DUE WEEK 10 – THE ACTUAL DAY OF YOUR

CLASS NO LATER THAN 23.59 SYDNEY TIME

This assessment task involves creating an eight-page digital: including cover = OFC
and back cover = OBC + six-page draft.

Delivery: Uploaded as a single-page digital print-ready PDF document and a

packaged InDesign file, including 8-page and 24-page flatplan/grids. ZIPPED and
UPLOADED TO CANVAS.

Please DO NOT use design templates that is pre-made designs and documents that
can be customised. This is not acceptable. The magazine draft needs to be your own
work.

Please check Assessment Help for more info and a link to additional documents.

Details
The aim is to proof your design at an early stage to check how your ideas are working.
The draft pages (particularly the cover and contents page) are an opportunity to refine
the unique visual style of your publication.

The draft will include:

 A front and back cover design. Note: the back cover should be an
advertisement appropriate to the market and demographic.
 Six-page draft of the internal design including the table of contents (for 24
pages), and two distinct sections that demonstrate how the design will
change and transition across the magazine. The contents page can also
include an Editor's letter (welcome to the magazine) and staff/contributors
list, otherwise please allow for this on a page in your 24-page flat plan.
 A 8-page flatplan/grid PDF file.
 A 24-page flatplan/grid PDF file.

The primary focus of the cover design will be the further development of a
publication ‘title/masthead’, the use large-scale typography, and carefully selected
‘hero’ imagery. This is an exercise in matching text and image in a way that catches
the viewer’s attention and clearly expresses the approach of the publication to its
chosen field. Keep in mind that this cover (or one very similar to it) will be the cover
of your final digital publication.

The internal design should demonstrate the continuation of this visual approach to the
internal pages. The layouts should be fully developed with real headlines,
introductions/sells, quotes, captions etc. and relevant imagery. And the contents pages
should outline all of the content planned for the final 24-page magazine not just the
six pages presented in this draft.

Marking criteria

Effective and engaging cover page

Masthead, typography & image reflect character & target market.

 Cover design is legible and skilfully conveys its intention to the reader.
 Distinctive branding and visual identity which reflects the character and
target audience of the publication.
 All text on the cover is real and reflects the content of the proposed
magazine, ie. no dummy text on the cover!
 Imagery reflects real content of the magazine.
 Masthead logotype clearly establishes the aesthetic of the publication.
 Experimenting with customised type and/or image(s) is not essential.
However, the combination should be graphic and conceptual.
 Design should feature:
o A masthead
o A ‘tagline’ or selling line
o An appropriate number of coverlines
o Date, issue no. and price details
o And an ISBN barcode for commercial titles.

Visual identity, unity and innovation

Design choices demonstrate the distinctive ‘voice’ and ‘character’ of the publication.

 The draft design reflects a clear genre, or ‘take’ on a genre.

 Contents design summarises the core styles and visual identity.
 Evidence of experimentation and originality in the design approach.
 Type, image and colour combinations demonstrate the distinctive ‘voice’
or ‘tone’ of the publication.
 Draws from design theory and market research to create a distinctive
signature design with a clear point of difference.
 Draft demonstrates a transition between two sections of the final project.
 The sections should feel distinct but share an overall relationship.

Composition, visibility and balance

Clear visual hierarchy, particularly on the table of contents, to attract and sustain
attention.
  Clear relationship between image and text on the page.
 Considers the importance of composition to create functional, attractive
and cohesive designs.
 Design demonstrates how to use a grid to structure page content.
 Considers the importance of negative space for directing focus.
 Visual hierarchy uses colour, size, emphasis and organisation to clearly
convey the importance of each element on display. This requires placing
emphasis on certain elements whilst suppressing others.
 Experimentation with type, image and graphic devices to provide clear
navigational systems and logical entry points – particularly on the table of
contents.
 Contents page reflects the content of the final 24-page publication.

Technical application of InDesign

Consideration of print and finish. InDesign document setup. Placement of image &
text.

 Assignment is formatted as a packaged InDesign file and PDF (single

pages with printer’s marks and bleed).
 Paper and finishing choices reflect the character of the publication.
 Document setup, with a fully formatted Master page and document grid.
 Page numbers and folio details properly inserted into the Master Page.
 Document grid is used to align text and content consistently.
 Images are high resolution, 300 ppi (effective resolution) minimum.
 Placement of images and type is proportional, no squeezing/squashing!
 Images (or backgrounds) are extended for bleed, where necessary.
 Colour palette (and any gradients) is visible in swatches.
 Uses an appropriate number of typefaces.
 Legibility – there’s enough colour contrast to read the text. This is
particularly important for text on top of imagery or backgrounds.
 Careful and appropriate manipulation of typography:
o type is appropriately sized
o all body type is aligned to the baseline grid, which is set to an
appropriate leading (space between lines),
o tracking (space between all letters) and kerning (space between
individual letter pairs) has been considered.
o column width, alignment and justification of text in columns
has been carefully considered.
 Experimentation with advanced techniques, like image treatments, text-
wrap, type on a path and vector manipulations.