My Chosen Title and Colour Scheme

After a lot of questioning and surveying people on titles I have decided in the end that my favourite name is 'Basement'. The word arises connoatations of the indie and singer songwriter music as often portrayed in American films bands of this music type tend to practice in basements. and after drafting some mock ups for potential covers e.c.t Furthermore, for my colour scheme, over the Christmas holidays I asked numerous friends and family members to chose which colour scheme they liked best, I told them to take into consideration the name of the magazine and also the target audience and music genre.

The most popular colours were grey/silver, black, white and purple. I had the idea of changing the colour purple to indigo for obvious reasons, I thought it would be a good link from the title to the colour scheme. My three main colours are there going to be grey/silver, indigo and then alternate between black and white depending what I use this colour for. I think this scheme is good as it creates a sense of professionalism and class and the indigo is nice touch of colours so it isn't too dull and boring. After doing my research on indie and singer/songwriter artists and bands I have seen that they are usually represented in a calm manner rather than being represented like how their music sounds. They are represented by their personalities and what they wear than what type of music they make (This links to Dyers star theory) and therefore I want the cover of my magazine to have a very clean fresh look to it.

Conventions of Music Magazines

Over the course of my time researching several music magazines I have come to notice that all of them have conventional features. They all follow a guideline for having certain features shown which I am going to discuss now, each magazine has their own house style which is what allows them to differ from each other.

Planning - Colour Schemes

Shot types

Planning - name possibilities

I tried testing some fonts out to give me an idea of what I like...

My Target Audience

After looking at my results from my surveys I have decided on which target audience I want to aim my magazine at. The age group that I will be aiming for is 15-23 year olds. I have chosen this because the responses from my survey revealed that people who are older do not read music magazines unlike the young ages (15-23 year olds). In addition, I feel like I can produce a cover, contents page and double page spread best suited for a young adult. Furthermore, I am aware that the most popular genre of music from my survey isn't the genre which I have pursued as this is only a small handful of people out of the entire country. The most popular genre turned out to be pop however my magazine is going to conform to the indie genre as I personally feel that this is the one I am most comfortable to do; I know what to expect being a fan of several artists and bands that are classed as Indie. A lot of magazines include a various amount of artists from different genres because they focus on who is the most popular rather than what type of music they produce. I feel this is an advantage for my magazine, although I am not distributing it in real life I believe that this would be a good selling point to my audience if I was to do so. 

Moreover, my step in planning is preparing mock-ups as to what I want my magazine to look like. From research and doing detailed textual analysises on already existing magazine covers, contents pages and double page spreads I will be looking at their conventional features to help when putting together my design ideas for my product. 

Results of my Survey

To show the results of my survey I have created various charts. This helps clearly show the results which received. I will then further use this information to help me decide who I want my target audience. 

 This survey is out of 25 people. I asked people of various ages however kept it within the younger age groups because I feel as thought I will be able to design a magazine best suited for a younger audience due to myself being young as well. All of these surveys are from my own results and out of 25.

 I can see here that out of the people I have asked, some do not read music magazines despite them being young. The age category 19-20 year old were the ones who do not tend to purchase music magazines, this could be due to the fact that at that age they are usually busy socially and academically. The highest percentage that did read magazines were 17-18 year olds and therefore I should definitely include this age group in my final target audience.

 There are a variety of music genres and each person has their own taste. Therefore as there were too many to show in a chart I decided to narrow it down into the top 4 genres that were chosen because the other genres that were chosen not many people picked them and I thought that it would be pointless including for example, Dubstep when only two people in my survey chose this. This will contribute to my ideas for my target audience as I can see which genre of music is the most popular.

 In this pie chart I am showing the different ages of the people that participated in my survey. As you can see, most were 15-16 year olds followed by 17-18 year olds. This is because I distributed most of my surveys around my class and all of them were in my age category.

