Improved Final Product Front Cover

Improved Final Product Contents

Improved Final Product Double Page Spread

Final Product

Q & Rolling Stone Magazine Cover

Route of the eye; Along the route of the eye the masthead, minor article titles, image and main article headline have been placed. The masthead and article headlines have been placed within these key areas to create interest with the reader, making them want to read on. At a glance you quickly see all the key elements placed to appeal to the target audience. In the primary optical area the masthead has been placed and as this is the first part of the cover to be seen the magazine will be quickly identified. Within the terminal area more band names have been placed so the reader will be drawn into the magazine further and want to read on. Unconventionally it has been chosen to put text into the dead areas, however as it is relevant to the image and this text is kept above the two panthers it makes that part of the image stand out more and so in this case using the dead areas is beneficial. The coverlines and masthead are kept very ordered and are placed around the edge of the cover so the main focus -  the image and the main coverline - are kept as the only focus in the centre. In the hotspot areas the masthead, minr coverlines, and the images of the two panthers are included. The masthead is included as it identifies the magazine for the reader, the minor coverlines are placed here to give an outline of key elements within the magazine and the two panthers are used in the hotspot areas as they are made to stand out and add an edgier feel to the magazine.

Image; Only one image is used on this cover which gives the magazine a main focus and also keeps the cover more organised and uncluttered. The image used has a plain dull coloured background which therefore makes the colours of the cover lines stand out to the reader at first glance. In the image the main colour is jet black contrasting that of the background and standing out. The image mainly focuses on the two panthers giving the magazine a more edgier feel therefore appealing to a wider audience. The image is of Lily Allen who is seen in just shorts, tights and heels, this connotates the image of style so appealing to the fashion concious audience however also puts across the idea that 'sex sells' as she is wearing little clothing. The image is a long shot so we can see the entire of the model and also the two panthers, this is so that we can see the costume and poses. The composition of this shot coordinates with the rule of thirds as we can see Lily Allen in the centre with a panther either side of her so fitting with the lines and spaces of the principle of thirds. This means that as the reader glances at the page their eye will immediately be drawn to each aspect so creating interest. 

               Colour Scheme; As the image uses a minimal amount of colour - mainly black - the colour scheme has been worked and modelled around the masthead. As the masthead for 'Q' is quite large and takes up the majority of the primary optical area the colour is immediately taken into account by the reader. As the colour is red this has also been used for key words within the cover lines such as 'EXCLUSIVE' this makes the important words stand out drawing the eye in and creating interest. The second colour used is blue which like the red is bright and stands out against the plain background, blue contrasts the red however as is not considered to necessarily match and coordinate with red, however, used sparingly this colour scheme makes the cover lines pop and stand out. 

Fonts; All the cover lines on this magazine are written in block capitals giving the magazine a more aggressive insistent manor fitting with the image used. This is so that all stand out to the reader, the key words such as 'Wicked' and 'Exclusive' are written in a larger font to the rest of the cover line making them more noticeable to the reader. Although the layout of this cover is ordered the different sized and different fonts used give it a more cluttered informal look relating to the target audience. The fonts used are simple and easy to read again giving an informal vibe and appealing to the reader immediately as the content is identified at just a glance. There is a mixture of serif and sans serif fonts used, the masthead is written in serif font giving a more sophisticated look, majority of the smaller words or phrases are written in sans serif font as at smaller sizes this is easier to read.

Evaluation

Conventions

Through my research I have found that there are several typical conventions that can be found in any magazine.

