Flatplan evaluation: UpFront

After analysing my flat plan with a critical eye, I have come up with ideas for what I could do better, as well as picking out points which I like and want to keep.
Looking at my front cover I am unsure about the banner (featuring posters) along the bottom as it will be difficult for me to capture different realistic band images which are not my DPS feature due to time and availability. Instead I will lower the artists name to create this banner effect on the front cover. However I like both the main image and masthead on my flat plan so these would be two elements I would keep when creating my actual magazine front cover.

My contents page was a difficult part of my flat plan for me, this was because the contents page is not usually something I would take notice of when I read a magazine. However after analysing  Kerrang! and Q's contents pages I can see the conventions that are a regularity for this page in the magazine. Something I would like to change about my contents page is adding the masthead to the top right hand corner of the page. This would create a greater sense of continuity and link the contents page with the front cover. I like the use of the blue bar at the bottom of the page which does the same job.

The DPS I am the least happy with. I don't think the layout gives a close up feel towards the artist, so I came up with an idea of having an image of Danni, lying above the article, pointing down towards it. This would not only create a sense of intimacy but it would pull both the pages together also. I would use the same font for the artist name on the DPS as on the front cover this is to show that the artist is the artist and nothing will change that. Columns are a key element for text in any magazine, they must be an equal width and length to meet conventions. I would like to write my interview in question and answer form so that my reader knows exactly what is being said by both the interviewer and interviewee.

Overall I believe that by creating this flat plan I have helped myself to develop my ideas for my magazine and picture my final product. My next step will be to create and carry out the interview for my DPS.