This is it

This has come to a successful end!

Click here to view my Creative Critical Reflection.

Click here to view my final project.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

-SP

Nervousness runs through my body

     LAST POST BEFORE THE FINAL REVEAL!!! (inside screaming)

     I honestly cannot believe this is almost over. Anyways, the magazine is yet to be completed. I'm panicking a little bit because I haven't completed the cover yet... But don't worry it'll be done and perfect on time.

    Let's clarify some things, RAW is all about organic, natural, and pure ingredients and food. The main target audience is between 20 and 40 years old, mostly women, that want to live a healthier lifestyle. My main purpose is for RAW to be distributed by subscription, online, on farmer's markets, organic supermarkets and some organic restaurants.

     I wanted to discuss a little detail about the cover... I don't plan on placing the barcode in the cover because I believe it would become distracting from the main image. As a result, it will be located in the back along with the price. I don't think that's an issue, in fact, it would be beneficial because I have more space to work with and I won't have the burden of the barcode covering a section of the picture.

     I know I have been showing you pieces of what I have so far but I'm going to place them all together in this post so it becomes easier to visualize how it is turning out.



   


     That's what I have so far and I think it is looking pretty good. Obviously I have a little bit more time to complete the whole thing so some details are subject to change.

I am so excited to show you the final version of RAW very very soon!

Stay tuned

-SP

I'm almost done!

     Remember yesterday when I mentioned something about the interview with the recipe? Well, it's almost ready. I worked all day yesterday on this page...

     Have a look!

     Do you like it? Well there are some things I still need to fix. For example, the text needs to be in a block on the left page so I need to write more words in order for the blocks to look even. Also, when I look at it, it seems to be a little bit text heavy so maybe separating the questions a little bit will help. 

     I really like the details of the circles because it gives the pages a more young and fresh vibe instead of a serious and cold tone to the overall magazine. I'm debating on whether deleting the "Healthy breakfast recipe by @kalaskitchen" because I don't want it to be repetitive, but I don't know what will happen with that. As for the recipe, I'm thinking in making the bottom paragraph two columns so it alleviates a little bit the amount of text on that page and let the reader breath with more white space. 

     I love that picture of my mom because she looks happy and radiant, also she's wearing a bright pink which I incorporated throughout the page in several small details like the arrow and the text below the image. Also, since she's drinking a green smoothie, I also managed to include the bright green in some details like the lines and the text. As you can see, I continued using the bottom details as I've been doing with the rest of the pages so it all has coherence and continuity. 

     As for my mom's picture, I might play with it by zooming in and eliminating the section of the house that shows in the background so it becomes less distracting. 

     I decided to use a white background because I feel that I've used too many pages with full-page backgrounds and I thought that the colors would pop out better in a white backdrop. I think that backgrounds need to be used effectively and not always, for example, I'm thinking on changing the background in the introduction of the interview because it just seems that it is too much with the image on the side already. 

I'm almost ready!

-SP

Tick Tock Tick Tock

     I am freaking out a little bit because the deadline is so close and I'm so unsure of everything right now. I'm in the middle of the production facet of RAW and this is what I have so far. What I plan to do in this post is a deep analysis in everything I've done so far.

The introduction to the interview:



     As you can see, there have been some major improvements and changes. I decided to change the colors in the left page because they correlate to the colors on the food in the consecutive page. Also, as you can see, I made the background picture a little bit more opaque so it wouldn't be distracting at the time of reading the words. I absolutely love the bottom details of the line and the page number, next to the name and issue of the magazine. As you will soon see, that is a constant as you flip through the pages of RAW. On the top left corner of the first page I identified the story as a features article, which is also stated in the table of contents that I will show below. I just think this allows the readers to be clear that what their reading is not a current article but a fun and interesting interview with a suburban mother/chef that adores to cook. As for the picture on the right I chose that primarily because you can clearly see the subject of the interview displaying a plate of her own creation (also my mom made it very clear that she had to approve whatever picture I was planning on placing in the magazine). I don't know yet how I feel about the text on that page... I don't know if it's distracting or if it's right. As for that, maybe I'll take it out or maybe not, I just find it fun to have a small sneak peak of what the interviewee could say in the following pages.
     As I said before, this is the introduction to an interview. So, there are 2 following pages that need to be done after these two. Yup, that's a lot of work to do... Obviously I'm overdoing it but I cannot just leave it here without actually writing the article, for me, it feels wrong (meet my perfectionist side). On the following pages I want to write the interview and maybe adding one of my mom's recipes on the bottom of the second page. Honestly, that's just an idea that is subject to drastic change.

