The Storm WK. 2 (3/13-3/19) #4

Staring at a bright-lit screen, polka dot rain boots and umbrella in hand, I maneuver through a technological storm-cloud. One that has decided to sit right on top of my head, my own personal rainy cloud. I have read a million tips on having a successful magazine and engaging my target audience, and feel a bit overwhelmed with all the information I have picked up. Turns out that creating magazine, and having it be successful is quite a task, and the amount of things that should be taken into account throughout the whole process will probably bewilder you.

Apart from the obvious hassles of picture-taking, clever writing, and overall designing of the spreads to entice my audience, many psychological aspects go into creating a magazine. From color psychology to eye movement and content dynamics, one can very easily go a bit bonkers. I took care of the color psychology first. Understanding that red, black, and white are three colors that are most widely associated with flamenco, meant that there was no other color-scheme I’d want to work with but that exact one. After I decided on a color-scheme, it was time to decide on how to write the content of my two-page spread in a dynamically appealing way that goes according to eye movement and reader’s attention span. One can always hook people in with a great opening, but if the writing doesn’t continue to intrigue or entice your reader, they will most likely lose interest by the third paragraph, making them aversive to continue looking through the magazine, due to the negative association made. So I got to working on a writing formula that will guarantee my reader’s satisfaction. I included the introduction I would place for the two-page spread.

The second part of the storm consisted of how much writing I was prepared to include, because I felt as though my target audience would want to see movement or action more than writing, even if it is juicy or enticing. I think that pictures have the power to inspire people who don't like to read into reading, and more importantly to get rid of their inhibitions, and join their local flamenco academies that they avoid for fear of ridicule or embarrassment for not knowing the culture.