The purpose of this document is to show residents of a new concept, the “X Zones” which are providing young people aged 11-21 with activities aimed to keep them off the streets. This initiative is funded by council tax money, so shows the reader how this money is being used in a positive manner. A youth service worker describes what X Zones involves and the ground rules. A reference to anti-social behaviour amongst young people is used. A separate text box is used with information about national acclaim of the project and the scheme from a young person’s point of view. A bright and lively image is used at the bottom of the document with two people climbing a wall, which is one of the activities X Zone offers.
Document 4 – “Borough leads the way with healthy fun for all the family”
The purpose of this document is to advertise a new scheme that the council is funding – free swimming. The intended audience for this document could be families as it suggests that swimming could be a way to keep the kids and family entertained. A list of the Borough’s swimming pools is given in a bulleted list along with their telephone numbers and discount information on a separate bulleted list. Details on how to purchase a Lifestyle card, to use the free facilities is given accompanied by a screenshot of the website. An image of families using the swimming pool is used as the background of the page
House Style
Presentation style - Images
There is a major emphasis placed upon photographs in the magazine and these are strong and colourful images which portray an active community lifestyle and attempt to make the reader feel they live in a Borough that they can play a part in and be proud of. There is also an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle through the use of image’s, many examples are given of people taking part in physical activity. The magazines policy states that wherever possible, photographs for the articles are taken by a commissioned photographer who is aware of the magazine’s house style and preferred lively images. Most photographs are supplied as digital files shot at a high resolution with a minimum of 300dpi on the cameras highest setting to ensure quality.
Consistency
The articles are divided into three consistent types. These are:
News items which usually consist of half a page,
Feature articles, which take up to two pages, often advertised on the front page.
Regular items such as “Life Lines”, the beginning page with letters from residents and “Whats on” containing details of events taking place in the Borough.
Borders are consistently used throughout the magazine, with a 1cm border regularly used to frame the article. However, when the page is an advertisement or contains an image at the top, a border is not used.
The use of colour differs from article to article, however the use of blue is quite common, used in the header border of a significant number of pages. Green and pink are also common in articles.
At the bottom corner of each page is a white page number, placed in a blue coloured circle. The title of the magazine “Borough Life” is capitalised and emboldened along with the edition name -“Spring 2009.”
Two main font styles are used throughout the magazine to keep consistency.
At the top of certain features is a blue border white text that summarises what the article discusses.
Text boxes are another consistent feature of the magazine that often give contact details that are related to the article.
Writing style and Logo
The writing style used is lively and readable. All articles are written to be of public interest of the people living in the Borough. The writing used throughout also aims to reflect the council’s standards and visions. The logo is that of Wigan Council’s and is included on the front page and page 3, which is an introductory page. The logo is white with the text “Wigan Council.” The word “Wigan” is emboldened. Although the logo is simple, I think it is easy recognisable through the use of the “W”, in a different font. Wigan Council could make more use of this logo and make it more recognisable throughout the Borough by including it on more pages throughout the magazine to reinforce the sense of community.
Type of paper
The magazine states that it is printed on paper from renewable sources with the recognised logo
The paper weight is 90gsm which is not ideal and a higher quality would give a more professional and “important” feel to the magazine. This is however, because the magazine is produced on a large scale; the paper is cheaper than a glossy version that would be more expensive to produce
Layout of documents, Page Orientation and Type of Graphics
All pages in the magazine are of portrait orientation. There is a “headline” to each article and the main body of text is arranged into columns.. Each page includes a page number. The graphics used throughout the magazine are photographs which help to promote the community ethos of the magazine.
Font style
The main font style used is traditional and clear, Times New Roman. This shows clarity and is easy to read, which is a requirement as such a wide range of people will access the magazine. The font size also remains consistent in the main body of the text. There are instances where the font style changes to another readable font, for example Arial. This is when the topic of the article shifts, from a health issue to a youth scheme.
