Reader profile

This reader profile utilizes the findings from my surveys.  The images and text show my audiences likes and interests.

Survey Analysis 2

For my qualitative research, I conducted a number of interviews in order to gain a better understanding of people's ideas and preferences.  I asked them the questions from my paper-based surveys, but I wanted them to provide more detail about their choices in order to gain a better understanding of their preferences.

The first person I interviewed was an 11 year old female.  She said that fashion magazines are her favourite because they have better images.  It is clear that things like clothing and make-up improve the images in fashion magazines.  She said that Pop is her favourite genre as it is good to dance to, so it is obvious that pop music is most popular amongst young people.  I found out that she listens to music after school and at the weekend- meaning she listens to it a lot.

The fact she said images drew her into a cover the most tells me that she likes the image to be appealing to her- preferably someone she is familiar with or is a fan of.  Another one of her answers was that she buys 2-3 magazines a month, but will only pay between £2.00 and £3.99.  This helps me because I think it would be safer to put the price of my magazine as £2.99.  Finally, my interviewee said that her favourite part of a magazine was real life stories.  My article is going to follow what the response was- finding out about people's lives.        

     

                                              

My second interview was with a 40 year old female.  They preferred 'women's magazines including celebrities, health and beauty and real life stories- which she said was her favourite thing in a magazine.  Evidently, women prefer fashion magazines because of their appealing images and colour.  This means that my product will be targeted more at males.  Like in the first interview, pop was this persons favourite genre.  She said it had always been her favourite, meaning my product stands more of a chance of being successful.  She told me she listens to music everyday, so pop music is clearly something she would be very interested in reading in a music magazine. 

                        

This person is also drawn in most by images.  I have found out that people find a magazine more appealing if it features someone they know with colours that you would associate with that person.  I was surprised to hear that my interviewee bought around 6 magazines a month and was willing to pay £4.00 or more.  She said that she would pay this if there was a gift inside.  I have taken from my surveys that including something in the magazine is a good idea.  I will not charge up to £4.00, but I will have a prize available to win instead of a gift.     

Survey Analysis 1

These are my results from my paper-based surveys for my quantitative research.  They are presented in either a pie chart or a bar chart.  There is an explanation below each chart which analyses the results and says how the feedback will impact on the decisions for my project.


Although listening to music was the most popular choice, the people who said that they read could very possibly read magazines.  Going out with friends was also a popular choice.  They could possibly be going to gigs, which is a popular social activity.  Even exercising has a link to music, as many people listen to earphones whilst jogging.  This has affected one of my decisions as I am going to take an image of me supposedly recording music in a sound studio.

As colour, text and images are what really grab your attention, I was not surprised that no one chose the 'other' option.  The responses have affected my decision as I think it would be a better idea to increase the size of the cover image and place part of the sell lines over it.





If the majority of people are only buying one magazine per month, then it either means that they buy an expensive one or that they will only buy one if they are strongly drawn to it.  Based on my research, I realize that I must base my product on a pre-existing magazine in order to make it profitable.  I got the same result for 2-3 and 4+.  Evidently, some people only read magazines occasionally, however for some people magazines replace books.

I guessed that Pop would be the most popular genre and it was.  Indie and Classical got the same result.  Indie is very popular as it is not always massively different to pop.  The people who chose classical music also said film was their favourite type of magazine, meaning they probably like the use of classical music in movies.  Overall, I know that my magazine appeals to a large audience as it would have a lot of people buying it and would have a high readership.

I was surprised to find that Real life stories was the most popular inclusion of a magazine.  I was expecting it to be Interviews.  This makes it clear that people are interested in people's lives- especially females who were the only ones to choose this option.  This has affected my work as it means that my article will need to include interesting text.  It has also taught me that people feel the same way about images, reviews and interviews- but a good enough story will hook them in much more.  This is especially achieved by the use of enigma codes. 

Clearly, people are prepared pay more for a magazine- possibly because there is a gift inside or something you can win.  My magazine will possibly have a prize.  If so, it will be advertised on the cover and the details will be on the contents page.  Despite this, I will still charge between two and three pound.

Music magazines were the most read by my audience.  I was only going to use the guitar on the cover, but the response to this question has made me think that including it on the contents page too, it will better address that it is a music magazine, therefore more appealing to my audience.  Only females chose fashion and only males chose sports, so clearly there is an equal division of gender readership. 

The people in the age group 11-20 were similar.  For example, they all liked pop music and they all listened to music.  The age group 21-30 chose these options too.  The people in the group 31-50 chose listening to music as an option and said that images drew them in to magazine the most.  The people aged 41-50 only chose the same option once- that they preferred Indie music.  This indicates that people over 40 prefer more sophisticated music.  The one person over 51 said their favourite genre was pop, so not only young people like it.  Looking at the results, I can see that a more solid target audience for my magazine is 16-30.