I designed a table to show how many out of the 25 people which I questioned said that each genre was their favourite. I found this useful as I can clearly see how many males/females are interested in pop/indie rock/R&B/Singer Songwriter music. 

Research into Target Audiences (Survey)

I created a survey to distribute among my classmates because I had earlier decided that I wanted my target audience to be between the ages of 15-19. My classmates fit into this age group and therefore I took this opportunity to gather some results.

Here I have scanned in the survey which I printed off and handed out. I thought carefully whilst planning my questions; it needed to ensure that they would be relevant to my task and help me when planning it. Moreover, by gathering information on which artists/bands and genre of music is the most popular within my targeted age group, I will be able to get an idea of which artists I can refer to in my magazine as well as giving me thoughts on what genre of music my magazine can focus on.

In addition, I found it important to ask if people would prefer their music magazine to cover a range of genres in terms of music or just stick to one type and therefore knowing if it would attract my desired consumers containing hybrid genres of music. 

In conclusion, in my next blog post I will be talking about the demographics from my survey and discuss who my final target audience is. 

Planning - Names for my Magazine

I decided it would be useful to begin thinking of names for my music magazine. I have decided that I want it to appeal to a teenage/young adult audience which consists of both males and females. I have carried out a survey and am in the midst of writing up a post to show my results and explain my chosen target audience and music genre in more detail. 

Since I am trying to appeal to the younger generation I came up with several one word titles. By having one word titles it gives it a fresh look when shown on the cover and also rolls of the tongue giving it an upbeat sound. To make sure that my magazine conforms to the trendy, modern times that teenagers and young adults live in now, I have come up with words that will give off codes as to what music will be featured inside. 

Moreover, the first image here that I have included is a screenshot of me in the middle of creating my mind map. I thought that this would be appropriate so that the examiner will know that I have produced this piece of work myself. In addition, the second image shows my final piece and as you can see I have brainstormed a lot of ideas which I will look at in more detail soon, then I will be able to narrow my thoughts down and as the final step, chose an appropriate name. Before I can finalize my name however, I will be planning ideas on the house style and design on my front cover, contents page and double page spread. Subsequently, once I have chosen my design features and layouts e.c.t I will be able to see what names are most suitable. 

Finally, in my mind map I have used a varied range of fonts which could affect the names which the people I ask choose and so once I have collected my results I am going to write all the names one more time all in the same font to see if the same names then are chosen. I created this map before I had established my target audience and therefore once I have chosen an audience I will pick out which names are most suitable. For now, I want to see which names overall could be possibilities; this can give me ideas as to what I want my magazine to conform to. 

Billboard Magazine Case Study

******Add on billboard awards

The Magazine Production Process

I have created a spider diagram to show me the production process of creating a magazine. I can apply this to my research as this way will allow me to know what stage of production I am at. This will help me have a clear plan for my production as I will know what factors I need to be considering at each stage. Furthermore, it will help me stay on time for my final deadline for my product. For example, I have already began my planning for my product and I am preparing mock-ups for possible designs for my magazine. 

Different Genres of Music

There is a variety of genres within music. My next step in my planning is to focus on finding a target audience, I drew up this mind map to so I can clearly see the different variations and different audiences I could aim for. To start off with, to find a target audience, I am going to create a survey for my fellow classmates to complete. Once I have them back I will look at the demographics as I am thinking of aiming my magazines towards 15-21 year olds. With my classmates being within this age range I can see which types of music are the most popular.

History of Music Magazines

Planning - Mood Board

To start off my planning, I decided to create a mood board of artists that I like. This will help me see what artists I can mention to when designing my magazine i.e article titles and features for the contents page e.c.t. It will also help when it comes to thinking of a story to write for my double page spread as I can transfer events going on with these artists and use them as inspiration. By having this mood board it will let me keep track of what type of magazine I want to produce, I can take ideas from these artists such as their style and the articles that they are featured in for my own designs. In addition, it will aid me when it comes to thinking of the design for my cover, contents page and article because I can use ideas from how they are in photo shoots.