Other techniques used
These are highlighted in the original copy of the magazine:
Use of tables
Borders and Shading
Margin sizes
Headers and footers
Logos
Standard text
Paragraph formats
Justification techniques
Use of automated bullet points/numbering
Font styles
Font sizes
Text orientation
Line spacing
Use of bold, italic, superscript and subscript
New Publication
Purpose, Ethos and Target Audience
The purpose of the new publication will be to inform people of the council’s work in the Borough and how the council payer’s money is being spent to improve the quality of life for others. A secondary purpose will also be to The ethos to the new publication will be community-based with setting high standards for the Borough, showing the Borough as a strong community and promoting the idea that residents live in a Borough to be proud of with schemes on offer. The target audience will be wide, all residents of Wigan Borough who take an interest in what is going on in their community. The magazine will need to appeal to this wide range by including lively images and colour to attract teenagers
Distribution
The new magazine will be distributed to all homes in Wigan Borough via door to door delivery. It will be the Spring edition of the magazine. It will take approximately 20 days from publishing to distribute the magazine to the Borough. The magazine will also be made available at the reception and waiting area of the Town Hall for visitors to take copies of.
Design of New Magazine
Costs by organisation designer and marketing
The public relations department at Wigan Council are responsible for the content included in the magazine, so staff costs will occur. The magazine will need to include colour to appear attractive and fit in with the house style, this will cost more than just black and white copies. The cost of paper will also be a factor as the magazine is being produced on a mass scale of 20,000 copies.
Software
The software required for the new magazine is Microsoft Word to produce the magazine, this will allow for different text styles, images, headers, footers and borders to be included in the document. This is commonly used and well known software that staff will feel familiar and confident with.
Hardware
HP Standard USB Keyboard
15” HP L1502 LCD monitor
Epson Colour Laser Printer
for backup purposes each time the magazine is worked on.
Timescale
Time constraints will be a major factor in the production of this new magazine. Research began on 31st January and the deadline for the final copy is 27th April.15 hours are allocated in order to produce the final magazine along with user documentation. This is a limitation for me as there is not sufficient time to research in much detail as I wish for the magazine and more time may be needed to ensure the magazine content is of the highest quality possible.
Distribution methods to bear in mind during design
As this magazine is being distributed on a large-scale basis, the magazine needs to be light-weighted so that many copies can be distributed at one time.
Specification and Design of New Publication
The magazine must be printed on A4 paper, with all pages of portrait orientation and main articles within being double page spreads. Page numbers must be included to aid people reading the magazine and a contents page included to correspond with the page numbers. There will be ten pages in the magazine, this includes the front cover and contents pages. All pages of the magazine will be printed on standard, white 90gsm paper to keep costs lower.. The use of colour will be essential in sustaining reader interest along with images of interest therefore the council are prepared to pay extra to have a coloured magazine.
Wigan Council wants me to include information about the following Borough events and campaigns within the magazine:
- Teenage pregnancy issues and new initiatives being put into place to help young women
- The new, free swimming scheme that is being introduced in the area
- Binge drinking issues and what is being done to combat the problem
- X-Zones – Information about a new activity scheme aimed at youngsters to keep them off the streets
Front Page
- The front page will allow the reader to immediately identity what the publication is to prevent it being mistaken as junk mail.
- Will achieve this by making the title “Borough Life” large and clear text – WordArt.
- The Wigan Council logo will be included to show the magazine as an official document.
- There will be an indication of articles included within the magazine.
- There will be two images on the front page – a main background image and a smaller image that will include people swimming – linked with an article in the magazine.
- The issue number (25) and seasonal edition (Spring) will be included in the header.
- The colour scheme used will be a grey and white background
Table of contents
- Will be automatically produced.
- Will match the automatic page numbering on all pages of the magazine.
- Include the council’s logo
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The header will include the council’s motto “Building the future together along with the council’s website
Page 3
- Black WordArt title that continues on to page 4, “The drinking habit with”
- Two text boxes used with Times New Roman font, including details of a drinking survey conducted in the area and the effects of binge drinking.