Photography

I have learnt a lot about magazines and how audiences view them.  In this post, I am going to say what I have learnt about this.

Magazine front covers include essential information such as a barcode, issue number, date and price.  There may be enigma codes to tease the reader and make them want to read the actual story.  Sub headlines are used for cover lines.  The colour palette usually follows a 3 shade colour scheme.  My front cover will have a white background with black, green and blue as the three colours.

There are four poses which are used conventionally for women.  An 'Invitational' pose suggests mystery and is used to intrigue the reader.  'Super smiler' involves the model smiling and demanding attention.  'Romantic/sexual' has the model hinting at availability, but not necessarily in a smiling, happy way.  The final pose is 'Chocolate box' which is when there is a full or three quarter shot of the face.



Super Smiler

   

Romantic/Sexual

Invitational

Chocolate Box

Covers are the frontline of an increasingly competitive marketplace.  The point of sale comes when you are holding the magazine in your hands, so the cover will need to be eye catching for you to pick it up in the first place.  Magazines have a niche market because their target market depends on topic and genre. 

It is effective if only one image is used on a front cover, especially if it's bold and dominant.  I am going to have only one image on my cover.  The main article of the issue should be privileged, whereas information that is not used to sell the magazine (e.g. barcode) should be kept out of the way.  Sell lines should be justified to either margin.  They should be on the left and right hand sides.  I am going to keep my sell lines to the side and the barcode will be at the bottom- out of focus.

One way of deconstructing texts is to consider them as a sign.  These signs work together to create a code.  These are known as semiotics.  Producers encode signs, whereas the reader decodes them.  Denotations are what can be seen or heard.  They are factual and can be agreed by everyone.  You cannot argue with them.  Connotations on the other hand, are an opinion and can be argued with.  There are also codes to follow when looking at magazines.  Primary codes include language and images.  Secondary codes include fonts, colours, logos, layout and background. 

Institution research

Emap- A British media company.  They specialise in the production of business-to-business magazines and the organisation of business events and conferences.  Based in London, the company was founded in 1947.  It was renamed 'Top Right Group' in 2012.  Magazines in their portfolio include: 'Architects Journal', 'Construction News' and 'Nursing Times'.

Natmags- It was a British magazine publisher based in London.  It started in 1910, but in 2011 it merged with Hachette Filipacchi Medias UK to form Hearst Magazines UK.  Their portfolio included: 'Cosmopolitan', 'Good Housekeeping' and 'Men's Health'.

Conde Nast- A mass media company headquartered in New York.  It was founded in 1909 and is a division of Advance Publications.  They launched Conde Nast Entertainment in 2011 to develop film, television and digital video programming.  They also own Fairchild Fashion Media.  Their portfolio includes: 'Vogue', 'Golf World' and 'The New Yorker'.

TimeIncUK- Previously called IPC Media, it is a consumer magazine and digital publisher based in London.  They have been in business since 1947 and have a large portfolio- selling over 350 million copies per year.  Magazines in their portfolio include: 'Chat Passion', 'Ideal Home' and 'Cycling Weekly'.

Future Publishing- Based in Bath, Somerset, UK and founded in 1985, this media company publishes over 180 magazines in fields such as film and photography.  It was ranked the sixth-largest media corporation in the UK in 2006.  Their portfolio includes: 'Total Film', 'Digital Camera' and 'PC Format'.

Bauer Media- A large European based media company that manages a portfolio of magazines, digital products, radio and TV stations.  It headquarters are in Hamburg, Germany and was founded in 1875.  They have a radio portfolio of national radio brands such as Kiss FM UK.  Their portfolio includes: 'Empire', 'FHM' and 'Heat'.

I have decided to choose Bauer Media to publish my product.  The reason for this is that they are a large company that don't only manage magazines- they also manage radio stations.  This is suitable for a music magazine as people who listen to music regularly listen to the radio, meaning my target audience use Bauer Media.

Preliminary task feedback

 

This feedback has helped me to understand how to make my main product look.  I now know that I will have to work on composition, image quality, fonts and colour.  My cover image needed to look more appealing, something I will keep in mind when I come to taking the pictures for my main task. My contents page on the other hand needs to have more articles listed and the layout will also need to be appropriate.  I can see why these comments have been made and I will refer back to them when designing my flat plans and my final magazine.

Review of preliminary task

Reasons behind my creative decisions:
- I wanted an image of people reading books and an image of computers so the stereotype of young people not reading would be ignored.
- The sell lines were positioned according to the outline of the image in order to prevent dead space.
- The animatic font on the contents page anchored that it is a young people's magazine.

What went well:
- The lighting on all the images was very good and helped highlight the main focus of the picture.
- There were books and magazines in the reading area so there was a mixture of props.
- It had a well organised layout and the colour scheme did not ruin the look of the pages.

