Whilst making this double page spread, I have learnt many new skills. Before starting this mini project, I had never heard of the programme InDesign. Whilst using InDesign, I learnt how to use margins, gutters and text boxes to create the right format that I wanted to make it look like a magazine article. It took me a while to learn how to get the margins and the text boxes to the right dimensions without messing the page up but once I had learnt how to do it properly there wasn’t a problem and I could do it over and over without any issues. I learnt how to make drop caps and these are used at the start of the text to give a visually attractive look and it makes the reader be instantly drawn to the first word, I managed to do this pretty easily as it only involved highlighting the first letter and changing the size dimensions. I think this looks quite good on the page but could have maybe of been in a different font so that it stands out more than the one that is there now. I also learnt how to place the text in the text boxes and make it flow on naturally without it looking like there is obvious breaks and then jumps to the next column. This skill took a while to get the grasp of as it was different to other computer programmes that I have used before as you had to place the text in and not just copy and paste, I think that the text on this double page spread could have been set out a little nicer and could have had more time spent on it so that it would look a little more professional and neater instead of being a bit wobbly in places and not having a crisp edge. I learnt how to wrap the text around the images and around the enlarged quotes so that the quotes were the centre of attention and could be placed in the middle without overlapping the text, this again, could be improved upon as I think that in places, the text looks a little scruffy and out of place. I tried to wrap the text around the quotes the best I could but it kept on going in different places so this is another skill that I need to improve.
Next time I make a double page spread article like this, I will try and spend a little more time on the minor details for example, the wrapping of text around the quotes so that it looks more professional with straight edges. I also will spend more time on things like the font of the drop cap so that it attracts more attention than the plane font that is on there now.
Having learnt these skills, I feel as though it will be a lot easier when it comes to my unit 3 production as I now don’t have to worry about not knowing the basics of the programme when writing the article and setting it out. This means that it will be a lot easier and quicker for my unit 3 production to get started.
I do however, need to progress a lot of the skills further and I need to be able to use a lot of the tools in the programme a lot more confidently. For example, the placing of texts etc. just needs practising but i can adjust and learn all of this as I go through the process of my unit 3 production.