The artist featured on my mood board are, Swim Deep, The Vamps, Joy Division, Nina Nesbitt, The Smiths, Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, The Maccabees, Ed Sheeran, Bastille, The 1975 and The Courteeners.

Vibe Magazine Contents Page Analysis

Top of the Pops Magazine Contents Page Analysis

NME Magazine Contents Page Analysis

NME Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

Audience Expectations of Music Magazines

For every type of magazine there will be set audience expectations. Through research and planning the magazine editors will know who their target audience is and what sort of things they expect to find inside, every magazine is different. For example, magazines aimed at younger audiences such as music magazine 'Top of the Pops' have features inside that they know younger females with enjoy such as a section where people from home write in and state their most embarrassing moments. Therefore, they will look at what their target audience will enjoy reading the most and try and feature all of these things within an issue.

If the target audience is for 16-30 years olds then they will know that they are more than likely interested in finding out more about an artists personal affairs rather than a magazine based solely on their music career, this supports Dyers star theory. Furthermore, if the target audience again was a younger generation then the artists that are shown inside would be of young age.

Consequently, magazines such as 'Rolling Stone' includes politics and pop culture because they know that their target audience isn't young and therefore they have an intellectual side to it.

Audiences might expect to find more out about artists besides tour dates and their music careers, they like to get to know them on a more personal level. This refers to Bulmer and Katz Uses and Gratification's theory where readers like to feel as though they have some kind of connection with the artist to escape their normal lives.

I produced a spider diagram to show what some audiences will expect from their music magazine, this will help when planning my own magazine because I will be able to pick out what features to include depending on my chosen audience. 

Dyer's Star Theory

The Definition

‘The study of stars as media texts/components of media texts demands that the distinction be made between those who are simply known for performing pop music and those who are known for being pop stars, who have an identity or persona which is not restricted solely to their musicianship.’ –
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/Music/music.php?pageID=popstar
One of the reasons so many pop performers are described as ‘pop stars’ is because they are quickly promoted to this status by their management. This is easily done courtesy of a few judiciously placed stories, a famous boyfriend/girlfriend, attendance to premieres and parties and features in countless iconic magazines. When artists are in this process it is easy for people to forget about the music being produced in the light of the magazine photo shoots and gossip articles.

A true pop star is one who has a long-term significance in the industry. To fit within Richard Dyer’s star theory, an artist would have to make a sufficient cultural or sociological impact to be classified as a true pop star. These are the ones people are still talking about even when their music careers are over. World renowned artists such as Elton John and David Bowie are example of what a true pop star is in reference to the Dyer’s Star Theory. However, boy bands are a market that is riveting the industry in recent times and groups such as One Direction, The Wanted and Union J will never make a long lasting cultural impact. In forty years’ time they will not be known for that ‘amazing song they recorded’ or that ‘sensational album they wrote’ they will simply be remembered for their presence, looks and personal drama.  

Stars as a Construction

Dyer suggest that ‘a star is an image not a real person that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (eg advertising, magazines etc as well as films/music’
Shows such as The X Factor are a brilliant example of the construction process. They show us how an ordinary person is groomed, styled and coached just to fulfill a recording company and target markets expectations. They are changed into something that is seen as an improvement yet if it was about the music alone it wouldn’t matter about their appearance yet it does, this proves Dyer’s star theory that a lot of artists are constructed to be liked as people rather than liked for their music.


Ideology and Culture

'Stars represent shared cultural values and attitudes, and promote a certain ideology. Audience interest in these values enhances their 'star quality', and it is through conveying beliefs ideas and opinions outside music that performers help create their star persona. A star may initiate a fashion trend, with legions of fans copying their hairstyle and clothing. Stars initiate or benefit from cultural discourse (e.g. via their Twitter feed), and create an ongoing critical commentary. Now more than ever before, social networks give pop stars the opportunity to establish their own values outside their music.' - This section is taken from website http://www.mediaknowall.com and helps explain clearly what the purpose of many management companies are, to create people rather than create music.

