Magazine Final Draft

I have finished my final magazine draft before the final thing. It includes a cover page, a table of contents, and one double‑page spread. Exactly what was required. The magazine focuses on subculture, alternative fashion, accessories/jewelry, and skating (rollerblades and skateboards). I used a dark colour palette (carbon black, onyx, ivory, deep crimson) and a set of rough, alternative fonts (Rusted Plastic, Gravel Gang, Stamp RSPK, VT323). The double‑page spread features a collage of my own photos. Goth/alternative makeup, layered accessories, and skating gear, with original body text on the opposite page.

In this post I will honestly evaluate what worked well, what didn’t work, and how I would approach a similar project in the future to make it even stronger.

What Worked Well

1. A Cohesive Colour Palette

The combination of carbon black, onyx, ivory, and deep crimson gave the magazine a consistent, subcultural mood. Carbon black and onyx provided depth without being flat, ivory kept text readable, and deep crimson added striking accents without looking out of place. The palette supported the content.

Why did it work? I limited myself to four colours and used them deliberately like accents = crimson. This is a core principle of house style.

2. Font Choices That Matched the Genre

Rusted Plastic for the masthead and Gravel Gang for headers felt exactly right for an alternative / skating zine. They have a rough, handmade quality that commercial fonts would lack. VT323 worked well for small subheadings (page numbers, subheading) because it is monospaced and slightly technical, a nice contrast to the messy headlines.

Why did it work? The fonts were not generic. They communicated “independent”, “DIY”, “subculture” immediately. Even someone who did not read a single word would recognise the magazine as alternative.

3. The Collage Approach on the Double‑Page Spread

Putting my own photos into a collage. Showing makeup, rings, necklaces, cuffs, rollerblades, and a skateboard, was the most effective part of the whole magazine. It felt personal, authentic, and visually dense. The overlapping images created a zine aesthetic that commercial magazines rarely use, which made my publication stand out.

Why did it work? I did not try to fake a polished fashion magazine. I leaned into the scrapbook / zine style, which matches my available resources and the subculture theme perfectly. Authenticity beats polish when the topic is alternative style.

4. The Body Text, Personal and Thematic

I wrote the article “The Armour We Choose” in a first person voice. It connected accessories to skating to self expression without being pretentious. The pull quote (“We don’t wear accessories. We wear declarations.”) gave the page a focal point. The text directly referenced items in the collage, so the two pages felt like one unified spread.

Why did it work? The writing had a clear point of view. It was not a generic product review or a list of trends. It engaged with media studies ideas (representation, subculture, identity) without being academic.

5. Meeting the Requirements Exactly

I have a cover, a contents page, and one double‑page spread, all correctly formatted. I did not overcomplicate or try to add extra pages that might break the brief. Staying within the required structure meant I could focus on quality over quantity.

What Didn’t Work (or Could Have Been Better)

1. The Contents Page Was Slightly Empty

My contents page had only a few lines (cover, double‑page spread, maybe a regular feature). Because the magazine is very short, the page looked a bit sparse even with careful typography.

What I learned For a short magazine, I can combine the contents with the editor’s letter or a small introductory collage. Alternatively, I could add one or two “regular” features that are very short (e.g., a playlist box or a quote of the month) to fill the page without adding a full extra spread.

2. Small Illustrations (Time Constraints)

I originally considered adding small hand‑drawn illustrations (e.g., a skateboard deck outline or a ring sketch). I dropped them because of time. The final spread still looked good, and I did have one drawing, but a couple of tiny ink drawings would have added another layer of “independent zine” texture.

What I learned For a future project, I should set aside 1‑2 hours specifically for quick illustrations. Even simple line drawings scanned and placed at low opacity can elevate a page.

How I Could Improve in the Future

Based on what didn’t work, here is a clear list of improvements for my next magazine or media project.

1. Font Pairing Strategy

Headlines / masthead: keep using expressive, rough fonts (like Rusted Plastic, Gravel Gang).

Body text: choose a highly readable font that still has a slight edge (e.g., VT323, or a clean sans‑serif like Montserrat). Test body text at actual size before committing.

Limit decorative fonts to 10% of the page.

2. Image Planning Sheet

Before designing any layout, I will create a simple checklis.

Theme (like makeup or skating)

Minimum number of final images

Shot?

Edited?

This will prevent last‑minute scrambling.

3. Use a Physical Mock‑Up

I designed everything on screen. Next time I will print a single black and white draft to check

Readability of small text.

Whether the gutter actually hides anything.

If the collage colours look right on paper (not just backlit screen).

4. Add a Simple Feedback Loop

I will ask one person (not a close friend) to look at the draft for 30 seconds and then answer “What is this magazine about?” If they cannot say “subculture, fashion, and skating” easily, my visuals are not clear enough. I did not do this properly for my skating photos.

Final Overall Evaluation

What worked:

Colour palette, font personality, collage aesthetic, personal voice in the body text, meeting the brief.

What didn’t:

Contents page emptiness, time constraints.

Improvements for next time:

Better body font choice, image theme balancing, physical test print, stricter schedule.

Even with its flaws, I am proud of this magazine. It looks and feels like a genuine alternative zine and not like a fake corporate product. It represents my interests (subculture, jewellery, skating, goth/alternative makeup) honestly. That authenticity is worth more than perfect technical polish.

I will keep the files and the collage layout. Next year I might make a second issue with more skating action shots and even messier typography. But for now, this is a solid final outcome for my media studies project.