The first of which is the Route of the Eye, this is demonstrated here by the white lines. Key elements are placed along the route of the eye so that if the reader glances at the front cover it will make it appealing to them and will immediately stand out. The principle of thirds is shown by the pink lines, key points, images or headlines are placed within the hotspot areas, as this is where the eye is immediately drawn to so creating interest with the reader. The primary and terminal areas also contain key information making the reader want to read on so therefore buy the magazine.
On all magazines the masthead is at the top so is the first element seen by the reader identifying the magazine. The article headings are written in large bold writing so to attract attention and to stand out. Colour schemes for a magazine are important as alongside the masthead and images they identify the audience at a glance. This magazine has used pink and orange as the predominant colours so therefore immediately appealing to a majority female audience.  A music magazine will always include one or several images of the musician or relevant 'celebrity' usually in the centre that relates to the main article. Here we can see that several images have been used, one for each article. Through doing this it quickly identifies what sort of music this magazine targets and whether it would appeal to the reader or not. The layout of a magazine can either be cluttered or ordered, this particular magazine has chosen cluttered as there are many article head lines and images alongside them so the cover seems very busy and in my opinion overbearing.

When creating my magazine I considered the route of the eye so to keep my cover in line with the typical magazine conventions and so it would be as realistic and eye catching as possible. Through the route of the eye the first element seen is the Masthead, quickly identifying the magazine, then the eye would scan over the two articles placed on either side of the image and finally through my main cover line. Unconventionally I have placed my main article at the bottom of my page and end of the route of the eye, usually this would have been placed in the centre of the magazine. However through placing it here and using the principal of thirds this is the last part of the magazine seen as it is in the terminal area. Therefore once the reader has scanned over the page the last part so most fresh element remembered will be my key article, thus creating interest and making the reader want to read on. Also with the principle of thirds I have placed my other articles on the hotspot areas so they are picked up on and noticed quickly. For my main headline I have used a larger font and have also picked out the word 'Exclusive' so to stand out to the reader and so it is recognised as important. The same with the article to the left of my cover I have made '44 BEST SHOWS' in large, bold, capital writing so to stand out. For my cover I have kept my colour scheme relatively simple, just  using two different shades of the green/blue and also white. I did this so too keep it indifferent as to what audience it should appeal to. I didn't want to use stand out bold obvious colours that would immediately loose the interest of either a male or female audience. So through using these colours I feel I have kept it open to either audience and so a larger audience will read the cover lines and then make their decision. Also I have coordinated the colours used with the colours on the models clothes as will be seen later on with my double page spread and contents page. I have kept my images simple by only using one that covers the entire background of the magazine, the face and body have been kept central in between the cover lines so it is not obstructed. The only cover line covering a large amount of the image is the one relevant to it and so the reader will identify that this is the artist the article relates to. As within the magazine above I feel the layout is overbearing I have chosen to use an ordered layout, with only three, larger cover lines. I feel this gives the magazine a more sophisticated mature look.

The conventions of a contents page are similar to that of the front cover, the route of the eye, principle of thirds, colour scheme, images and layout are all still key features and need to be taken into account. However there are several other conventions that are common in any magazine. Here we can see a letter has been written to the reader, this is usually to the left of the page. A letter makes the magazine more personal as it addresses the reader personally and so they feel more involved, also it gives an over view of what is in the magazine and what has been happening since the last issue. The letter is usually written informally with an opening such as Hello, this immediately identifies the style and form of the magazine and also gives a more relaxed feel. We can see that beneath the article it has been signed of with the writers first name and also in a handwritten style with two kisses. This again gives a more relaxed informal style and as this is one of the first elements seen inside the magazine it will paint a picture for the reader of how they can expect the rest of the magazine to feel and include. Another convention of a contents page is that the articles are usually written in columns, this makes the page more ordered and is so therefore easier to read and understand. Also the articles can be divided into several sections so it is broken down further thus making a certain article easier to locate.

Again I have used route of the eye, along it you can see the image of the front cover, the title of the page, the 'Exclusives' section of the articles, the authors image and the readers page article. Including the image of the front cover means the reader can refer back to it to identify the main articles making it easier and quicker for the reader. As the route of the eye passes through the 'Exclusives' section this creates interest as these articles can only be read in this magazine, by placing the image of the author of the letter this creates an informal feeling, putting the reader at ease and also seeing who's behind all the work gone into the magazine. The letter itself I have kept very relaxed, and I have also given a brief overview of what the readers can expect in the magazine. The language used gives quite an upbeat vibe, I have used personal pronouns such as you and we to keep the reader feeling involved and also in the description under each article I have used exclamatory sentences to create excitement and interest. I have kept the layout very structured with my articles in columns and each with small description divided from the next. This keeps the page tidy and easy to read. The colours I have used are similar to that on the front page except I have included pink and black, mainly to stand out and contrast the blue/greens. The articles have been divided up into sections of which I have put a bold heading for each in the two new colours I have added. I have also included the date of the issue for continuity.

The last part of a magazine that I have looked at is the double page spread. Again the same rules apply with regards to the conventions such as route of the eye and principle of thirds however there are other aspects to be considered. Within a double page spread it is common to either have one large photo or several smaller ones, we can see here that the largest used has been taken from a photo shoot specifically held for this article and then there are 3 smaller photos taken from the media or press. The colour scheme for this page has been worked around the main image, pink and orange, which were also the main two colours used for the front cover, this creates a house style and continuity. Another common convention of a double page spread is a pull quote as we can see here this is written in white and highlighted with orange. A pull quote gives a snippet from the interview or article and so gives the reader an idea of the style of writing and also what it will be about. The pull quote is also usually a small piece of text that creates interest with the reader making them want to read on. The article if it is an interview is most commonly written in columns, with each question asked written in a slightly larger, bolder font and then the answer following underneath. Also we can see here a smaller, minor article in the top right corner called 'Charlotte's top tips' this makes the reader feel more involved with this celebrity however I feel that this detracts attention from the main article.

For my double page spread I chose to use just one large image across one page and slightly crossing over onto the other, I chose to have the image in black and white so that it would contrast my main colour chosen for this page, pink. Also being in black and white it gives a more sophisticated look and a more vintage style brining across the fashion element which i found my target audience wanted when completing my questionnaire. Across the bottom of the page I included a pull quote in large, bold, pink lettering. I chose this as it stands out and catches the eye of the reader as they glance through the magazine. I wanted this quote to be the title of my page and so I did not include any other writing, other than the actual article. In the terminal area of the second page I have placed a promotion for 'Phoenix Rose's' new album which is typical for a music magazine and as it is the last element you see when scanning across the page it will be remembered and fresh in the readers mind. I have included an introduction to my article beginning with a pink 'P' written in larger font so it stands out and emphasises the importance of Phoenix Rose. I have then ordered my questions in columns with the questions written in a slightly larger pink font so the reader can easily differentiate between the question and answer. The style of my article is informal and relaxed to fit and coordinate with the other pages of the same house style and also to put my audience at ease and feel involved in the conversation.


Representation.


Through creating and the completion of my questionnaire I decided that my target audience would be teenage girls. Although my results aided my decision I wanted to use this age group and gender as my target audience as through previous research of existing products I discovered that a large majority of music magazines are aimed at young males. Through deciding upon my target audience I could therefore begin to create my magazine keeping them in mind when making choices from shot type to colour schemes used.

Although I am aiming my magazine at relatively young girls I wated to keep it sophisticated and mature looking.  I also know that the audience for my magazine has an interest in fashion as in the questionnaire the majority of people chose fashion magazines when asked What kind of magazines do you read? Within music magazines young girls are often represented as being role models and relatable. They are usually fashionably dressed and shown to have a more unique, 'different' style. Within images the attention needs to be focused on the artist unless a prop or setting is used to represent something about the models character. I have kept the images of my main articles focus to a minimum, only using two photos. Both photo's cover at least one page and are quite bold so to be memorable. Within both the model is wearing fashionable clothing that would be seen in the high street shops now so to still be relatable to the reader. The backgrounds within both are plain or, as with the first, blurred so to keep the focus on the 'artist'. The second image is black and white mainly to contrast the main colour chosen for this page but also as black and white or vintage style photos are in fashion. The actual model is young and around a similar age of the reader to appeal more as again someone of a similar age would be more easily relatable.