I chose to write about the Dyer's star theory because i think it is relevant to all music magazines. It is important to choose what artists you want to feature in your magazines otherwise you could be portraying your magazine in a way you don't want your desired audience to read it. For my music magazine, I will take the Dyer's star theory into account as I find that this will help me when it comes to my evaluation, having met the needs of my target audience. 

Q Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

 

Billboard Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

Here is a double page spread article taken from popular music magazine Billboard. A double page spread is two facing pages of a magazine where the textual material runs from the left hand side and continues across to the right. However, like the example above magazines can interpret them and change the layout to make it their own 'style'.

The image used for the background is a picture of popular and world renowned artist, Miley Cyrus. In the image, we can clearly see her slouched in the corner of a room. The walls of the room are grey and drab,      and the lack of colour depicts her discontented expression - the connotations of the image formulate the idea of her being trapped.

It seems the main point of the article is to promote her new single 'Can't be tamed', which was more than likely in the charts at the time of release of the issue. The text shown in the white box states, 'Transitions From Tween Idol To Pop Star', this gives the readers who don't know her anchorage as to what she does. Also, the smaller text on the right hand side of the article discusses her audition for the lead-role on Disney Channels 'Hannah Montana', as this is how she became well known in the industry. This is referred to as they know that a large proportion of their target audience will know her form this.

Moreover, the article title reads 'Girl, you'll be a woman soon' the use of the word 'Girl' gives the impression that it is addressing and talking to the artist personally as well as being used in pink to conform to the most popular stereotype of girls. The text reading '...You'll be a woman soon' is used in contrast with the articles image as she is shown to be trapped in a room with a fed up expression and posture. She is dressed in clothes that are adult like rather than clothes girls should be wearing such as the heels. This suggests that she wants to be a woman and grow up yet it isn't her time to be a woman yet suggested by the word 'Soon' at the end.
Furthermore, in terms of typography, the text is rather large and attracts attention immediately. Because the layout is simple and isn't packed it doesn't make the reader want to turn over straight away like they would if there were tons of text squeezed onto the page.

Dyers star theory can be applied to Miley Cyrus in this because Miley isn't bounded by her singing career, she is known for her identity. She was also star of immensely popular Disney channel programme, Hannah Montanna which shows that she is known for more than her singing. Furthermore, a lot of people haven't watched her acting or listened to her singing yet they know her because she is well known for her fashion sense.

What is house style?

Analysis of Kerrang Magazine Cover - All Time Low

‘Kerrang!’ has a niche audience which is mainly rock/metal. This audience will listen to the music produced by the artists that have been featured on the front cover. On this cover, the main image can clearly be established through its size in comparison with the three smaller images which have been placed at the bottom of the cover. The typography of the masthead has an effect which appears as smashed or cracked, this font/effect is associated with the audience that will buy this magazine and therefore conforms to the conventional characteristics of this genre. Also, surrounding text on the cover has been given an effect that makes it look like it's been written on a chalk board, the text, 'Get Ready...' is an example of this. It gives a rough look to the writing which is also associated with the group of people who are expected to read this issue. Stereotypically, this audience can be known as 'moshers', 'rockers' and a variety of other names which have been formulated by society. 

The way the images have been organized on the cover shows that the members of the band have been partially covered with different text from the articles advertised. The colour scheme is neutral with the main colours being blue, yellow and white. The colour yellow has been used to highlight the name of the featured band, All Time Low. This allows the name to stand out and draw the attention the of the magazines desired audience. The yellow has then been used for some of the article titles which are included inside, this colour has not been used on any other large text, this suggests that the magazine producers do not want to compromise any of the attention that could be drawn away from the bands name, it shows us this is what they want the consumers to see first. Consequently, the magazine was named 'Kerrang!' because the onomatopoeic word is derived from the sound that is made when playing a 'distorted' electric guitar, again connoting the style of music the magazine is trying to portray. 