What I would like to improve on:
- I did not take the images from a range of angles, which could have gotten me better final images.
- The colour and font will need to look more professional for my real task.

Difficulties I encountered:
- At first, me and my group took videos instead of pictures, which was soon resolved.
- Some images were blurry and even the image I chose for my cover could have been better.

What I have learnt from this task:
- I have gained a wider understanding of Photoshop.
- The requirements for camera shots are clearer to me now.

Preliminary Task and unused photos

 

This is my Preliminary Task.  It consists of a front cover and contents page of a college magazine which I have titled 'Life in College'.  The images were taken in the building using professional, efficient cameras.  

 

Unused Photos

I took more pictures than I needed so that I could choose the best one to include in the magazine.  Even if an image was just right the first time it was taken, it was still a good idea to take more as they could be even better.

This image was blurred therefore could not be used.  The image I chose was very clear.  I cropped it to increase the focus on the main part of the image. 

This image was not as professional as the one I chose as bags were visible on the floor and chairs were turned.  The image I used was cropped to enhance the presence of the computers.

Flat Plan and rationale for preliminary task

Flat Plans

Above is my flat plan for my preliminary task, in which I will be designing a college magazine.  The first plan is for the front cover and the second plan is for the contents page.  Flat plans allow you to design with a guide of what the finished product should look like.



Rationale

Colour Usage- Green and orange will be the main colours on the front cover, though there will be a minor amount of blue.  These colours will brighten the page and will connote a warm environment, so the magazine will be positive.  The use of blue will cause a contrast in colour.  I will use different shades of colours to make the page look less bright.  There will be images on the contents page too, so less colour is better.

Image Usage- The image on the front cover will be of myself reading a book in the college.  The contents page will have two images- one of people sitting and one of a computer area.  My front cover image will be a mid shot, in which I will use a book as a prop.  This image will connote that the college is a positive learning area.

Text Usage- The sell lines will have a key word in each of them, e.g. enrichment.  Each of the listings on the contents page will have a teaser, with detail on that particular listing below it.  The sell line placed at the bottom will hook the reader in as it will be invitational.  The slogan is going to be underneath the masthead which will say: 'Your weekly college news'.  I am also going to include the Sunderland College logo on the cover too.  Some of the text on the contents page will link to the images as it will explain their purpose for being included in the issue.

Layout and Font- I will use a bold font for the masthead.  The sell lines will use a similar font.  The listings on the contents page are going to look slightly animatic.  The use of this sort of font welcomes the reader to the issue.  The sell lines on the cover will not be in a row; this will make the layout more interesting.  On the contents page, the images will have a page number on them to assist the audience.

Marking previous work task

This was a group task that involved looking at previous students work, assessing it and then giving it a grade.  Some of the areas we looked at included the layout, the relevance of images and the use of language and register.  It has made me consider the images I use and that they must be relevant and creative.  

Taking a shoot on location instead of all the images being taken in front of a wall makes it more diverse and interesting.  The contents page needs to have a lot of listings so that it has a more professional image.  The images I use on the cover and double page spread will be of me, but the contents page will include others.  From looking at previous work, it is clear that the contents is vital in hooking the reader as it relies strongly on persuasive text.

Above: A picture of the group conducting the task

The example our group looked at was graded C/B.  It was satisfactory, but was let down by its contents page and poor lighting.  Some of the images did not seem relevant or purposeful either.

Looking at this example of work alongside the mark scheme helped me to understand how good the quality must be for a certain grade.  I can see from looking at the requirements for the top grades that a lot of work must go into the design and that the tools on Photoshop must be used effectively.

Evaluation of Photoshop task

For my practice on Photoshop, I designed a magazine called 'Loud'.  I found the task difficult as I have never used Photoshop before.  Despite this, the finished result was satisfactory .  The colours worked well together and certain conventions were followed.  For example, I placed the barcode in a small space and the sell line were positioned on the right of the page.  The 'Magic Wand' tool was helpful in creating the finished image.  Changing the text allowed me to look at different fonts that I could use in my real work.  

The difficulties I encountered included the colour.  I had problems with this as changing the colour of the background and the text did not always work.  For my real cover, I hope to develop my skills of editing images and improving my knowledge of editing colour.  As I had never used Photoshop before this, it has helped me gain a better understanding of the software.  Being able to play around with the tools means things will not be so new to me when I create my proper magazine.

Developing and highlighting proposal

The music magazine I'm going to be creating will be on the pop genre.  The focus of the issue will be myself.  I will be an artist whose work is similar to that of singer/songwriter, Ed Sheeran.  Magazines such as 'Clash' and 'Q' inspired me as they featured just one artist on their cover and it looked better. 

