CCR Draft #4

Question: How did you integrate technologies--software, hardware and online --in this project?

Technology software and online internet were all very crucial to the success of my magazine product. To begin this project, we used the internet through our research processes. I was able to research the different types of magazines and figure out what my interests were. Then after deciding what I wanted to make my magazine on, I was able to use online resources and websites to find information on common health and fitness magazines. Through the use of online websites, I was able to find and use conventions, provide examples for research, and replicate common techniques for advertising and distribution. I used the website blogger as a way to showcase my progression of the magazine, by posting several blog posts weekly and contributing to the final product. I also used other technologies like social media. As a way to advertise and distribute my magazine, my group and I used Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to create accounts and advertise our product there. For the use of software programs, I used many like Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. I was able to use these programs through the use of technology and my laptop computer. In Microsoft Word, I was able to type up my entire 2 page article. Doing this, I was able to easily convert the article into Microsoft Publisher, putting it into the proper format and columns. Microsoft Publisher was the software program that I utilized the most. Using Microsoft Publisher, I was able to format and create all 4 pages of my magazine. I was able to make word art, add shapes and formatting, alter photos and captions, and add page numbers and branding. Using these techniques, I was able to create a magazine that looked professional and followed common conventions of wellness magazines. Finally, I used the software program, Adobe Photoshop. I used this only to cut out and object from an image. I did this 2 times, once for my cover page and once for my table of contents. For both, I used the lasso tool to cut out a specific shape from an image, where I was able to convert that shape to an image and insert it into my magazine pages. The last piece of technology I used was cameras. To get all the pictures of my model for my cover page, table of contents athletic photos, and Fresh Kitchen 2 page article photos, I had to use a camera. I used the Canon Rebel t6i to get all of the photos, whereas I was able to transfer them from the camera to Microsoft Publisher. All of these technology techniques were integrated into the making of my product and all contributed to the success of the magazine.