Creative Critical Reflections

Creative Critical Reflections

By: Sharmeen Shivji

Now that I finally have my magazine finished, I will be answering some very important questions relating to it in creative ways.

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

I answered this question through a podcast which I explained how my magazines challenges conventions and how it represents social groups and issues. Here is the link to that:

https://youtu.be/Jaqv11Bzdhg 

I also typed up a brief summary of my podcast so it is available to those who might not have access to the podcast. Here it is:

Hi guys and welcome back to the Prodigy podcast. Here we go into the background of prodigy, how it came to be, future editions, and answer any questions you guys may have. Today, we will be going into how Prodigy challenges conventions and how it represents social groups and issues. So, to give you a little background information, Prodigy is a modern magazine that is a mix between fashion and talent. Inspired by Vogue and Forbes, Prodigy hopes to present successful people in a fashionable way while inspiring others. Our aim is to highlight people who not necessarily are rich but those who have worked hard to get to where they are and those who have achieved impressive things. Our stories also include how the person got to where they are. We hope that this will inspire the readers to also chase their dreams. 

Our magazine challenged conventions because it doesn't act like a normal magazine, and what I mean by that is not only do our cover models tell their stories but not matter what area their careers are we make them model. Each one of them have their own photoshoots where they put on designer clothing and embrace themselves. This is unlike any other magazine where usually professional models are showcased. 

Also, Prodigy had longer page spreads for each model where not only do we get their story but also get a snip it of their life. This allows for the audience to see that they are also just like them. 

I think Prodigy definitely challenged social issues because in usual magazines we are so used to seeing perfect bodies and perfect skin which makes the readers feel insecure and I'm guilty of it too, wishing that I looked more like them. Well Prodigy is the exact opposite, we are not focused on looks but rather talent. To be completely honest we don't care what you look like, our job is to showcase your talent and help you feel confident rather than changing how you look. 

Also, Prodigy definitely embraces diversity. Again, this magazine doesn't care what you look like or where you're from but rather what you have done with your life. This month's magazine had all models whose parents were not from America. We hoped to be an all-inclusive magazine and that is exactly what we achieved.

I also think its important to mention this because nowadays with social media, everyone is so obsessed with trying to put on this person online that they are not. Whether its editing their face or their body everyone wants to come off as perfect. This then causes unreal expectations to anyone who sees these posts. That's why at Prodigy we make it our priority to not edit the way people look. I am going to be completely honest, we definitely do add some filters for the lighting to match the magazine, however we absolutely do not edit someone's body or their face to change how they look. By doing so, we are able to set real expectations for the audience and to show them that you don't have to look a certain way to be successful and that they themselves can be just like our models.

At Prodigy we hope to continue breaking social norms as our magazine gets put on a wider stage. If you guys have any questions or would like to be featured on our podcast, DM us on Insta @Prodigy. And remember self-belief and hard work will always earn you success! 

2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

I answered this question through a media kit in which I went into detail about how I would distribute Prodigy to the world and how I would engage with my audiences. Here is a picture of my media kit and I have also attached a link for a better view.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAE7LZq1kyU/qTVQMN3XlUPcA3v7c5JNEQ/view?utm_content=DAE7LZq1kyU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton 

3. How did your production skills develop through this project?

I answered this question through a Prezi in which I went through the different aspects of my magazine, the difficulties I faced, and how I overcame them. I added pictures of the slides and added a link:

https://prezi.com/view/AAd2wLtMxPvlisFJOjs0/ 

4. How did you integrate technologies-software, hardware, and online-in this project?

I answered this question through a infographic which I briefly explained each technological aspect I used to put my magazine together. Here is a picture of my infographic as well as a link for a better view of it.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAE8MzCC-sU/rIuE57YCPVfW-9PjICqhpg/view?utm_content=DAE8MzCC-sU&utm_campaign=share_your_design&utm_medium=link&utm_source=shareyourdesignpanel 

Final Magazine

Final Magazine

By: Sharmeen Shivji

I am very excited to finally share my final magazine with you all. You've been there from the very start seeing me struggle to decide a color palette and now I am presenting my final project!