- Colourful image of a “shot” drink included at the bottom of the page.
- Footer = Borough Life – 3 – Spring 2009
Page 4
- The continuation of page 3’s title in WordArt “a knock on effect.”
- Two text boxes included - one with Times new Roman font, with details on YPDAT and another with Century Gothic font, red underlined title “Useful Sites”. A bulleted list will be used for each website
- Footer = Borough Life – 4 – Spring 2009
Page 5
- A black WordArt title that continues on page 6
- One text box used with Times New Roman font
- This will inform the reader of statistics – teenage pregnancy rates in the Borough, along with details of a service already at use in the town centre for young people.
- An image will be used of a pregnant woman holding her stomach.
- Footer = Borough Life – 5 – Spring 2009
Page 6
- Black, WordArt title, continuation from page 5.
- Image of a pregnancy test used
- Text box of schemes to help the young people, bullet point list.
- An Advice text box, with points of contact, the word “Advice” vertically beside it in white text and a blue background
- Black, Bold and underlined website names
- Footer = Borough Life – 6 – Spring 2009
Page 7
- WordArt title, “The exciting X-Zones”, in black, except “X-Zones” in red
- One main text box, Times New Roman font, with an overview of the project and what a council worker who has been involved in it says it brings to the community.
- A scanned image from the original of a rock climbing wall
- Footer = Borough Life – 7 – Spring 2009
Page 8
- Continuation of page 7’s title in black WordArt
- Three separate text boxes, all with Times New Ronan text. One deals with parental permission, one with a red line that states the rules of the project and one with a minister’s quote and when the project runs.
- Footer = Borough Life – 8 – Spring 2009
Page 9
- Black, WordArt title that continues onto page 10
- One text box with overview of the scheme and Council leader’s comments regarding it. Times New Roman font.
- Scanned image from actual magazine of a woman in the pool
- Footer = Borough Life – 9 – Spring 2009
Page 10
- Black, WordArt title continuation of page 9
- Two text boxes included – Both with Times New Ronan font. The telephone numbers of all the Borough’s pools is in bold. The other, with a white line, will give details on how to order a Lifestyle Card.
- A screenshot image of WLCT’s website
- The Wigan Life logo below a photograph of two children in a swimming pool
- Footer = Borough Life – 10 – Spring 2009
Feedback from clients with suggestion for improvements
All Pages – The page number is too large therefore not visible in the footer of the magazine, make slightly smaller to correct this.
Front Cover
- Align the logo with the heading of the magazine
Contents
- Add a few images to represent what is included on certain pages.
- The top of this page, with the slogan and logo, is successful in fitting in with the magazines house style and will immediately inform the reader.
Page 3
- Move the smaller text box so that it aligns to the top of the larger text box, this will fill more space up on the page
Page 4
- The “Useful Sites” text box is too big. Make it slightly smaller and the title more obvious, perhaps by emboldening it.
- Make the address, contact phone and fax numbers in the left text box more obvious by emboldening and creating a new paragraph for the phone and fax options. Also make “Option 2”
- The lively, colourful image of the two girls is a good choice for this piece.
Page 5
- After “important decisions” make a new paragraph for the rest of the text in the column.
Page 6
- The “Advice” box works well and is easy to identify.
- An issue with the text which includes information about the schemes that implemented to combat the problem – there is a lot of information that needs to be included in this box and the actual names of the individual schemes are not apparent. If the reader wants to find out more regarding the scheme. Change each name so the font size is larger than the rest of the text –size 12 and embolden.
Page 7
- Move the image of the rock climbing wall up to align with the top of the text box and increase the consistency of the page
- The change of font colour, to red for “X Zones” in the title is effective-it stands out to the audience and reflects the active idea of this project.
- Each time “X-Zones” is mentioned in the article, change the font colour to red and embolden.
