Research- Publishers

 Hi blog!

    Today I researched different magazine publishers and found the top-selling ones for food. Some of the top ones I noticed were Food Network, Bon Appétit, and Magnolia Journal. At a glance, these magazines may all appear the same; however, they all have a different vibe to them, and I am here to break it down.

 

    First off, Food Network's primary focus and content is easy and trending cooking. Their style tends to be bright and colorful, and they pull in celebrities. Below you can see the color scheme and the fun pop the issue has.

                                                        

    Furthermore, Bon Appétit's style is more sophisticated and structured. Their focus is quality food that blends culture and hobbies in one place. The articles tend to be more timeless and refined.     

                                                          

    Lastly, Magnolia Journal emphasizes seasonal cooking by publishing only quarterly. Calling the issue a "Journal" makes it feel more intimate. The style reflects the recipes inside with an earthy and rustic feel to the publication.

                                                        

    After reviewing the different styles, I think I'm leaning more towards following the conventions of Bon Appétit with it's sophisticated and cultural feel.

Research- Finalizing My Thoughts

 Hi blog,

    Today, I researched the trends in Lifestyle magazines. So far, the design trends I've noticed in my research include organic, natural feels, contemporary writing, and light, easy-to-observe photos that showcase the food.

                                       

    In these examples, you can see how details complement each other. Whether it is color or layout, the cover is visually satisfying. I will include these notes in my portfolio by keeping it bright and energetic and placing everything in an engaging format.

    The subject of my article is the Mediterranean diet, so it would naturally appeal to women in their mid 20's-60's. That being said, the article can target anyone in general, especially those who like to cook or try new things.

                                                 

The editing software I will use is indesign to bring my project life. I plan to keep drawing out more details Ii wish to include in my project and start planning out my designs and features.

Research- Format

 Hi blog, today I was looking through photos and different lifestyle magazines. I gathered some thoughts and noted some details to keep in mind. 

    A feeling I noticed about lifestyle magazines is that the photos look natural, and nothing is forced. In my photos i'm going to use soft, natural lighting and include elements such as ingredients and tools to give the photos a more realistic feel.

                                                

    Following that, my layout is going to include pictures, text and other features to make it appealing. The masthead and headers are going to sit at the top of the page and I will use a complimenting font to my article. The colors of the magazine are going to include bright, vibrant and engaging colors to make the food pop. 

    Moreover the style of the magazine will be a modern Mediterranean vibe. The colors are going to be a mix of cool tones and warm to give it a nice feel.

                                                             

Research- Conventions

 What's up blog! In this blog post, I'm going to be talking about the typical conventions of a Lifestyle magazine. My magazine is focused on healthy dieting, and the feature article will be on Mediterranean food. I'm going to break it down by the front cover, table of contents, features, and examples.

    As per the usual, my cover will have a strong masthead and engaging cover lines relevant to healthy dieting. The photo on the front page will consist of a bright color palette to match the food theme. A way to make my article more engaging would be using fillers like puffs, strips, and boxouts. I will also need to include the barcode and deadline. This is a great example of what I want my project to look like, simple yet engaging.

                                                

    Furthermore, my table of contents is going to take up two pages and will include photos of food to complement and fill the page. This will be the roadmap for the magazine with the articles posted.

    Moving on to my feature article, I will take multiple shots at different angles and with different lighting to find the best results. This article will take up a big portion and hook the audience. The page is going to include the recipe, the background of the dish, and some additional features.

                     

    These examples will help guide me and plan for how my portfoilo will lay. I am looking at magazines and deciding what is nescessary to be successful in this project.

Research- My Genre

     Hi, blog! This is officially my third blog post of the week, and I have found my genre for my magazine. After extensive research and brainstorming, I have decided to create a Lifestyle magazine genre and share healthy, innovative recipes to help you improve your diet.

    I determined this topic because I enjoy cooking and dieting, and this would be something fun to write about and photograph for my portfolio. There are also growing numbers of recipe magazines, especially in grocery stores, so I have good examples to help me format!

                                                                     

    I am definitely going to take a deeper look into this topic and figure out the little details like wording and format. I can't wait to start planning out my project. More details to come!

Research- Brainstorming Part 2

     Hey, blog, I'm back and deeper into my research!! I've been exploring ideas and inspiration for each of my genres and have identified my interests.

    For Travel and Adventure, I was thinking about including my trips to the Caribbean and saying what's worth visiting and must-dos. Another idea I had was to go around Florida or South Florida and do my magazine on what's trending and worth the hype.

    Moving on to Lifestyle, I had a couple of sub-genres for this category. My first idea was Personal Growth/Health and Wellness- this would explore what people are doing today to improve their mental health. The next example I had was an article about healthy food and dieting better.

    For the Entertainment category, I would rate different movies or TV shows that just came out. This idea, as said before, is kind of limited and seems like a good back-up option.

    I can't wait to take a deeper look into my research and determine my magazine's genre!

Research- Brainstorming Genres

 

        Hi blog, its officially week 1 of starting the portfolio process! As you know I am leaning more towards the magazine cover for my brief and i've started brainstorming genres for my piece.

        A genre i'm considering is Adventure/Travel. I think that this is a topic that would be fun to write about and explore. I could include some of the places that i've traveled to or go to new places. I could also make it something local like Must Visit Places in Florida.

 

https://www.wiredforadventure.com/win-subscription-adventure-travel-magazine/adventure-travel-magazine-141/

     

     Another topic i'm looking into is Lifestyle. This is a broad topic and I feel like I can go in many different directions and incorporate many cool ideas with this category. An idea of this genre would be fashion trends, wellness, hobbies and beauty.

https://www.amazon.com/Mode-Lifestyle-Magazine-Thankful-Collectors/dp/B08VRBW35H

      The last genre i'm debating on is Entertainment. This is one of the most common types of magazine genres; however, it might be a little hard to make this an original piece. I would include movies/ TV show ratings and new trends. I feel like this genre is more limited rather than the other two, so that is something to consider.

 

https://models.com/work/entertainment-weekly-entertainment-weekly-april-2021-covers

       Now that I've brainstormed a couple of ideas for my portfolio, I can spend time figuring out and planning my magazine genre.