For the cover of the magazine I wanted to incorporate some of the initial ideas that began the project, as some of the visual approaches to nihilism were well received during critiques. I decided that the use of the Virgin Mary image could be a good image to use because the barbed wire halo gives the image a more sinister feel. As the aim is to attract a student audience, I felt that this aesthetic would be recognisable to some. Being inspired by the content found on social media, particularly Tumblr, the front cover sums up the general theme of the publication. The word 'opportunity' had been highlighted as the magazine aims to resonate with young audiences and inspire them to seek out more prosperous opportunities in life. Giving audiences a brief overview of the content on the cover page would make it easier to quickly see what it involves, rather than having to pick it up and skim through. The title 'Optimus Pessimus' came from the latin translation for optimism and pessimism, something that I think works appropriately for the content.
The general aesthetic of the magazine was to visualise opposite sides of nihilism, which would as a result give the audience different points of view. It is also left up to the viewers how to interpret each section, as the colour scheme does not apply negatively or positively to each spread. Instead the black and white is used almost as a metaphor for interpretation. Sections that one viewer might find insightful may not be to another viewer, however the range of stories gives the publication variety of interests.
Including several inspirational quotes throughout gives the viewer small pockets of advice to think about. From this, they are then more likely to look further into the stories or philosophies.
As the publication is made up from research, I decided to make body text a main focus so that the findings could be shared with others. This also meant consideration of each spread's layout, particularly those that involve a lot of text. Most of the information used in the magazine had been written first hand, whereas other areas include exerts from articles and books around nihilism.
In the volunteer section of the publication I wanted to include an interview from primary research, that would make volunteering more appealing to viewers. Volunteering had repeatedly appeared in suggestions for life experience, and was something that many young people involve themselves in.
Volunteer work would also give viewers a different outlook on life, as the satisfaction comes from helping others as well as the environment.
It was important for the publication to show the extent of nihilism and how it can create chaotic situations in society, more specifically, the way in which nihilism exists in UK gang culture. Within recent news there has been a significant increase in gang violence and knife attacks across the UK. The behaviour of these individuals can be seen as an extreme case, and therefore warn viewers to avoid this destructive form of nihilism.
Following on from the gang culture section is a personal story relating to UK knife crime, and how one man is working to tackle the issue. This spread follows on from the previous because it gives the viewer an alternative approach to destructive nihilism and what can be done to tackle this in a positive way. As a result, the spread gives viewers more insight into the reasons young people involve themselves in crime. Including a personal account such as this makes the publication more relatable to those who may find they resonate with the story. As a result, the audience who can relate may have a reason to reconsider their opportunities and life choices.
By including scientific discoveries such as this, the viewers are given an example of how humans fulfil their time by exploring and finding out more about our universe. As found in the research, nihilism can be a result of existentialism. Therefore, discovering new things about ourselves and our world can occupy our interests and give us our own meaning/purpose. Offering discovery as a section gave viewers a small example of how science can be one avenue to exploration.
Relating to the last spread on discovery, I included information on the Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle. This gives a more personal account of how someone dedicated their time to finding out more about the universe. This may also encourage others to pursue science or philosophy in the hopes of making a big discovery, such as Aristotle did.
In order to connect with the youth audience, I looked into inspirational people that may have at some point in their life overcome a difficult time. One story that stood out to me was boxing athlete Anthony Joshua's. This was because he had previously risked losing a shot at his career, when he was arrested for intent to supply class B drugs. However, he overcame this time in his life and it inspired him to push himself further to achieve some of the highest honours and athletic titles. This may resonate with young audiences as boxing is often seen as a sport that helps people turn their lives around. Anthony Joshua has today become one of the most inspirational athletes and a role model to the youth of today. Therefore, I think this spread would work well to inspire it's readers who may need encouragement in their position.
In relation to Joshua's perseverance, I felt that the publication would need a female story for female audiences to connect with. For this the next spread focused on J.K. Rowling's story of hardship and achievements. Many of the experiences that Rowling went through in her life can be relatable to young audiences. Therefore, they may find inspiration in her drive for success as well as her contributions to charitable organisations as a result.
One final message to leave with the readers is the summary of the findings and what I believe to be nihilism from a positive perspective. Accompanied by a map of Europe, the viewer can imagine the possibilities in their life and the places they may travel to in the time they have. It also gives readers a summary of the spreads so they can see that they are only a small set of examples in a large world of opportunities. Though it leaves the audience with the freedom to do what they want with their life, I feel that it does so by encouraging them to seek out new experiences, make meaningful connections with people and enjoy what makes them unique.
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