Page 8
- In the “Rules” text box, the bullet points look a little inappropriate and the clear centre circle may even make the rules seem less important than a black, bold one! Change the bullets to a more appropriate style.
- A good choice of image that reflects the project well.
- Once again, embolden each “X-Zones” and make red to keep consistent with page 7.
Page 9
- Reduce the spacing by one line between the two paragraphs as there is too much white space here.
Page 10
- The image and logo look professional and convey the ethos of the magazine effectively.
- Enlarge the screenshot of the WLCT website a little as it may not be clear what the website is to some readers.
Capabilities of Hardware and Software required
Hardware Requirements
Processor used is an Intel Pentium Dual Core E2220 with
2.4GHz processing speed
Memory size
RAM – 1GB – 8GB as a maximum. This will be able to manage the graphic
files I will be using. The magazine itself will take up around 2.30MB which means there is plenty of memory on the system to deal with the magazine.
Input Devices
HP Standard Keyboard
HP Optical Mouse
Scanner
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo Scanner –
4800 x 9600dpi optical resolution and 48 bit colour. This will be used to
scan in certain images from the original magazine to include in my version.
USB Stick to backup the magazine after working on and editing it. A possible problem with this is that there will not be sufficient memory and another USB stick device will have to be purchased.
Output Devices
Printer – HP Universal Printer in order to print the magazine out in colour
Also has the option to print double sided if I decide to do so. Prints 20ppm.
A problem with using this printer is that it is networked and if many documents are sent to print at the same time, a backlog can occur and result in a long wait to retrieve copies.
Monitor – 15” HP LCD Monitor – This is a high resolution monitor that will allow me to deal with a wide range of images and colours to include in my magazine.
Software
Microsoft Word
I have chosen this package to create the actual magazine. The advantages to this are it will allow me to pick from many different font styles and colours, use WordArt, borders and shading which will allow me to keep the existing ethos of the magazine. A key feature will also be columnar text boxes to include the main text of the magazine.
Image Formats
JPEG – This is commonly used to compress images. It is the format used by digital cameras, which will be used in my magazine.
GIF – This format supports images with a 256-coloured palette. It is most suited for images which have solid areas of colour in my magazine. Logos are particularly well suited so I shall use the format for my Wigan Council logo.
Production methods and costs
Binding
Different techniques are available to me when making the decision on how to bind my magazine. A possibility is to staple the magazine and although this does not look the most professional, is the cheapest option. Heat binding is a more expensive option available, however looks professional and gives a neat impression of the magazine. Ring binding the magazine is another option, however I feel this is not a practical option when delivering mass copies of the magazine. Plastic combs cost around £12.00 for a pack 100 which is another more expensive option as many would need to be purchased.
Consequently, I have decided that the stapling technique will be the most suitable and cost-effective option considering the sheer amount of magazines that are to be printed.
Mass production techniques
To mass produce copies of the magazine, cost will be a key issue and I will have to consider a number of different factors when dealing with the cost:
- The cost of toner for colour printing (cyan, magenta and yellow)
Each ink cartridge costs around £22.00 and prints around 10,000 sides. Epson-compatible will have to be used.
- The cost if the magazine was photocopied. 80g standard paper can be used to photocopy and works out cheaper than a higher quality of paper. – The cost of photocopying at college is 5p per sheet.
- The cost if I used a laser printer to print the magazine for a better quality document.
- The cost to use plain white paper – 20,000 magazines required –
Hewlett Packard Bright White Inkjet Paper A4 90GSM Pack 500 sheets - £9.99
- The cost to use glossy paper to make the magazine look more appealing –
HP Advanced Glossy Paper – A4- 250 GSM - £6.50 for 15 sheets
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The costs of professional printing the magazine
Here are the costs of having the magazine printed by the professional company, Saxo Print. This would be 20,000 copies on 90gsm paper and staple binding included within the price.
- Labour Costs – Will take around 12 hours to produce the magazine - £200
