I made the most changes from my first to my final article. Comments from my classmates were the most helpful when editing this portion of my magazine, and they promoted personal feedback. I also created my final article by incorporating features from both my first and second drafts. It is worth noting that I changed the order of the pages from my first to my final article, and I added two more pages to my final.
First Article vs. Final Article
From changing the order of the pages to adding an extra section, my final article is very different from my first (for the better). On the first page, I like how I removed the white box under the title and changed "Special Edition" to a lighter shade of pink and the font of "Oreo Cheesecakes"; the box was distracting and unnecessary, the lighter shade of pink was easier to see over the dark blue background, and the newer font looked friendlier. One of my favorite additions is the detail of the Oreo in replacement of the "O" in the title of my article and under the numbered list on page 69. They add depth to my pages due to the addition of stylistic features. The Oreos are also visually appealing, relate to my theme, and replace conventional formatting techniques. On the page beside it, I received the suggestion to add emphasis to certain words in my introduction paragraphs. Emphasis was a necessary change, considering there was a large amount of text in one area, and the typography was dull. It also entices my audience since the words that appeal to emotion are more visible. They may have more interest in reading the introduction to understand why some words are in a different color. The pink color also matches the rest of my predominantly pink magazine. Some of the pages in my article were inconsistent in the amount of white space, a change I didn't realize until class critique. By slightly lowering the font size of text and the width of columns as needed, my magazine looked more appealing; there was a balance between the content and images, and the pages looked less crowded (making my audience more willing to read the text). Showing photos of both a slice and the whole cheesecake was a feature I succeeded in. In particular, I like how I enlarged the image of the cheesecake slice more than the whole cheesecake; the plate was more eye-catching and decorative, and it enhanced the details of the dessert (a factor that would entice my audience to make the recipes). Two of the most significant changes I made in my article were the order of the pages and adding another section. I realized after continuous editing that instead of placing the images that show the final product of the recipes at the beginning of the recipes, they should be at the end; it is more realistic this way to follow the sequential order of the recipe. I also realized that I forgot a crucial portion of my article, showing a store-bought cheesecake and the process of a baker making it. It ties into my interview and encourages amateurs to pursue their goals and become successful bakers (like Nadia). It also shows preparing a cheesecake from a professional's perspective. In general, I like the consistency of the pages in my article—which follow the same format—the quality of my photos, and the balance between text and visuals (it is easier to comprehend the steps in the recipes and the purpose of each page with multiple images).
Despite most of the improvements in my article, I noticed that the image on page 66 appears edited, downgrading the professionalism of my magazine. I made its background transparent in Photoshop to flip the subject horizontally without affecting the rest of the image; I wanted all cheesecake slices to face the same direction to maintain consistency. Since the crust was already partially gone from the bottom of the cheesecake, horizontally flipping it made it more noticeable that not all of the crust was there. Consequently, the cheesecake doesn't look like it fits properly on the plate. Instead, it appears partially in midair. I could've improved this editing flaw by copying the visible part of the crust and pasting it onto the areas without it. If necessary, I can also draw over the bottom of the cheesecake in a dark color (using the Eyedropper tool to find the exact color of the crust). I could've also improved by changing the format of page 69 of my article since I crammed the text and images, and the dimensions of the test boxes aren't pleasing to the eye (the text boxes are small in width and stretched vertically to fit the photos on one page). Another factor I'm not fully satisfied with is that, although I needed to fit the content on 15 pages, my audience may not want to read an article that long.
Overall, I am more pleased with my final article than the first. This version incorporated both my first and second drafts for only the features I liked most. I also used teacher feedback, class critique, and personal ideas to determine the most successful elements of my article and the ways I should edit it. For example, my teacher advised me to remove the image initially on page 59 (the screenshot to the left). Essentially, I took my photo of Nadia by her logo, which I included on page 58 of my article. I then duplicated this photo and made the background transparent, except for her logo. Although I photographed the logo, my teacher told me I shouldn't include it since it doesn't belong to me. Regarding my media studies classmates, they are also creating a magazine. Therefore, they were able to give me their knowledge and tips that I may not have thought of to help me create a more successful magazine. As I realized with my table of contents, I could've improved my magazine by sketching my plans and ideas before applying them to InDesign. I was initially unsure of how I wanted to design my article, hence planning would have made me more prepared. If I had planned, I also wouldn't have forgotten the last section of my article.
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