As for the table of contents (I'M IN LOVE WITH MY BABY):



     Honestly, if anyone doesn't like it, I don't need to hear it. I adore my page, it just looks sophisticated, simple, organic, it looks RAW. This is the perfect portrayal of what I envisioned. Obviously inspiration is a major key... in this case it came from this image.

     As you can see, they both embody similar but different ideas. What I changed was not only the color of the pasta but in my picture the pasta is made out only of red and black beans which adds to my theme of organic products. Also, I included more variety of vegetables and drops of salt to add depth and white color to the background. As you can see, the yellow color of the pepper is extremely bright so I connected it with the title of the magazine located on the first page in order for the colors to have combination and make sense. The line between the page numbers is broken so it appears to be scraps on the board made by knives or cooking. Another detail that I adore is the "Table Of Contents" title located on the left page on top of the kitchen towel, specially because it merges with the picture without obstructing any section of the image. 

     There are many magazines that decide to have several pages of table of contents, displaying their features stories in one page and the rest of the articles in the consecutive pages. RAW follows these conventions. The table of contents that I created is mainly for the most prominent feature stories in the magazine while the rest of the table of contents will be located behind this double-page spread. As an example of this convention here is National Geographic and Rolling Stones.

        

Okay guys, see you really soon with more updated and new pages...

-SP

No time

    This weekend was and is still going to be hectic. I need to take all of my pictures but I literally have no time. Also, I have a burrowed camera, which I have to return by Monday. Adding o my problems, I have a wedding on Saturday that starts at 2:00pm until very late at night and on Sunday I work at 1:00pm through midnight... So yeah, I don't know what to do.

     Anyways, on Friday night, I, very diligently, set up my alarm at 10:00am to wake up on Saturday a go straight to take the pictures. However, I unintentionally opened my eyes at 9:00am and couldn't go back to sleep with the thought of all the things I had to do.

     I had a humongous fight with the camera because I don't know how to use it, but I managed to make it work for me. I took around 400 pictures to 5 different objects... That shows how much of a perfectionist I am.

Here are some of the results:

 

    

And this is me taking the pictures:

 

This project is making me anxious!

-SP

A problem sequence

     On Wednesday I was panicking a little bit because I don't have a professional camera to take the pictures. After making a quick survey to all of my friends, turns out, none of them have a camera that I can burrow. I was neglected in using the iPhone camera because I wanted the pictures to be perfect and with the proper quality. Honestly, I had given up until I was in my newspaper class and one girl signed out one of the 3 cameras that the school provided for the newspaper and yearbook class. It was THE "aha moment" I had been waiting for... I, very politely, approached my teacher, Mr. Shannon, and asked to burrow one of the cameras for the weekend for my AICE Media Studies class, when he said yes the big weight on my shoulders faded away. I was happy again.

     Readers, don't be too excited because I have another problem... I don't know how to use a professional camera! Hopefully these two articles have my answers. Thanks again Google.

I'll show you my pictures next post.

-SP

Do you like it?

     So, this week I've made a little bit more progress on the actual magazine pages. Yesterday I felt amazingly attached to Joomag.com and this is what I have managed to create.

    The cover has not a lot of progress because I haven't taken the pictures yet, but the masthead and the border lines are going to be present surely. What I like about the lines is that they enclose the picture better and focus the reader's eyes into the center of the page. Now, consequently I will need to focus the food towards the center of the frame when I take the pictures. The lines are not sharp, which again goes with the theme of the magazine. For the color of the masthead, it's still undefined. Also, I need to figure out if I want to do cover lines, and if I do, what font to use. At the end, this page is EXTREMELY a rough draft... I just posted it to show you what I have been envisioning.

     Remember that 4-page interview I mentioned in my previous post? This is somewhat how I want the first two pages to look.

     As you can see, the doodled lines and unsharp font is a recurring theme throughout the magazine, since it goes with the RAW masthead and genre. I took the background picture yesterday in my backyard, but I don't know yet if I want it to be an actual plant or vegetable leaves like lettuce, arugula, basil, mint, etc. I thought of the plants because the other page is going to be completely covered by a picture of my mom in the kitchen, so the kitchen and the plant background would give a feeling of a home environment to the following interview. Since the subject of the interview is not a professional chef but more like a suburban mother/cook, I want the audience to feel the connection to home and as if they were reading an interview from their next-door neighbor.

     These are some of the pictures that I took and edited in my iPhone:

   

    This process is extremely difficult because, even though I know it looks good, I always feel that I need outside opinions. Until now I've asked around 12 different persons but I need a critical eye to evaluate my pages. I need someone that will tell me move this, take out that, change this... But obviously I don't have any magazine expert friends, it's all on me and my non-expert and barely critical friends. I trust myself but at the end of the day, I'm not the only reader that will obtain the magazine... I NEED OPINIONS PLEASE!

    See you soon!

-SP

May I ask you some questions?