Okay, I'm gonna stop talking, here is Prodigy:

Table of Contents Pictures

 Table of Contents Pictures

By: Sharmeen Shivji

So I already have my table of contents layout and I just need to add the pictures of the models in or other items. I do want to add a detailed outfit with prices for one of my models which I will decide based on how much space I have left. 

To begin with, my first cover story is of my cover model, Nadir. I do have some extra pictures of him which I didn't use at all. I decided to include these pictures in as they kind of just give a sneak peek into who Nadir is. I also decided that I would do the detailed outfit of Nadir's outfit because there was some extra space left over and he had on a stylish fit. 

These are the pictures I will be choosing from:

Since the background is not the greatest, I edited it to be a background of something else. I used an app called Photoroom which allowed me to edit the background out and chose to put in anything I wanted. I ended up using the one they already had since it was simple and looked straight. Here is the final picture with the background:

For his detailed outfit I put in a breakdown of his shirt, pants, and shoes. His shirt is from a brand called Palm Angels, his pants are from a brand named Kith, and his shoed are Nike Sb Chunky Dunky's. I found pictures of these individual items online and I put the item name and price next to it to build the outfit one by one. 

Next is the story of Shayan. I was able to take his photoshoot pictures when he came down from UPenn to visit, however he is currently still in Pennsylvania. I know we weren't really allowed to take pictures that we took before but I had one pop up in my camera roll and it was perfect. I took this picture at Shayan's graduation when he was walking off the stage. In the picture his eyes are slightly red but I think it looks raw and real which I like.

Next to his picture, I just wrote a small caption: "Shayan graduates as saludictorian from Coral Springs Charter school to the attend UPenn.". I also added a logo of UPenn as the area looked a little empty:

On the next page, I put a picture of Sahar in her red dress and her stethoscope, I didn't write about her photoshoot, however she also needed pictures for her graduation and so did I. So it was just last minute and the perfect opportunity. Here is my favorite picture for her photoshoot:

Lastly, for Mahek's picture I used the one I took of her at Dior Cafe in Design District, Miami. I didn't need to change the background of this one as it is a beautiful background and goes well with the aesthetic:

After rearranging the pictures, some words, and the layout. I finally finished my table of contents. Here is the final result:

Model 2 Photography

 Model 2 Photography

By: Sharmeen Shivji

After much scheduling, I was able to take pictures of my second model. We also did two outfits for her, one for the photoshoots in the back and then another for the table of contents.

So for Mahek, we actually ended up taking a bunch of photos at different locations as we both weren't feeling the ones we took originally. 

At the first photoshoot location we took a bunch of pictures however we felt like they weren't magazine enough. These photos were taken at her house since the background was going to be changed anyway. Here are the photos for the first outfit:

For the second outfit, which was for the close up shot we took in the same location. Again, we just felt like they weren't good enough for the full page magazine pictures. Also, we were out the night before so I just think we were both tired and just tried to get the job done as fast as possible. Here are the photos for the second outfit:

I thought I would just have to use these since we had no other option, however we ended up going out the next day to Superblue Miami which is an art museum and I thought that would be the perfect spot for photos. I was able to take a few of her there and they turned out perfect. We were both refreshed and awake for these pictures which definitely made a huge difference. Here are my favorite pictures from there:

Then, that same weekend we went out for brunch at Dior Café in Design District Miami and I was taking some pictures for Mahek's Instagram (which she didn't end up using) and  I thought they would be perfect for her picture in the table of contents. Here is my favorite from the Café: 

Mahek's photos were definitely a rollercoaster, but I am glad that we were able to take better pictures of her elsewhere. I honestly thought I would have to use the first ones we took, which aren't that bad but they just needed a little more to them. 

Here are the ones that I plan on using for my magazine: