Production Task 1 - Photography

~ Photography One

Model(s) - Elijah, 18 years old, Male (transgender)

For the debut issue of 'The OUTlier' in January 2026, I wanted to cast a model with a unique style and identity. I immediately thought of my friend Elijah, who is a trans male, has an interest in alternative fashion, and is proud of his identity. I feel like these aspects about him would really inspire a 16-25 year old audience to show individuality through style. Since this is the magazine's debut and it's not as established like other Condé Nast brands, there could be a front cover story which applies cultural movements to style and reflects our values. Elijah will be playing as Elias Stokes, a transgender model, activist, and gamer who is gaining popularity within LGBTQ spaces. I will refer to his 'name' throughout the issue to build a sense of familiarity. While not all audiences will do this, some which have a similar identity could see him as a role model and a positive representation. 

To prepare for this series of photos, I started out by picking a suitable costume for my model Elijah (playing as Elias Stokes). This is one of the important elements of mise-en-scene I covered in my Photography Planning, and I am responsible for every single element as the director of the photoshoot. This is a rather colourful and flashy outfit which I chose to enhance the model's confidence.

 

~ Photography Two

Model(s) - Alicja + Josh, 17 years old, Female + Male (cisgender)

For the second issue of The OUTlier, I intend to show off the versatile nature of the magazine. I want to exhibit different sides to style and fashion which resonate with different people: advocating for marginalised people in the industry like trans people, and with this issue I tapped into the more traditional elements of style magazines that my style-conscious audience find familiar. The mood in the February issue is very different to the debut issue, I was inspired by darker elements of mise-en-scene in the visuals, particularly taking design elements from film noir and incorporating the nature/weather. My 16-25-year-old audience are digital natives, so they would be no stranger to romanticised, idyllic portrayals of love in the media -- this February issue aims to de-romanticise these familiar portrayals of romance while still aligning with a Valentines theme. Along with the focus on the models, I incorporated the natural outdoor environment more into the photoshoot. The use of indoor settings for this photoshoot did not fit my vision, as I am almost constructing a story through it: a couple going on a quiet and intimate walk in nature during winter.

The models were dressed in sophisticated clothes/accessories like suits and trenchcoats to represent the serious side of fashion and style. This type of dress is something that my middle-market audience may be used to seeing in the media and real life and it is appropriate for the outdoor setting of the February issue. As the debut issue has no correlation with the season, I knew I could express it through this issue instead. I initially planned to do all of the photography myself, but as I am a model myself in this issue I delegated this task to my brother to get the photos that I needed in time. As the sole director of The OUTlier's creative vision, I had to have the photographer follow clear instructions I gave him so that the photos turned out as desired.

Planning Task 6 - Font Choices

Font Choices

~ Masthead choice one 

Masthead - Elephant
Strapline - Relationship of mélodrame

My masthead is written in the Elephant font. It is made to be bold and powerful; in theory it is a perfect choice to use on my magazine. However, I do feel like the boldness may be too extreme and take away from the strapline which details what my magazine's values are about. One stylistic choice I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours) to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry.

The strapline is in Relationship of mélodrame, a more elegant serif font. I like how it looks unique compared to other classic serif fonts such as Times New Roman and Georgia. However, the decorative and calligraphic elements may be too elaborate for a strapline. I will consider using this font elsewhere as it stood out to me while creating these mock-ups. 

~ Masthead choice two

Masthead - Modern No.20
Strapline - Garamond

My masthead is written in the Modern No.20 font. It is primarily known for its elegant and modern look, text like this is most often seen in other style magazines. It will therefore align with the textual elements in other magazine products, but it may not be a unique choice.  Some stylistic choices I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours) and making the whole word larger than 'the'. It intentionally stands out to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry.

The strapline is written in Garamond, a serif font. This style of typeface is popularly used in pop culture (especially book printing) and may be familiar to some. It also resembles handwriting which I believe gives my logo an authentic flair. However, I feel like it is not bold enough to be seen and recognised from far away -- I will opt for a bolder font that is similar to Garamond if I find one.