     This is what I see when I talk of an interview two-page spread, or in my case, four-page spread.

  This would be the beginning of the interview, featuring a picture of my mother maybe in the kitchen while cooking or standing with her dishes in front of her. I really like this layout because on the left side I could play with fonts and colors in a white background while also giving a brief overview of what's going to be discussed in the following pages. On the right side, the image of the main subject emphasizes the topic of the interview and gives a clear image of the person.


     When I googled "interview in magazine layout" this very interesting pictures showed up. They analyze and give insight in the interview layout of  Kerrang and ELLE magazine (respectively).

 

     I find these images extremely helpful since I know how an interview should look in a magazine. It should include:
- bold text
- color-scheme pattern
- the subject of the interview in a picture
- a catching main heading
- the first letter of the paragraph should be bold and big
- the questions highlighted in a different color
- an interesting quote from the subject where the image goes
- Subject should look into the camera

     These are some of the questions I've been thinking on asking:
1) What are your thoughts on processed foods?
2) Why do you choose to eat healthy and only cook with organic ingredients?
3) How do you feel when cooking?
4) What is a secret you would give the readers?
5) What is an ingredient that can never be absent in your food?
6) What do you order when you go out to a restaurant?
7) How has your Instagram life affected your passion for cooking?
8) Of what you cook, what is your favorite dish?
9) What are your plans for the future as a chef?

     Do you see what I'm planning? I do, but if you don't it's alright because I'll give you guys a draft soon enough for you to be able to understand my ideas.

-SP

An inside insight

     What's on the inside? I've been asking myself the same question... Somehow I have spent a lot of time talking about the cover, and too little planning the inside table of contents and two-page spread.
   
     Honesty, I envision for the table of contents to incorporate images and text. I don't want the page to be completely digital or computer-made, but more appealing and relevant with my genre. In my mind I have this image of a wooden board, going across two pages. Also, placing in the board items like flowers, vegetable leafs, ingredients and cooking utensils; my idea is to provide a kitchen vibe in the table of contents, as if the text was supposed to be part of the recipe. The board must be wooden so it encompasses the earthy and organic vibe I'm trying to provide my readers with, the vegetables must be bright colored for them to pop out and let the audience know that vegetables and fruits are an amazing, and not at all boring, source of food. Text font? That's something I'll need to choose in a near future...

     Now, for the two page spread I want the story to be related with the cover image, so my main story will be in bold and bright colors in the cover, letting the readers know that it will be the most interesting story in the issue. It's going to be an interview on an Instagram chef, you must already know the main subject of that interview, of course it's my mom. So, the front cover is going to incorporate my mom's food and then the name of the story (TBA) will be bolded so the readers are directed to that section of the magazine. Thankfully I know how to write an article because I belong to the school's newspaper The Circuit, where I've written many stories and have interviewed a lot of people. However this article may help me get my writing to the next level, especially since it includes an example for an interview and explains the best way to ask questions. The most interesting part for me was when the author, Guillermo Rubio, said that the best way to avoid boring answers from the interviewee is to ask open-ended and broad questions. I'll take that into account.


-SP










Citations: 
Rubio, Guillermo. "“So, Do You Always Wear White Underwear?” – How to Write an Exciting InterviewBy Guillermo Rubio." American Writers & Artists Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

Yes? No? Maybe? So?

     During the week, we had an interesting activity in class, where we discussed each other's projects to get different opinions. It became really helpful since I got to understand not only my view but also my classmates' thoughts on RAW.

     This is what I gathered:
1) First we discussed the masthead and the title. This was my, and their, first choice.

 RAW
     We discussed how this masthead goes with the genre and concept of the magazine since it encompasses the whole idea of organic. They believed it was perfect since the rusty and unfinished lines give the illusion of an earthy vibe in the cover. As for the color, we agreed that depending on the background color it should be popping out but not in an extremely bright color, maybe something neutral and natural.

2) For the genre, my classmates mentioned how maybe it would be better to change a little bit the concept of the magazine from organic gourmet food, to easy to make organic/ healthy recipes. However, I don't intend on following their advice. Why? Because RAW is not supposed to be only based on healthy and organic foods, but it is targeted to that audience that wants to eat healthy food the same way they would feel like when eating in a 3-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world. There is a mistaken concept that when trying to eat healthy, the recipes should always be basic or easy to make, and I don't think anyone should eat something basic. I want my readers to embrace delicious eating while at the same time cooking with the best and healthiest ingredients in the market. So, sorry 8th period friends, I won't be following your advice this time...

3) Inside pictures... This one person brought up an interesting and brilliant idea that I am planning on using (thanks Alex!). He mentioned how in the inside, maybe in the table of contents, I could use a wooden board as the background and play with images and texts on top of that board to add depth and that kitchen vibe to the magazine.