The colour scheme I chose for the front cover, as I have previously said, is not particular to either sex or age, this is so too keep the magazine open to all audiences as although I have aimed every other element at my specific target audience I do not want to completely cut off other ages or males. However on my contents page I have began to incorporate pink in which is stereotypically associated with females, again on my double page spread the only colour used other than black is pink. This stands out against the black and white image and the writing again connotating the idea that it would appeal more to a female audience.
Tha lanuguage I have used I have constructed to connotate the idea and appeal to a young audience. I have tried to keep it lighthearted and upbeat with a relaxed feel. 'All the backstage gossip' 'Have got us all buzzing for summer' are two quotes from my contents page, by using gossip and buzzing I feel it is more relatable to the reader and also gives a layed back informal style. With the contents page I wanted to portray the image of a cool, sophisticated young woman and so used phrases such as 'A Starbucks in one hand and her blackberry in the other' and 'Camden is great for picking up unique pieces'. Starbucks and blackberry's are common items in teen culture and can also be affiliated with the more 'cosmopolitan' lifestyle of which many teens sought after. As I said previously the female artists within magazine are usually portrayed as having a slightly more quirky, different style, mentioning camden brings this across as it is famous for its unique vibe.

Institutions

Within my research I looked at several publishing companies that produce magazines similar to the one I have created. Since then I have also looked at other companies and compared their magazines to my own.

Q magazine is produced by Bauer Media a division of Bauer Media Group.



http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/
The Group reaches worldwide audiences offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries aswell as online, TV and radio stations.
The website says;
'Our business is built on influential media brands with millions of personal relationships with engaged readers and listeners. Our strategy is to connect audiences with excellent content through our broad multi-touch point brand platforms, wherever and whenever and however they want. Our wide portfolio of influential brands gives us advantages over pure play magazine or radio competitors.
Today, Bauer Media spans over 80 influential brand names covering a diverse range of interests including heat – the must have weekly celebrity title, Parker's,MATCH, CAR and Yours. For a full list our powerful brands. Bauer Media is a sister company of H Bauer Publishing, publisher of the UK's biggest TV listings, Take a Break and Bella.'
The magazines produced reach a wide range of audiences as the published articles include magazines such as 'Heat' and 'Grazia' to 'Garden News' . However Bauer Media has such a diverse range of magazine and such a large number of publications some of the target audiences do cross over, therefore meaning that they have more than just one magazine in each category. So I think that taking this into consideration Bauer Media would take my magazine into their company. 









Another publishing company I also looked at is IPC Media. IPC produce the music magazine NME which I originally researched as the concept of my magazine would be and is similar to this. IPC are owned by Time inc, who are then owned by Time Warner. Time Warner is the worlds second largest entertainment conglomerate.
These are the websites for each seperate company:

http://www.timewarner.com/corp/
http://timeinc.com/home/
http://www.ipcmedia.com/

The IPC Media website says;

'IPC Media produces over 60 iconic media brands, with print alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men – almost 26 million UK adults – while our websites collectively reach over 20 million users every month.

IPC's diverse print and digital portfolio offers something for everyone, with a focus on three core audiences: men, mass market women and upmarket women.'

As a leading magazine publisher in the UK and as IPC target and reach such a vast audience I would want them to produce and distribute my magazine. The similarities between my magazine and NME are also important factors, both have a similar style, format and tone. Although mine is clearly aimed at teenage girls and NME at men/teenage boys this would be the factor that would encourage IPC to publish my magazine as it would mean that they would be reaching an even wider, more diverse audience. 

Target Audience

The target audience for my magazine are 16-22 year old females who listen to Indie, R&B and Pop music. I discovered this through my original audience research in which I created a questionnaire asking what people look for in a music magazine and also finding out a little about their personal preferences with regards to what sort of magazine they are most likely to buy etc. As the majority of people who completed my questionaire were in the 16-17 year old age bracket and so I decided to aim my magazine at 16-22 year olds as I did not want to cut off the young adults. As I have previously said I have noticed that many music magazines are aimed at males and so I wanted to aim mine at females, which coincided with my questionairre as 70% of people who completed it were female. 

