External Positioning by Sharn Leachman
WWW.ISSUU.COM
When publishing the final magazine and thinking about distributing it to the outer world, I wanted to be able to put it online in order for people to see the publication on various websites. When putting work online, it allows much more people to view the product and go further in terms of countries. This way LDN could potentially become popular in countries like America where BMXing and streetwear are also of high demand. It gives me a chance to show the world the work I am capable of creating and the format in which it is made where you can turn the pages is really effective and professional. It’s easy for the consumer to use and understand and will be easily accessable. It’s a great idea to run with and that way the magazine will be featured on wearyourfrom.com, sibotbmx.com and I will even try my luck with BMX magazines and see if they will feature it on thier websites. The company I have in mind is MPORA who control the top extreme sports magazines around the world.
INSIDE BMX MAGAZINES
As mentioned before, Mpora own and publish the most popular extreme sport magazines and catalogues that are distributed worldwide therefore using this as a vehicle to promote this magazine would be a great idea. From the past issues of RideBMX I have purchased, I have noticed that in every issue they include a small inserts like posters, catalogues and promotional magazines which is perfect as they are all in A5 format. This is the size of publication I plan to produce and to see it put inside an issue of this BMX magazine would be a great opportunity to promote both myself, the magazine and LDN together. As a brand, LDN concentrate on the sport and base their designs on what the consumer would want making each design limited by only producing 300 of each design. Riders within the BMX sprt will be attracted to the brand as a new trend and it will thrive within the grounds in which it was created.
STORE DISTRIBUTION The key here to make the most out of fashion promotion is to distribute the product as far and wise as possible providing it is still targeting the right audience. What I have in mind is getting about 100 printed depending on costs and amaount of pages I end up with. I ideally want to create something with roughly 16 pages to stick to budgeting, then I can go round stores in areas like Brighton and London appropriate to the style of clothing and audience it targets. Stores that I have in mind are RouteOne, New Era, Oddballs and more in that category. They all welcome advertising for gigs and smaller companies in the area to help out so it will be something definately to consider. That way the magazine will be in the hands of the beholder and it will be in its full glory for people to appreciate and pass on. The only hurdle is that it will be alot more expensive than promoting online.
OUTLOOK The purpose of this project is to give myself a chance to create my own magazine to put
into my portfolio. In the future I want to opportunity to start my design career by working within magazine design. I enjoy putting compositions together and deciding how type and image can work when put side-by-side. I collect magazines just to investigate the layouts and the unique ways in which each publication sets out thier spreads by working with grids and colour pallettes. I want to be able to experience the subject I enjoy within a professional environment and by prodcing a publication in my own style and showing companies and clients the way I interpret magazine design, I could have a chance to work with other magazines and learning first hand all about the trade and secrets behind the scenes.
From the beginning of the unit, I knew I wanted to produce some sort of publication and when we had the task of putting a fanzine together, I had the opportunity to experiment with different methods and layouts. By using the photography I alredy has stored away, I was able to make a small BMX publication based on the positioning of text and image. This is how I decided on the format and subject because I found it fun and unique the way in which I worked. The A5 format limits the content because the size is obviously restricted and it’s sometimes harder to see/identify areas but it is easily distributed and cheaper to produce hence why fanzines came about in the first place. It gave me a brainwave and direction in the way the fanzine works and it’s something I had to apply to my own work, the fact it’s compact, easily stored and distributed around to the targeted audience and it’s striking. Everything is better miniature these days. Convenience is the key.
Trying that little something new can always go a long way when you want it. I’ve noticed that everything I have done within this year all interlinks with eachother. The 3 minute video that I put together was about the lifestyle which I lead in the Summer and it revolves closely around the subect of LDN’s lifestyle outlook. The active life of being with friends, being sociable and spending the day in the park being creative and making the most of the life that you have. It’s all about not taking everything too seriously and take things in your stride. What I show isn’t important to some people but this is how I live my life and LDN has that same attitude towards the subject therefre when starting the project I felt I had already started the timeline by producing this video to sum up the company to a certain extent. The knitting task wasn’t a favourite of mine and infact it just tested my patience and learnt that I don’t actually have any. This task of trying something new didn’t take me too far and I was sure that I wasn’t take this any further but what I did take out of it was to slow down and analyse my work rather than jumping into conclusions. I try to work too fast which isn’t ideal in the subject I plan to take.
In order to step into the mind of my client, I decided that looking into art that he liked, I could get a look into what his tastes were. Me not being a great fan of street art I got to see how it was set out, what atmosphere it created and its purposes, I thought this way I could create something in the style in which he is most interested. With my own touch in it aswel I’d be able to create something individual. By this I also had a look at how I couls alternatively exhibit my work. Within the ‘Moniker’ exhibition help back in September I saw there were numerous installations where small pieces were being sold like postcards and small pieces of art which could have been an idea that I would be interested in when collecting more of a portfolio for the project at a later date maybe.
EVALUATION
From the beginning of the project, I have been very skeptical of the outcome and positioning which I am taking. I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew which is why I started off slowly, working in my comfort zone and working with my hands which I’m always used to but now I’ve learnt to open up after doing the knitting and 3 minute video, I have opened up so many doors for myself and gained so much confidence to do what I want to do. I’m glad that everything has worked and fallen together. The 3 minute video, the fanzine production and trips to the galleries and sites in London has given me experience in a world I haven’t been before. Looking into urban art which isn’t a style I am particularly a fan of was a great way to get an insight of the influences of the client. Street art is something he is really into so stepping into the mind of the client for the day was a great opportunity. Also making the 3 minute video, I got to spend the day with the team which gives m a great insight of the brand which is something do often as we are all friends, whether it be an advantage or disadvantage in the long run. Having an inside perspective of a comapany is always a bonus and I’m glad I can be part of that. Once the project lifts off, I want to help and be involved in the promotion of the magazine, handing out to stores, online, maybe sending to online shops, it could become like a direct mail. With such a small publication, the possibilities are endless.