In each magazine, there are a number of items and articles, long and short, that engage and entertain readers. Here are the following items each group is expected to have within their own magazine:
a) Cover (Q-Group)
This is the first page of your magazine, so in some ways, it's the most important. It's never too early to start thinking of what might be a good photo for the cover. Most magazines use an image relating to a long feature within the magazine.
b) Table of Contents (M-Group)
After many pages of advertisments, the table of contents serves as a quick breakdown of how the magazine is organized. It is especially helpful when a reader is intrigued by the cover and wants to read more, to flip to the contents and easily find the article they were looking for. Otherwise, it's a sad fact that many people don't really use them. BUT, that just means that it can be a springboard for fun and innovative designs that you can't get away with on the rest of the magazine. The table of contents is generally 1-2 spreads.
c) Contributors/Writer Biography Pages (M-Group)
Generally 1 spread, this page serves to tell your audience about the writers. It can include long entries about writer's backgrounds, or short thematical entries that only relate to content specific to the magazine. Regardless, this page gives credit to the writers.
d) Letter from the Editor(s) (M-Group)
This letter is in most magazines as a message from the editor about that specific issue. It is generally one page and includes an image relating to the message or of the editor(s).
e) Feature Stories (M-Story) (Q-Design)
These stories are long reads, generally 1-2 spreads. The writer has researched and interviewed to tell a factual story about a person, place, event, idea, or issue. Features are not opinion-driven and are quote and detail oriented. The actual body copy of a feature generally begins on page 2 of the layout, due to the artistic design of most feature spreads. Each student will be responsible for a feature story and its design.
f) Alternative Story Forms (M- Individual)
Think of alternative story forms as an infographic--lots of icons, graphs, charts, pictures and chunky text, not long form writing. Each student will be responsible for two ASFs, each can be either a single page or a spread (ASFs have to at least fill up one page). Both ASFs equal one individual major grade.
g) Advertisem*nts (Extra Credit)
Ads are a major part of any magazine, but we don't have enough class time to design all of them. If your group would like to include advertisem*nts for extra credit (1 ad per six weeks per student), then plan for those in your ladder. Ads are generally 1 single page, but some can take up a whole spread.
