Developing My Double Page Spread

 As with the other components of my magazine my double page spread lacked flare and creativity. Even though I understood and implemented most of the conventions of a double page spread on my draft I had not explored all the possibilities, which made my page look bleak and a turn off to read. So, I drew upon other black hair and beauty/skin magazines for inspiration and a foundation to build off of.

 I came across this double page spread from the Black Beauty and Hair magazine that I found appealing, particularly the way how the text framed the shape of the image. The text fills in the space of the image giving it a unique shape and placement that makes the story enticing to read. I also liked the format of the letter F in the story, as it draws the reader's focus in on the text and it helps to stand out since it is not the largest feature on the page. Furthermore, the miniature stories on the second page was a good use of space and an interesting addition on the double page spread. 

With these observations in mind I began formatting my double page spread by erasing the background of my main image and extending the picture so that Isis's full frame was in view.  I then began to work on the title of my story. During this process I began looking at magazines for inspirations in which I found this double page spread from Black Hair and Beauty helpful. I liked the contrast between the playful calligraphy the title is written in versus the basic font that was used beneath it to describe the purpose of the page. I also liked the way how the text was organized in columns instead of in paragraph form as I felt it added more layers to the details on the page. 

As I continued to work on my title I found a playful font like the one used in the article above that I liked and a basic script to write the subheading in. This contrast created a feminine and elegant look that I felt matched the aesthetic of my feature page. I then used Isis's body as a tool to divide the first page in half. I used this spaced as a guide in formatting the text into columns around her body, so that the story could naturally be easy on the eyes to read. I also incorporated the P in larger text box with a burgundy color to draw readers into the story, as well as framing the sides of the pages with a white line to create some contrast on the page and create a focus on the text boxes. I enlarged and bolded the last sentence of the story to emphasize the significance of the message in my model's "Road to Hair Success" story and also because it added some variety to the text. I was left with a lot of negative empty space at the bottom of the page that I decided to fill in what a puff piece of Isis's work that promoted and showcased her businesses like beauty magazines often do. 

 I added a slab of color onto the page to create a divider between my feature story and the puff piece. I chose the orange color that I used on my content page to continue the color scheme and make my words and pictures stand out. 

                     

I added a puff piece on a curl set Isis did on a client with short hair and incorporated her contact information like I have seen other magazines do on their short stories.

I then added the pictures of Isis's work that I had captured a couple days prior by erasing it's background using the background eraser tool found in Canva. I then framed the pictures around the text and added the website link, issue date, and page numbers on the bottom of the page, which are typical magazine conventions in black hair and beauty/skin magazines. 

This is the final product.

Source of Information:

 Black Hair and Beauty Double Page Spread:

https://www.blackbeautyandhair.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/001-v1_BBH_DecJan21_LR-WEB.jpg