In addition, referring to my point earlier, the main images size has been edited for it to be spread across the entire cover. If a consumer isn't familiar with the band featured then the main cover line is anchorage, audiences will be able to make the connection between the cover line and the main image due to the cover lines characteristics, i.e the size, colour and placement. Furthermore, the mise-en-scene of the cover consists of the band members who have been dressed in ordinary clothes. The fact that none of the members are dressed in out of the ordinary clothes suggests that the image is trying to depict a relaxed, fun feel. Their facial expressions further conform the the overall relaxed/fun feel to their image as they aren't exaggerating their smiles as this can come across 'fake' and 'proper' which is not the magazines intentions, instead they have gone for laid back expressions. The member who has their mouth open seems to be the lead singer as he is defined by the rule of thirds from the rest of the band. 

Subsequently, the alliteration 'Guitar God' has been used within the banner to create more attention. A pull quote has been used, "We're back on track!", as it creates more anticipation for the reader and makes them want to further read the material. The use of the blue on the text reading 'Stage Shots' stands out against the rest of the page and the other text which can suggest the different context as this referring to posters included inside. It is also emphasized by the use of a small border effect around the corners of the writing. 

The rest of the images are positioned below the main image and on the lower section of the front cover, this allows no attention to be stolen away from the featured band. The sizing of these images are considerably smaller as well for the same reason. The 'Stage Shots Poster Special' text anchors the two pictures in the left hand corner to let the buyers know what the posters are going to be of. The use of the word 'Special' connotes that they are showing something one-of-a-kind that hasn't been shown before. Again, the genre of the music is emphasized from these images as they are action shots and show the artists in mid-performance wearing 'slobby' informal attire and show that they have long hair - another connotation related to the target audience. 

                                           

Analysis of Top of the Pops Magazine Cover - Cher Lloyd

The masthead stands out immediately in a bright pink colour already showing references to their target audience of 'girly girls'. The typography of the masthead has a lot of design to it, the words 'of' and 'the' are grouped together in a circle and the 'S' at the end has a swirl to it. This is to try and give it a fun and younger feel so that it will appeal to their primary focused audience of younger girls.

The cover lines, '1D Go Nuts!' and 'Will Aston take you out?!' are talking about the male celebrities who were popular at that time. These are used intentionally as cover lines because they know that younger girls will want to buy it straight away. Furthermore, the strapline 'Style SOS! Our Experts to the Rescue!' has a small picture of Taylor Swift next to it with a drawn speech bubble reading 'You can do it too' This again has been used to attract younger girls to read the magazine by mixing fashion and celebrities together knowing girls will be interested in bot these topics. Taylor Swift was and still is a very popular music artist and her music is enjoyed by thousands of young girls and therefore by using her image with the story they know that girls will want to read it. 

The main cover line relates to the medium shot we have of, back then, rising star Cher Lloyd. It is a simple image to ensure that their audience will recognise her and with them being younger they don't want the image to be confusing in any way. By her image clearly and cover line being in the centre of the magazines layout we can see that she is the main feature within the issue. In this cover line the word 'Real' is written in capital letters and runs with the colour scheme in the circle, black and white. The different coloured words makes the story title stand out more and younger girls will be able to easily understand what it means. Because of their target audience, the editors have to keep the cover very simplistic and easy to read because a lot of their audience won't have the capability to understand or process complicated and 'busy' covers due to their age.  

Moreover, a bar code is in the bottom right corner and the price and date of the issue. This is kept small and out of the way of the rest of the cover as it doesn't conform to the theme yet it needs to be shown. The overall colour scheme is a mix of bright colours to keep it upbeat and conventionally pleasing. 

