The beginning to the end - A Portfolio

The media product I will be creating is a magazine for Cambridge AS Level Media Studies requirement.

  • Home
  • Preliminary Work
  • Research and Planning
  • Coursework Development
  • Creative Critical Reflection
    • Question 1
    • Question 2
    • Question 3
    • Question 4

 




Here are the key points that will attract the audience:-
  • The Cover's main image has two main images. One is seashells in the wood artwork. The artwork has 3D effect. The use of natural elements like seashells in this artwork promotes a connection to nature.
  • Secondly The artwork featuring multiple faces suggests inclusivity and creativity, appealing to a broad audience.
  • Bold & Textured Title ("CRAFTED")
  • A strapline that summarizes the contents of the magazine. 
  • PLUS 8 Bonus Pages” in a bright postal earthen color encourages readers to see extra value.
Representation on Cover:
  1. The "DIY For Dad" section at the bottom suggests that the magazine includes projects suitable for different demographics, possibly encouraging family-friendly crafting.
  2. The elements don’t feel overcrowded, making it easy to navigate.
  3. The angled artwork cutout adds a unique visual style rather than a standard square image.

                        I have used InDesign to compare the color pallet with my final design.











Including behind-the-scenes (BTS) photographs offers several advantages, especially in creative projects like product photography or DIY crafts. These images give viewers a glimpse into the process, showcasing the effort, tools, and techniques involved in creating the final product. BTS photos help build authenticity and trust, allowing the audience to connect with the maker or brand on a more personal level. 










For my final feature article I added more text and changed the title.

The text count of this article is 648 and when I placed them in the design page it looked like this.
So I will be adding more text to the main article.











I had the opportunity to interview my cousin, Nemandi Galhena. This practice piece will help me refine my writing before working on the feature story, giving me a clearer idea of how to structure the final double-page spread for my magazine.

Picture via Istock
1. What do you aspire to do in life?
I aspire to become a world-renowned fashion designer .

2. Why a fashion designer specifically?
I have always loved designing and making cloths as a kid. Being a fashion designer means I get to do what I love as a job.

3. What purpose do you feel is fulfilled by this?
My purpose is to make people feel confidant while wearing the cloths I designed. Even making people feel happy in their own skin wearing clothes that they not only love but appreciate brings me joy.

4. What problems have you faced so far in achieving this?
The fact that I’m incredibly busy with my school work and that I am also too young at the moment. Especially when I get overwhelmed with school work I sometimes feel really unmotivated but I try to fight those thoughts most of the time.

5. When did this become important to you?
This became important to me because I remember the day I made a outfit for my little sister for her birthday. She said she wanted a Jasmine outfit but, in the area, we live there are no place to buy these kinds of outfits. So I made her a Jasmine costume. Even though it was not the best the smile on my little sister’s face made it all worth it. Like this I want to do this to other people as well.

6. What steps have you taken in order to get you closer to this goal?
I have been researching flying schools and facilities for when I get older. I have also asked many questions to my sister's husband since he is also a pilot.

7. How do you manage the stress that may come from this?
I think about all the positives that come from this job and opportunity. I think about how happy this will make me.

8. What activity brings you happiness?
Spending time with my loved ones. As well as spending time with myself because it makes me feel closer to myself and makes me learn many things about myself.

9. Do you consider yourself successful? If yes, why?
Yes, I consider myself successful because I have achieved many things I never believed I could. Being in the Cambridge program itself is an accomplishment.

Nemandi Galhena's Fashion Dream.


From a young age, Nemandie was always drawn to the world of fashion, though she never fully realized it. As a child, she would gather scraps of fabric from around the house to sew miniature outfits for her Barbie dolls and her little sister. Looking back, she laughs at how she unknowingly practiced the very craft she now dreams of mastering.

"It took me some time to realize, but designing and making clothes is something I always loved and will continue to explore," Nemandie shares with a determined smile. However, her path to becoming a world-renowned fashion designer has been anything but easy.

Balancing her rigorous schoolwork with her passion for fashion often leaves her exhausted. "Trying to multitask my school life with learning fashion is really tiring," she admits. With looming deadlines and endless assignments, finding time to sketch, sew, and refine her skills feels like a constant battle.

There are moments when doubt creeps in. "Sometimes I wonder if trying this hard will actually be worth it in the future. Whether I will actually make a mark in the fashion industry," she confesses. The uncertainty of success in such a competitive field sometimes shakes her confidence, making her question whether her hard work will pay off.

Yet, despite the fatigue and self-doubt, Nemandie refuses to give up. She continues to push herself, knowing that every sketch, every stitch, and every design brings her one step closer to her dream. "One thing I've learned is that passion and persistence are everything. Even when I feel unmotivated, I remind myself why I started in the first place. Fashion is more than just clothing to me—it’s my way of expressing creativity and making a statement."

With each passing day, Nemandie sharpens her skills, never losing sight of her goal. She dreams of seeing her designs on international runways, of creating fashion that tells a story, and of inspiring others to chase their dreams despite the challenges.

"Success doesn’t come overnight, but I know that if I keep going, one day I'll make my mark," she says confidently. And with that unwavering determination, there's no doubt that Nemandie is well on her way to becoming a name the fashion world will remember.

My magazine, Crafted, will showcase DIY crafts, but this particular issue focuses on DIY upcycled and sustainable products. Therefore, I will carefully select raw photos that best highlight this theme.


This analysis has given me a clearer understanding of which photos will work best for my magazine and the level of editing required for each image before incorporating them into the final design.



 

 


This is the Editor’s page, paired with an advertisement page on the left. The left-side advertisement turned out quite beautifully, which inspired me to revise the Editor’s page by reducing some of the text and adding more visuals to enhance its appeal. I created this layout using Adobe InDesign.


This draft artisan page needs more images on the right side to better showcase the work. The current design includes a short description of the artisan and explains how she creates a particular product.
Improvements
Adding more visuals will help bring her process to life and make the page more engaging for readers. Example, To include a sequence of images showing the artisan's work at different stages will create visual interest and also include before and after images like from raw material to finished product demonstrates the skill.

I did my 1st draft using Canva, a web-based design platform with a drag-and-drop interface ideal for quick projects. However, I needed a professional-grade desktop publishing software for my complex layouts and printing requirements. So for the 2nd draft onwards, I will be using Indesign version 2025.

Cover page
The layout of the masthead and the background color are fine with me. However, I would like to change the masthead font to something that feels more like handwriting. 
Improvements I will incorporated with my final version.
For this cover page, I used only one image, but I am planning to blend multiple product images into a single background image to showcase on the cover. The challenge, though, is ensuring that the cover line text remains clearly visible. I tried reducing the image’s opacity for this cover, but the cover line text still doesn’t stand out properly.



The Contents page
I’m very satisfied with the layout, fonts, and colors of the contents page, so I won’t make any drastic changes to it. Since this is just a mockup, the images will be updated to match the text accordingly.

The feature article page
The final text for the feature article hasn’t been finalized yet. 
Improvements
To improve layout and Design, my plan is to use the "Text Wrap" function around the necklace image and  "Drop Cap" function. This will not only create decorative element to my text but also it draws reader's attention. Further more I will introduce three columns instead of two columns to make the layout look more professional and polished.



Here is my flipbook version of the mock magazine layout!

https://flipbookpdf.net/web/site/4f784b5d55f5e180587481469b408d48c7f4c0f0202503.pdf.html


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ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Sehansa Jayasuriya and I'm a student at Ladies' College , Sri Lanka studying Cambridge media for my A-Levels. This is my journey of learning the ropes of media all presented through this blog.

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