I also asked what kind of magazines do you read? I asked this as I wanted to know what other articles I could include to appeal to my audience. 70% of people chose fashion magazines with 50% choosing gossip, therefore I learnt that to appeal I needed to include certain conventions of these magazines however I would tie them in with the conventions of a music magazine. For example I included an article on the fashion worn at the Brits, incorporating fashion into a musician's event. I also found out that my target audience are very interested and dedicated to their music as a majority of people asked download music everyday or at least once a week. This meant that although I needed to keep the style of my magazine informal I also needed to keep the articles on musicians serious and informative. 

This is an image from the media pack of NME from the IPC Media website. It shows their target audience as majority male ABC1's with a median age of 23 who have a strong passion for music. Although their are some differences between this and mine the idea's and context are similar meaning I could use this as a basis for my magazines target audience. Although the age is different I wanted to lower mine because majority of people who answered my survey were within this age bracket but also because I am this age myself and so by including myself in the target audience I can easily tailor the magazine to be what they would want. 

Appeal to Target Audience


To appeal to my target audience I used several different key ideas. One main one was the house style of my magazine, I used consistent fonts, colour schemes and images throughout. The main two colours used are teal and pink, I feel this is predominantly targeted towards females (my target audience) however does not completely exclude males. The pink used is bright and eye catching to catch the attention of my reader.  

Language

As my target audience is 16-22 year olds I had to tailor the language to attract the attention and to keep the interest whilst relating to this age group. I kept my writing fresh and feminine by using phrases such as
'This Springs  Song Bird' and '...from you guys showing your love' and '...have got us all buzzing for the festival season'. These phrases show an informal style of language relating to the reader, I also used certain key words such as 'Exclusive' and also 'Only £2' the exclusive infers that the article can only be read in this magazine and so would create interest and reason to buy this magazine. The 'Only £2' says that the magazine is at a suprisingly good rate, inferring you are getting a lot for your money. As I also knew that my readers were interested in fashion I included such phrases as 'Best Dressed Brit' and 'Who's Wearing Who' as this is a common question asked at major red carpet events therefore relating to fashion and my readers.
Magazines similar to mine, such as Nylon use a similar style of language, relaxed and informal relating to the younger audience.



Technologies

Throughout the creation of my magazine I have learnt to use several new pieces of software and websites. The first of which is blogger.com, this has been the most important aspect in presenting my work in a neat and ordered manor. Before starting this course I had never created my own blog before, through creating my magazine I have learnt how to edit, publish and produce posts, this means assessing my work is easier as it is layed  out with titles and subtitles in a chronological order.  I mainly chose to post the written entries straight onto my blog as I found this easier than using scribd, by doing this I also had to learn how to import pictures straight onto the blog. I used scribd early on in my course, however I did not find this easy or reliable to use.
           To create my magazine I used Microsoft Publisher, I chose this as I had a very basic knowledge of this software however I thought that broadening my knowledge of editing software would be beneficial for future use. I learnt how to import pictures, resize, change the colour of certain parts and crop my images, also I learnt how to produce several page pieces, as I did for my double page spread and had originally planned for my contents.
A main visual aspect of my magazine are the fonts, to obtain these I used a site called dafont.com. I had never used this site before however wanted to use a variety of different fonts rather than the normal, usual ones provided on Publisher. To do this I had to locate the fonts folder on my computer, download and transfer the file from the site. I feel this will be beneficial in the future as I now have an incredibly large variety of free fonts available to me for future work.
To obtain the information I needed to determine my target audience I used Survey Monkey. This site allows you to sign up for free and produce and publish a survey with several different designs. The most important part of this site that I learnt how to use was how to publish my survey to both my blog and to facebook. Through using facebook I could reach a wider audience and therefore have a more diverse group of people answering.
A very simple programme I used is paint, I simply used this to convert my magazine cover, contents page and double page spread to images so I could easily upload them to blogger.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.