun-leaning, but clean and still trendy in a way. Also something that could be malleable in it’s look but still recognizable from issue to issue.
This project is unfortunately the first project in which I had a major scare, I had accidentally caused water damage to my laptop which resulted in the keyboard getting broken, and thus getting locked out, inable to access my files. Thankfully it miraculously decided to work again as of a few hours ago so I was able to put my all into finishing, but now I know to prioritize having different places where my files live, or having multiple ways to access documents so that it doesnt happen again. I also want to try keeping my backups and saves to another external place as well which woud help me from needing to completely backtrack again. I felt super creatively blocked and had a hard time pushing, for both of the ideas I had in the last draft. It was hard to put myself in the right headspace to just keep working and trying anything at all. It’s easy for me to sit and overthink, so just moving things and experimenting, even when I’m not confident could really help keep my workflow going.
successes
I’m super happy with the style I ended up finding for this project. I think it conveys what I wanted it too, it’s trendy and a little eccentric, but not too much that it doesn’t feel serious. I think it’s well organized too, and I utilized the space and layout I decided upon well. One thing already I’m noticing pre-critique is that my selling line should probably be up top next to the masthead, but I generally enjoy the way this project turned out. I’m also happy with simply how organized I was on this project compared to my work before, and that I was able to prioritize what I had set out to do technique wise, and tool-wise in what I wanted to utilize.