In addition, '7 Sizzling Posters' is written across the bottom, relating to the image of popular boy band, One Direction. Onomatopoeia is used with the seven and sizzling pronunciation as it rolls of the tongue and can be fun to say for younger girls. In reference to the boy band, the word 'Sizzling' connotes hot and popular which is the conventional opinion of the boy band to many fan girls.  

Analysis of Billboard Magazine Cover - Beyoncé Knowles

The masthead conforms to the three colour rule of the magazine. The letter ‘d’ in the masthead is filled with a blue shade, this could be linked to the main cover line which reads ‘BEYONCE’. It is in complete capitals and is the next biggest text on the cover; this ensures that the audience’s attention is drawn to the featured celebrities name once they have established the magazines title. The last letters of 'BEYONCE' are written over the artists dress, although it is only at the bottom of the page it could suggest that the text is introducing her as she is placed behind it. The typography of the cover line shows that the magazine wants to clearly show that Beyoncé is their main feature within that particular issue. The gradient effect from white to blue on the name gives it a metallic/modern feel to appeal to today’s readers. 

The mise-en-scene of the magazine is the medium shot of celebrity Beyoncé. The white dress she is wearing is contrasting to the solid dark blue background; this juxtaposition makes the image dramatically stand out.

Furthermore, it makes her the focus of the cover. We can see this is intentional due to the dress being plain white and not having any other colour shown as this was the desired effect.

In addition, the only colour that does not fit with the colour scheme of the issue is the bright red included in the masthead text. However, this is an exception because the colours on the masthead are the trademarked colours and part of the magazines long running identity. Moreover, the yellow tone is used to write some of the words on the cover to help run with the colour scheme.

Overall, the gradient shades of blue throughout the cover add to their feature and gives the magazine a cool and trendy feel.  

The word 'Plus' which is featured in the bottom left corner of the cover gives the reader the idea that they're getting more for their money, as though there is something extra inside that you wouldn't usually get. The description of Beyoncé next to her image are a collection of nouns which read 'Singer. Actress. Businesswoman. Philanthropist.' The words collectively sum up the artist and give the impression of her being somewhat remarkable for her being able to achieve so many things. Again, this carries on the idea of women on the cover.

The text directly above the masthead reads 'Women's Music', the text is prominent, a very similar size to the magazines title and because of its placement directly above the masthead shows that they want the audience to see this at the same time they establish the title. The text being placed above the masthead suggests importance and that they want to readers to see that this issue is about a specific topic, similar to a 'special edition' magazine issue, they have altered their featured stories inside to coincide with the theme of 'women'.

The celebrity's pose is a conventional position for someone to hold if they were replicating a role of dominance and importance. Her posture also conveys power and independence, it raises the awareness of sexism and can be seen as a feminist led cover. This role is stereotypically shown as a male poise although with the issue being dedicated to 'Women's Music' they have turned this role onto a woman to broadcast women's rights. Obviously, Beyoncé is a world renowned artist and she is guaranteed to attract their primary focused audience, women, for their issues specific theme.

Consequently, the image of the celebrity conforms to the rules of thirds and dominates the middle section. Apart from the celebrities name, all text is written around her, this suggests her importance in the issue and how nothing is to compromise her full image being clearly shown.

The mode of address theory can be applied here as the 'Women's Music' is trying to connect with more females than males, the issue is dedicated to women who have been successful in the industry and the placement of it at the top of the page, above the title, shows that this is the most important heading on the page and they want to show the audience this. The use of Beyoncé is addressing the audience by her being one of the most successful female singers in the world.

The Laura Mulvey theory of the 'male gaze' is a feminist theory and focuses on the representation of women in the media. As I have stated in my previous points the issue is trying to tackle sexism and show that there are numerous successful women in the music industry and that a lot of them are just as, if not more successful that male artists.




