Magazine!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my final magazine :)  It is mostly printed on 'recycled felt' paper from Paperchase.  There were times throughout this project when i seriously didnt see myself successfully assembling the magazine as i couldnt decide how i was going to make it work... i have never done anything like this before in all of the years i have been designing... it certainly was a great challenge.  However, it all came together and i was in such high spirits as i triumphantly attached the front cover... my little LBLD baby was born!!.  Alas my happiness was short-lived. My prized possession has been cruely snatched away and locked up in the Design Centre office, squashed underneath the mountains of paperwork and final piece mockups :(   awww I miss it so...

Body copy

This is a copy of the final edited type that went into my magazine...

I have too many bags, there’s nowhere for them to go. I HAD to sit in the 4 seater area cos I need the space… but other people want to sit here… theyre gonna think I am so selfish sitting here… look at them all staring… bet they’re slagging me off right now. Just stare out the window and don’t look at them… I can feel my face burning… but I needed these seats… I have 4 bags of books for christ’s sake… they don’t care though, they think I should have put them in the bag storage. I’m shaking… I need to stop! Omg, omg, omg… it’s too hot, I am absolutely boiling, I can’t breathe… I cant breathe!... I CAN NOT actually breathe!?... And now I can feel my heart… it’s pounding, pounding, pounding!!! I feel like my chest is going to actually explode… It’s proper banging so hard I can hear it… infact it’s that loud, everyone else must be able to hear it too… omg that is sooo embarrassing!!! I wanna cry. I need to get out… My legs are all weak, don’t think I can walk or stand up… what if I fall?!!… I might actually collapse in front of everyone! Wish I could leave. I’ll just have to stay still… great! now I don’t know where to put my arms and my hands are shaking… I must look soooo fucking awkward. If I sit like this then maybe noone will notice… just keep still!! Ah no! Now my hands are sweating, I need to move them but where?… Omg everyone’s looking at me. They can probably see that I look like a complete idiot. And now I feel even more awkward!... Just pretend you’re texting someone… I’m so so hot! Im proper sweating… I need some air. I’l just fan myself with this booklet… ah that kinda feels better… people are looking… I must be drawing attention to myself even more! Put the booklet down, put it down, put it down!... Aghhh my god why cant I stop shaking!! Feel a bit light headed… breathe! Breathe! Breathe! CALM DOWN!! Breathe! Breathe… sloooowly…. Breathe!

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Please don’t speak to me, please don’t speak to me, please please please… ah fuck sake! What do I say…? Erm erm erm… I dunno what to say, I dunno what to say!?! Think…think…THINK… FOR FUCKS SAKE THINK!!! My heads blank… it’s completely blank… I cant think… theres nothing there… its just… I just… omg THINK!!! Say anything. ANYTHING!!! Just fucking speak for fucks sake, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! Look at them staring… waiting… they must be thinking you’re a total freak. They think I’m stupid and rude and crazy… theyre never going to bother talking to me again… i cant cope with this… I just wanna run away. I could be at home right now. Safe… think Im gonna cry… STOP! CONCENTRATE! Just think man… THINK!!!!!!!!! Say something… anything… it better make sense though… otherwise they’d think your even more stupid.… Oh great. Oh fucking marvellous… Now you just look like a complete fucking idiot. Was it really that difficult to think of one little thing to say??? Seriously?!  Am so angry with myself… I need a fucking slap.

MISSION STATEMENT of my magazine...

This series of publications is all about mental health disorders.  1 in 4 people is a sufferer, yet it is still a subject that is full of misconceptions and prejudices, and therefore is brushed under the carpet.  The aim of this series is to show mental health disorders from the point of view of the sufferer.  This is to try and help people understand these conditions and to not label those who suffer from them.  The magazines are published every 4th month.  This seemed fitting- 1 in 4 months can be our mental health disorder month.  

  

Social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) is a condition in which the individual has an intense fear of social situations resulting in distress and often the avoidance of certain situations.  However, it is a widely misunderstood condition.  I have anxiety disorders.  One of the more intrusive ones being S.A.D.  

I don’t want to be judged but I feel like I am on show.  I cannot stand the feeling of humiliation.  Through CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) I am getting better, but it’s still there and flares up regularly.  It takes a lot to stop yourself sinking back into it and letting the negative thoughts consume your mind. But it’s difficult.  I am known as ‘the quiet one,’ ‘the shy one,’ ‘freak,’ ‘rude, stuck up bitch,’ ‘her over there,’ ‘whatshername,’ ‘lauren who?’  I am either ignored or I am labeled, hence why this magazine is titled 'the L edition'- people never seem to remember me or know my actual name.  This edition focuses on S.A.D from my point of view: how I see it and how I felt going through it throughout the majority of my life.

Proteus

This is an online magazine all about art and design.  

Proteus Website

Grafik

Out of all of the Grafik magazines I own, this one is my favourite...

Logo development

I started off wanting to play on the 1 in 4 statistic.  I decided I wanted to call the series labelled as that is what happens to people with mental health disorders.  So firstly I stated to change one of the speech marks into a different colour as this would be the one in four that had mental health problems- the one in four that is labelled.  I even considered not having any letters inbetween the speech marks so that the speech marks could be the logo that could be placed in places where the full logo was not necessary.  

Next I moved onto just having a 4 letter title and turning one of the four letter a different colour.  I tried this in different fonts before coming across Mindfields.  I really like this one.  I liked the fact it was a bit more abstract and hard to read, just like mental health issues, theyre not all easy to tell from the outside.  I then also changed the idea of one letter being a different colour for exactly the same reason.  One in four people may very well have mental health problems, but it is not as blatant, noticeable and 'in your face' as people may think.  

Mental health magazines that already exist

Uncovered Magazine

I don't like the covers of these magazines.  It is cluttered and also rather boring. I don't understand what they are trying to tell me as a consumer by displaying a woman standing in a breeze near the beach. I don't find this magazine very inspirational at all.  

ONEinFOUR

This magazine claims to be an innovative publication which challenges peoples views on the subject of mental health.  It also aims to get people with a range of mental health conditions motivated to strive for a fulfilling and exciting life.  When you take a look at the magazine it doesn't reflect the subject matter at all.  I don't think the style particularly suits the topic.  However I am aware that it is not meant to be a dark and disturbing look at the conditions featured.  Therefore a cleaner and simpler style has been adopted.  I don't particularly like these pages and I think the images are rather cliche and the design isn't particularly inspiring.  I do like what they are trying to achieve with the magazine though! And the cover is a lot more interesting than that of the previous magazine. 

CMYK

This magazine is pretty cool. The logo is always in the top left hand corner which makes the magazine cover instantly recognisable no matter if it is in a yellow, black or purple box. The editions always seem to have interesting cover images.

CMYK Website

My BEAUTIFUL ink splat... me likey

This is my ink splatter... I was inspired by a beautiful piece of work I discovered on a website by Anthony Mattox.  

I wanted a piece like this in my magazine so I tried to recreate it with black ink and (as I didnt have a straw)  a pen with the ink cartridge removed.  Mine didnt really turn out that similar but I do like it so its all good.

Plaza Watch magazine

Inspiration!!!!!!!! Luuuuuuuuuush typography!!