~ Masthead choice three

Masthead - Felix Titling

Strapline - Apple Garamond

So far, this is the most appropriate choice for my masthead and strapline. Felix Titling is a serif font and looks good in capital letters, which helps the masthead stand out on a front cover and website. It has a balance between being simple and timeless, and fancy and decorative. This is important because a font that is too simple will not help my magazine's branding stand out, while an overly decorative font is intimidating and hard to read. Some stylistic choices I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours) and making the whole word larger than 'the'. It intentionally stands out to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry. 

The strapline is Apple Garamond, a bolder variation of the Garamond font. This style of typeface is popularly used in pop culture (especially book printing) and may be familiar to some. It also resembles handwriting which I believe gives my logo an authentic flair. I will consider using this font in other textual elements on my front cover, contents page, and website. 

~ Masthead choice four

Masthead - Kunstler Script
Strapline - Papyrus

This is not an appropriate choice for my masthead and strapline. The masthead is the part of the magazine/website that first catches the reader's attention, however the Kunstler Script is overly decorative and can be hard to read. Most magazine mastheads use bold and simple fonts so they can be memorable, a complex font like this is not likely to resonate with my audience. To put it simply, it stands out in a bad way. One stylistic choice I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours). It intentionally stands out to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry. 

The Papyrus font also has the same issue of not being bold enough. Since its release in 1983, it has become an infamous font/meme in the graphic design community. It has earned a reputation similar to the one of Comic Sans; both proven to be inappropriate to use in a serious/ formal setting. One good thing I can say about it is its easy readability, but it is still not suitable for use in my strapline. 

~ Masthead choice five

Masthead - Copperplate Gothic

Strapline - Griffiths

The masthead in Copperplate Gothic has a more classic look with its subtle serifs and bold letters. It is reminiscent of Victorian fonts (hence the name) and the lettering on engravings. However, it may be read as too old-fashioned for my 16-25 year old audience. It also does not look like a serif font, which makes it atypical of other style magazines. It may not share the stylistic similarities that style magazine logos do (Vogue, Tatler). Some stylistic choices I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours). It intentionally stands out to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry. 

I am using Griffiths for the strapline. This is a serif font with calligraphic elements. It is a good-looking font, but it has the same issue as Relationship of mélodrame -- which is the decorative and slightly elaborate nature of it. In order for 'The OUTlier's' branding to be memorable, the fonts have to be relatively simple and easy on the eyes.

~ Masthead choice six

Masthead - Engravers MT
Strapline - Garamond

Engravers MT has been used as the masthead here because it is a serif font that looks good in capital letters, like Felix Titling. It also has a classic look adopted by newspapers such as The Times and The Wall Street Journal. However, I find that it looks very elongated and could be harder to fit onto a magazine front cover without making alterations. Some stylistic choices I like in the masthead is the way the word 'outlier' is read first. I drew focus to it by adding colour onto 'out' (in grey to simulate different colours). It intentionally stands out to anchor my magazine's message about individuality in the fashion industry. 

The strapline is written in Garamond, a serif font. This style of typeface is popularly used in pop culture (especially book printing) and may be familiar to some. It also resembles handwriting which I believe gives my logo an authentic flair. However, I feel like it is not bold enough to be seen and recognised from far away -- I will opt for a bolder font that is similar to Garamond if I find one.

~ Masthead choice seven

Masthead - Lovely Christmas
Strapline - Garamond

Lovely Christmas has all of the qualities that are typical for a style magazine logo and is on par with the other top contender Felix Titling. Both fonts have serifs, look good in capital letters, and appear charming to the eye. However, I slightly prefer how Lovely Christmas looks more bold 
The strapline is written in Garamond, a serif font. This style of typeface is popularly used in pop culture (especially book printing) and may be familiar to some. It also resembles handwriting which I believe gives my logo an authentic flair. As the font may be recognisable to audiences who read books (some of which preferred them over magazines), its appearance in the strapline will entice them into reading my magazine.

~ Masthead final choice

Ultimately, I will be choosing Choice Seven to be the official masthead for 'The OUTlier'. While Choice Three was a contender for this final logo, I found that Felix Titling did not have the same sophisticated appeal as Lovely Christmas. I feel that Choice Seven had more of a charming look to the eye as it was more bold than Felix Titling while maintaining a sleek appearance. 

~ Properties

• Masthead - Lovely Christmas, 95 pt, left align, letter spacing 20, Faux Bold
• Strapline - Apple Garamond, 30 pt, left align, letter spacing 25, Faux Bold
• Text colours - Black #000000