Reflection: Audience

It was probably some where between 10:00 and 10:35am and we had all been discussing different ideas on how we could compile a key word project. Ideas were coming left and right, the suggestions were creative. But I really had my heart set on a magazine article. I felt there was so much you could do. I didn’t want us all to create a separate magazine rather different articles in a magazine and it all be compiled together in the end. Once I started thinking about it more and more I loved the idea of a magazine. But honestly I wanted anything other than a boring 5 paragraph essay, double spaced, MLA format….BORING. But now class would be over shortly so we had to vote, hands went up for different topics and a newsletter won in the else. Though slightly disappointed it didn’t matter.  When I walked out of class, heading toward my next English class, I just wondered “I hope I don’t get a bad word and how do you make a newsletter?!”

Like any other college student I didn’t think about the assignment again until the next week when I was in class and the teacher mentioned the assignment again.  This time I had my laptop open so I decided to type my word into Google and see where it went from there.  At first glance at the search results only ONE thing actually pertaining to the type of audience I was looking for came up. I had a minor mental panic attack, but then before I knew it I had to leave class.  I started brainstorming later that day, as I walked my dog around the neighborhood I thought of all different ways I could do this project. I had a few ideas but nothing concrete. My draft would be due soon and I barely knew what different I was going in.  So I did what I used to do in high school, forced free writing. I wrote my key word in huge letters AUDIENCE across the top of the paper and wrote what came to mind. After that and some more online research I went to work.

With draft done I worked on editing what I had an expanding; the final project due soon I started to work with Microsoft Project Gallery to see layouts for newsletter. I had never done a newsletter before so at first I was convinced the layouts on the computer weren’t correct. Then I figured everyone in the class would have the same layouts so I went on Google to see if I could find any downloadable layouts, no luck. Now back at the layouts Microsoft had, I picked one that was appropriate for both genders. The color was neutral and the layout design wasn’t overwhelming. Trying to figure out most of the functions in the program could do was so difficult. There was a page design layout that I really wanted to delete and figuring how to do that was like rocket science.

Now that the layout was picked out and tweaked to my liking I could finally start finishing up my project. I thought it would take made 2 hours at most to compile it, WRONG. When it comes to projects like this I find myself spending so much time trying to fix smaller things. Then next thing I know it, it was 4 hours later and I was still sitting at the computer. I was so worried about it being too filled with text I tried to break it up into smaller sections. I wish I could have been able to think of more cute little things or notes/tips that could have complemented the article more.  The hardest part was trying to make the topic seem interesting, but when Analyzing Your Audience was complete I was so relieved to have that project under my belt. That night before the project was due I dreamt that the newsletter was placed right next to the sign-in sheet in the EMW office for students to read while they waited. So fingers crossed I’m sure it went well.