Evaluation

1. Evaluation Ellen Brooking

3. Whilst creating my magazine I constantly thought and based my designs around the conventions of magazine design. I also tried to challenge the conventions of magazine design the most prominent example of this is the placing of my title. I placed my title on the left hand side of my page in a vertical style, by placing the title in this place I am challenging the idea of having the title and a masthead at the top of the page. By placing it on the side it will stand out on the stand amongst the other magazine potentially increasing sales. However in certain aspects of my designs I followed the conventions of magazine design for instance I used a single subject on the front of my magazine which fits with the idea of the magazine. This is shown on most magazines such as Q and NME as it allows it now to be cluttered by laid out orderly. I also used a female on the cover of my magazine which fits with the theory of the male gaze by Laura Mulvey(1975) as this may increase the amount of people that by the magazine as they desire or aspire to be like her. I also developed the idea and convention of having an article which covers the page focusing on a single image which spans the whole page. I followed the contention of having an interview on a double page spread as this means you can have a large image as well as a detailed articles. I also followed the convention of having lists of the contents page explaining what is inside the magazine as this allows people to understand and easily understand where things are in the magazine. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

4. I have tried to incorporate various features which would reflect and represent the social group I am aiming for. I have researched various different music magazines to collect an idea of what appeals to which social group, this has allowed me to customise and create something that has a direct correlation. The first thing that determines the social group in this project is the genre of music you are aiming for. I wanted to pick a genre which appeals to a large group of people so that sales will be maximised, I wanted a genre which covers a wide variety of musical styles even thought it is only one genre. I finally chose the genre of indie rock which covers such a variety or artists allowing my magazine to stand out and differentiate from other magazine. I chose this as it has a great following allowing it to be a successful magazine that appeals to a large audience. I then decided to determine the gender I was aiming the magazine at, I decided to aim it at both genders as this will increase the target market and the potential audience, I made sure the magazine was suitable for both genders by using a neutral colour scheme which would appeal to both genders. This is also supported in my choice of image for the front cover as it shows a girl who females may aspire to be like or idolise however it also appeals to males as the girl is attractive creating a connection between the social groups and the magazine. This applies to the Male Gaze Theory – Laura Mulvey which states that this effect may occur. I think the magazine will also appeal to all ages however it is aimed at 16-20 year olds which is made clear by the choice of the models in the magazine as they fit into this age group I have also used edgy and stylish images to maximise the likely hood of an young person buying the magazine. A lot of these idea’s will be linked to the Representation and Stereotypes theory stated by Branston G & Stafford R (2010) which states that they both involve a categorisation and an evaluation of the group being stereotype. The means that some groups of people fit into the conventions of a stereotype which allows me to appeal to them based on previous items created for this stereotype. How does you media product represents particular social groups?

5. I have looked at various distribution companies during the task of my magazine coursework for instance Time Inc. which is a TimeWarner company as it covers such a variety of different magazine types from lifestyle to entertainment however I don’t think there company would maximise the sales and quality of my magazine. I also looked at Brauer Media as they have such a versatile range of products. I have ultimately chose to go with Brauer Media as they have multiple extremely success music magazine such as Q, Mojo and Kerrang! which are 3 of the most successful music magazines. I hope this will ensure me with the highest level of success as it is a well known media brand with a high level of success and such respected music magazines already in their control. I have also chosen Brauer Media as Q is a similar magazine as my own as I studied and evaluated it in my Textual Analysis which allowed me to get a grasp of the way the magazine is designed and seen by the audience which is something I aspire to have with my magazine. What kind of media institution might distribute your media products and why?

6. During the production of my coursework I used multiple different software's and programs to contribute to the design and planning of my magazine coursework. The most prominent program that I used during the creation of my magazine was Photoshop as it allowed me manipulate and change the way that something was viewed, for instance the images featured in my magazine have all be edited so that they fit the identityand appearance of my magazine which allows me magazine to flow better. I used Photoshop mainly in the construction of my magazine as it also allows you to create exactly what you want for instance the right page size and the right colour scheme, it’s allows you ultimately creative control. I have also used software's such as Pages, Keynote and Numbers as they have allowed me to present my work in different formats allowing my work to have a versatility as well as allowing it to be presented in the best way. I used these programs during the research and planning part of the project as they allow me to keep track of what I have done in a legible format. I have also used the internet to research and plan my magazine design, it was a particular useful tool for researching distribution companies and existing products as it allows you to understand them in depth. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

7. I based the design the magazine around the responses I got from my primary research, by completing my primary research I was able to grasp what my target audience allowing me to tailor my work to what they want. Whilst doing my primary research I discovered that a majority of my target audience were female however there were some males so I had to accompany both genders. I also found out that my audience was between 16-20 which changed the way that I would create and the visual design of my magazine. I have tried to make my magazine appeal to my target audience which is essentially a older teens of both genders that are students, this creates a distinct separation from other social groups so the way that the magazine is presented and written will be different from others. I chose to feature people in my magazine in that fit to this social group for instance everyone featured in this magazine is of that age, I tried to form a connection between the target audience and the people featured within my magazine allowing it to compliment each other. I used reds, whites and black in the design of my magazine to show that the magazine was aimed at both genders allowing people to be aware of it. I used fashionable and interesting fonts so that the audience formed a connection and feel like the magazine feels young and interesting to the reader. I also used a lot of up and coming artists in my magazine as I know that young people care about what is in fashion at any point of time. I researched other music magazines to see what other people are doing as well as what social groups were being overlooked, this allowed me to get a smaller target market. What would be the audience for your media product?

8. Firstly I looked at various magazines to see how they attracted and addressed their audience to ensure maximum sales and circulation, I carried out my primary research to see how the target audience wanted to be addressed throughout the magazine and the features within the magazine. When researching information for my magazine I noticed that the title and the main image on the front page were the most important part of the cover. I chose to place the title on the side as it would stand out against other magazines which will result in the brand becoming more and more well known. I chose the red colouring so it would stand out on the background as well as against other competitors magazine. Another way of attracting the audience was the image on the cover as it covers the majority of the page, the facial expression and appearance of the subject of the front my interest the consumer who may aspire to be like the model, this is similar to the Male Gaze theory as it attracts someone based on the individuals wants and needs. The black and white edit I have used allows it to stand out against the rest of the text, it also allows the text to stand out. I also attracted the audience with the taglines on the front page as they allow the consumer to know what is within the magazine which may increase their interest in the magazine. I addressed the audience in the way that was most successful in the questionnaire which I did for my primary research, there were two that were equally popular which were funny and friendly so I chose to address the audience in this way as it would be the most popular as well as it appealing to everyone so this was the type of address that I chose for my magazine. How did you attract/address your audience?

9. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? Looking back at my preliminary task I feel I have learnt more about the composition of magazine design, I also feel like my overall presentational skills have improved as now my work looks a lot more professional. I have also extended my knowledge of the programs we work on for instance my Photoshop skills have increased which has brought up the overall level of my work. However I still have the same creative ideas as the preliminary task but I can now design and make the work exactly how I want it to look. I’ve progressed with the pre construction stages allowing myself to go into a lot more detail about certain aspects of the project. I have also learnt what colour and design guides work best for the overall appearance of the magazine allowing it flow better and fit the conventions of magazine design. I have also learnt about the uses of media pack and how primary research can determine what your final product is like.