     Something like that, but with the text and vegetables on top, incorporating the content along with the props. I think it would look very good. 

4) The last topic discussed was the location of the masthead in the cover. 

                               

                             CENTER                              VS.                                    LEFT

     My friends have all agreed for the masthead to be in the center, however, something tells me that the right place is in the left corner. Anyways, I cannot make a decision until I take the pictures and figure out where it looks better. For me, it looks more appealing on the left because it's not covering any important part in the frame where the food is going to be located eventually. Oh by the way, see the orange color? I was playing around with Joomag and, with that background (I have not chosen an official background), the color orange looks amazing because it contrasts with the green and brown from the table.

     Bye readers!


-SP

Paper food just became delicious

     Look at this!

     That woman is just amazing! As you heard on the video by Helen Rennie, playing with sauces adds contrast to the presentation. Also, I really liked the tips she gave about the micro greens, I'll definitely make use of it. However, the one thing that stood out for me was how she sketched the presentation even before plating the dish.

     Let's try:

     As you can see, I incorporated some of the pictures I posted already. On the top right corner I'll put some of the appetizers that are made of cucumber and salmon. On the main plate there's the tuna tartar tower on one side of the plate and glazed balsamic vinegar stroked through the white surface, also I included some of the red pepper drops around with the green micro leafs. Located in the 8-shaped plate on one side I could have pesto and shrimp pasta and on the other side some green or back olives. I really liked the look of it but I must wait until the weekend and see how it will turn out. 

     Just in case you don't remember, this is the background that I used in the drawing. 

     Okay, it's starting to look more real... I LOVE IT!

-SP

PS: I'm not the best illustrator, sorry about that.





Citations:
Helenrennie. "Sexy Food Plating (this time in HD)." YouTube. YouTube, 26 May 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

I would judge a magazine by its cover

     After destroying my mom's pristine kitchen and going through every single one of her cupboards and looking at all the tablecloths, plates, and boards, I managed to set some backgrounds I could use for my cover image.

        

     It is so hard to choose between so many options. I plan on cooking and taking the pictures next weekend with my mom and at that moment I'll see what decorations fit my cover dish. Also, I need to start planning on the pictures that will be inside with the articles and index.

     Yesterday, I went to Publix to buy some sushi and when I was in the line waiting for the cashier I went through one of the cooking magazines that was displayed, it was Cooking Light magazine. This images popped out from the pages and called my attention:

    

     I find it interesting how most of the cooking magazine photos have a red detail somewhere in the frame, a hint of greens is somewhat present in many of the pictures too. Why? Well in my opinion red is a color that always stands out in any background that it is placed, giving the pictures a hook or driving the eye of the reader to a specific point in the picture. I just Googled "color red in food" and this article just answered my question. The color red, triggers appetite because it raises the heart rate and affects the metabolism, producing a sensation of hunger. Now it makes sense... Red is a good option to always include. I have in my house these Peruvian red pepper drops that she buys in Fresh Market that look amazing in all of her dishes. They would give that small but perfect hint of color that I'm looking for, also they look different than any other red vegetable so maybe it will give my cover image a little bit more interest or attraction from the readers.

     From the pictures I took from the Cooking Light magazine, I particularly like a lot the third image because that is my breakfast every Saturday... It's extremely delicious and healthy. And of course my mom taught me how to cook it to perfection. This recipe could be present in the inside of the magazine.

     As I read through this article, it was very interesting how the writer recommends to play with the colors. she specifically gives an example by saying " Visualize the combination: poached chicken breast with supreme sauce, mashed potatoes, and steamed cauliflower. Appetizing? Or how about chicken, french fries, and corn? Not quite so bad, but still a little monotonous. Now picture roasted red peppers, grilled stuffed chicken breasts on herb-flecked orzo, and a drizzle of green pesto. Dazzling!". The author gives a very vivid example that helps me with my vision when it comes to color contrast.

     Let's go to @kalamartinez once again and look for the plates that I will cook to have in my cover.

     

This is my personal favorite.... The tuna tartar.

  
     Why is the tuna tartar my favorite? Well, first of all it's exquisite in flavor and secondly it looks delicious, the green avocado on top contrasts with the pink tuna and red pepper drops, also my mom always plays with sauces like the glaze balsamic vinegar which she strokes on the white plate. I'll learn that trick for it to look as perfect as it does in those pictures.

Al right, see you in a bit.

-SP




Citations: 
Susanina, Vladislava. "The Color Red Triggers the Appetite. Red Is Encouraged for Restaurants, Kitchens, and Dining Room Colors." Psych2Go.net. N.p., 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.
"Food Presentation Tips." How to Live Gourmet. N.p., 01 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.