LO3 - Carrying out a production role for a media production

Roles and Responsibilities
During the course of the magazine unit, I carried out the role of creative director, among others. The main responsibilities of this role included overseeing the appearance of the overall publication and making sure it conformed to the house style that was outlined in a brief.

Contribution to Media Production
As the creative director, I supervised the design of the whole publication. I had to make sure that each page followed the drafts that were drawn out, and were consistent to the intended house style. I oversaw the changes and adjustments from the first draft to the final appearance of the publication.

Draft 1

Draft 2

Draft 3

Suggested Improvements

Final Publication

Development of Skills

I developed many useful skills during the time I spent as creative director for the magazine unit. By taking inspiration from other existing publications, I was able to begin to develop an eye for good design. I was also introduced to the Adobe program InDesign, which I had had no experience using prior to the magazine unit. I was able to learn and develop my skills using InDesign during my time studying the unit.
To be able to pursue this role as a career, I would need to further develop my practical and creative skills in a design sense. These are skills that I began to develop when I was working on the magazine unit, and they need further development to become skills that would be appropriate in a career-based scenario.
Other skills that I would need to improve on include my time-keeping and verbal communication skills. I would need to become more organised and step out of my comfort zone when it comes to communicating with others in order to work to my full potential in this kind of career.

Additional Tasks

I worked on every part of the magazine, so this means that I managed to experience every role during production. Every part of the production, from writing the articles to organising time scales, allowed me to work on my skills. It also allowed me to improve in some areas that I was weaker in, such as the elements of organisation and time-keeping that are essential during the production of a magazine publication.

LO2 - Personal skills

Learners analyse the skills they have that would enable them to carry out a chosen media production role, including: a) written   communication b) verbal communication c) practical production d) creativity


Responsibilities of a designer 
Any graphic designer, whether working on a magazine or any other form of media, needs to follow a set brief that fits the house style and purpose of the publication. Some specific tasks they may be required to carry out, depending on whether they are a senior or junior designer, include developing concepts, reviewing final layouts and suggesting improvements and working with clients to make the design fit for purpose.
Having studied the creative digital media course, I have some of the skills needed to be able to have a career as a designer. These include being able to use Adobe software such as Photoshop and InDesign.

Written Communication
A designer must be literate and understand correct English and grammar, as they will be communicating with clients and other members of their team. They must be able to thoroughly explain their design ideas to colleagues with written text.
During the production of my magazine, when I was designing the advert on the last page, I had to contact the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to gain their permission to use their logo in production. This is similar to communicating with clients in a position as a real designer. The practice of writing to official organisations has prepared me for if I ever wanted to pursue a career in this field. 

Verbal Communication

A designer must be comfortable with presenting and pitching their ideas to colleagues, clients and senior members of their team. They also have to be confident in speaking within their team of other designers.
I think this area is the one I need to work on the most in terms of skills, as my time-keeping and organisation skills are not quite at the standard they would need to be to work as a designer. However, I have had practice during the course of the magazine unit, when I spoke to peers and teachers for feedback on the design of my magazine. During other units, such as the graphic design unit, I had to present and pitch my ideas to an audience. This is practice for skills I would need as a designer.

Practical Production

Having skills with design programs is essential, as these programs will be in everyday use during a career as a designer. They will be used for most things from first drafts up to the final publication. Some examples that I have had practice using are Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.
However, it is not only the computer software that a designer must be adept with. They must also have an eye for aesthetics and how to best lay out a page. The eventual overall appearance of the publication is ultimately down to the designers.
During my time studying the course in creative and digital media, I have developed a sense of what looks right and what doesn't in terms of design. Whilst completing Unit 14, the magazine design unit, I compared my drafts with existing publications of similar genres to gain a further understanding of the techniques behind designing a magazine publication.

Skills to Improve
Although I have studied many aspects of design throughout the duration of this course, I don't yet have enough expertise to be able to pursue it as a career. I haven't explored enough different genres, techniques or styles of magazine design to take it to a professional level. I have begun to develop an eye for design, but it isn't developed quite enough to use it without the reference of another existing magazine publication to take inspiration from.
Since I began studying the course and started using Adobe software like Photoshop, my skills have improved immensely, but there is still room for improvement. I have a knowledge of the basics, but I would need a more extensive knowledge of these programs to be able to use them on a daily basis as part of a career.

Plan
If I were to pursue a career in design, I would need to go on to study a higher course focussing on magazine design such as a degree in Design for Publishing at Norwich University of the Arts, or Magazine Journalism and Publishing at London College of Communication. Studying a course of this nature would hopefully improve the skills described in the section above, as I would be able to practice using Adobe software, or similar programs. This in turn would help me to develop my eye for seeing how a good design should be laid out.
Another part of this plan would include trying to find work; either voluntary or paid, that includes working in the design processes of magazine production. This way I would gain some hands-on experience with working as a designer for a magazine. 

Creativity

As described in the section above, a designer must naturally have an eye for design and be able to visualize the most appropriate way to lay out a page. They must be able to think of original and interesting ideas that will draw the reader in. As well as having skill with the technical aspects of design, they usually have their own personal creative flair that they will apply to most of their work. A good designer will work this into their brief to keep in line with the house style of the publication.