Laura Mulvey:  Male Gaze

Audience Consumption Habits

Audience Consumption Habits

The uses and gratifications theory focuses on why people use and consume media texts. Bulmer and Katz (1974) suggested that there were four main reasons as to why different people used media, and these were: information, personal identity, social interaction and entertainment.

Information  because individuals might want to find out about current events in society and around the world, for advice or opinions on decisions, their own curiosity and general interest, self-education and/or it can allow them to gain a sense of security from the knowledge they were consuming.

Audiences may read music magazines to find out news about a particular band or artist such as tour dates and facts about them etcetera. Interviews with bands and artists are an integral part of music magazines; this is where readers are able to get to know them more and consequently, the interviewer would have to research what their target audience wants to hear. If the magazines target audience was teenage girls then in the interview they would want to find out what the artists likes and dislikes were, along with hobbies and personal stories. It can allow the audience to connect with the artist on a more personal level as it feels like the subject is speaking directly to them.

Personal Identity, this is often the case for younger audiences as they can be looking for a role model of behaviour as well as finding reinforcement for their personal morals.

In terms of music magazines, teenage audiences are usually more ‘attached’ to artists than adults and want to know them on a personal level rather than just listening to their music. Teenage girls are under pressure from the media and consequently, they look up to the celebrities that they like in hope that they will fit some sort of social ‘standard’ if they share the same habits, interests and looks. Therefore, younger audiences can read magazines because an artist or band they like are featured.

Social interaction can be a reason for individuals consuming a media text as they can interact with others who share the same interest and gain a sense of belonging. It also helps some to find a basis for conversation, which is the case for teenage audiences in particular when meeting new people and/or trying to connect more with friends.

Audience will want to read music magazines because it allows them to gain more understanding of the artists they like which can lead to them joining ‘fandoms’, a  fandom is where people who all share the same interest in an artist can converse and talk/share thoughts of them. They are most commonly found on social networking sites such as Twitter. Again, younger audiences will want to read anything that involves their preferred artist as it will then give them more opportunities for social interaction.

Entertainment is an important purpose as it is said to be the most common. Reading a magazine can be used as a form of escapism for people who might be stressed or unhappy. It can be a diversion from problems that they may be facing at home or at school. It can also be seen as a source of relaxation for pure enjoyment or some might just read magazines as a way to pass time when they’re bored. If the magazine contains artists and features that they don’t personally enjoy then the chances of them even opening the text is slim, although people who read it because there is someone they like featured inside then they’ll be getting a positive effect out of reading it because they are actually enjoying it rather than passively reading it they will read it actively.

Action Plan

I have created a clear and simple action plan as to what I am going to do within my research and planning that I believe is easy to read and understand. This will help me keep within schedule of my deadline for my task and also allow me to checklist what I have/have not done.

Preliminary Task - Evaluation of my magazine

What I could improve on...

There were factors about my preliminary task that I would improve on if I were to go back and do it again. I was a very inexperienced InDesign user and I found it difficult to make a magazine cover and contents page from scratch. As I didn't know my way around the programme I was unaware of a lot of the things that I was able to do with it.

My front cover is relatively plain, my medium close-up picture is placed towards the bottom of the page and looks a bit plain. If I were to change this I would have shaped the picture to make it edgier and so it didn't look as though it was just placed carelessly onto the page.
The typography on my cover is also quite simple. I designed the font for my title and then picked matching fonts for the rest of the text. The colours I chose for the smaller text, which I placed over the top of my image, were bright so they were easier to read however I could have done with making the text slightly larger.
Moreover, I could further improve my cover by adding some colour to the background. It looks too plain and doesn't attract much attention to it, which it should because that is its purpose - to attract an audience. So that my text still stood out I would have added a gradient so that the colour wasn't too distracting from the information I have shown to

What I have done well...

I have followed the task instructions by having a medium shot of a student on my cover, and I have also featured the main things that you would find on a school magazine such as titles and article names on the cover.

Preliminary Task- School Magazine

 

 

Preliminary Task - Contents Page