Both males and females would read my magazine, but the target audience would be mainly females as they are the biggest fans of pop music.  It will focus more on subtle music and singers- not just excitable, extravagant ones.  The audience would also enjoy going to gigs and music festivals.  I will follow the conventions across the cover, contents and d.p.s.  The cover will include a masthead in the top centre.  The sell lines will be situated on the left and right.  The headline will be over the image with a strapline below it.  The barcode, date, price and issue number will be out of focus.  The contents page will have the essential list of features and articles and the double page spread will have an interview.  The actual interview will be on the right page, whilst the dominant image will be on the left page alongside the headline.  I might not necessarily use a lot of buzzwords, but they are not a major convention anyway. 

Images in the magazine will not be overloaded.  The cover will have one picture of myself with a guitar.  This is highlighting the article on the double page spread which will use similar images.  The contents will have images showing off other features of the issue, which I will need to take into consideration when conducting my photo shoots.  One of the contents images will be of me as the editor of the magazine.  Because there may be some difficulties, such as losing documents, I will need to have a computer saved version of the document and a copy on a memory stick.  This will mean that my work is safe, especially if it has also been uploaded to my blog.

Introductory survey post

My questionnaires will be conducted by handing out sheets to a group of people, who will have to tick a box to answer the question.  I will also conduct a number of interviews.
I will be asking people questions like:

>What kind of magazine do you read the most?
>What do you do in your spare time?
>What genre of music do you like most?

From this investigation I am hoping to find out what peoples attitude is to the magazine aspect of the media.  Audience research is vital as it allows you to alter your product to suit peoples' tastes.  I will review and evaluate my findings in order to make sure that the demands of my potential audience are addressed in my magazine.

This is what my paper based survey looks like:

Proposal Form

This is my Proposal Form which documents the ideas I have for genre, target audience, conventions and images.  I also said what I will do to prevent losing work or files.  It outlines my plan for the creative project, which I can refer back to in the design process.

Generic Conventions

In this post, I will be looking at the conventions of a typical music magazine and discussing how I will apply them to my product.  The magazine example I am using is 'Vibe'.

Masthead: The name of the magazine stretches across the width of the page.  My masthead will be in the top centre, but will not stretch across the entire page.  It will however be in capitals like this example.  I will also follow the concept of covering some of the masthead with my image.

Colour: It is conventional for covers to use a scheme of three colours.  I will use three colours on my magazine cover: blue, green and brown.  The guitar I use will be brown and there will be different shades of blue and green.

Composition:  The sell lines are on the left and right side of the page, but there are also sell lines across the top which fill in gaps to make the magazine more appealing.  I will do this in my magazine but with the headline and strapline to the right side of the page.

Sell Lines: The sell lines differ in size and font.  I am going to do this myself and use puffs to further involve the reader.  'Vibe' uses a puff in the bottom right hand corner which is small but acts as a unique selling point of the issue.

Image: There is only one image on this cover which connotes it is mature and does not need to add more to sell copies.  In the image on this cover, Drake's body language is not basic which is how my cover image will look as I will be turned slightly to the side, holding the guitar.

Colour, font, costumes, hairstyles and props

This research covers what I have found from looking at colour, font, costumes, hairstyles and props.

Colour Schemes- The use of different colours on front covers does not always mean that there are a wide variety of them.  From research, I have found that colours are used in different shades alongside colours that fit their category.  For example, blue could be used for cover line subheadings, but a lighter shade of blue could be used for the information below.  Because blue is classed as a colder colour, the magazine will not include 'warm' colours like red or orange on its cover.  Instead, it will use types of blue or black for the clothing or masthead.  This can be seen on the picture to the right.  Personally, I will use green, and blue.  This is because green is the main colour on Ed Sheeran's new album 'X'.  Since he will be part of my magazine, it seems only right that green is my dominant colour.

Fonts- From looking at the website, 'Dafont', I might use a typewriter font on my double-page spread.  There were various different designs on the website, but the one that I found to be the most appealing was called 'Veteran Typewriter' which had a modern, yet old look to it.  You can see what this font looks like below.

Costumes- For the genre of music that I am looking at- 'Pop', I have looked at how male solo singers dress.  Ed Sheeran typically wears very ordinary clothing such as t-shirts.  This subtle idea suits me better, whereas magazines which have pop singers such as Nicki Minaj have more organized photoshoots to accommodate more unique clothing and hairstyles.

Hairstyles- In pop music, hairstyle is an important factor.  It is often extravagant in music videos and in photoshoots.  Singer/Songwriters are known for their subtlety in magazines, due to the fact that there appeal comes from their obvious passion for music.  The main image of myself will have me with an ordinary hairstyle.

Props- The singer/songwriter, Ed Sheeran has appeared on numerous magazine front covers such as 'Billboard' and 'Brink'.  He plays the guitar in his songs and lots of images and photo shoots of him include his guitar.  I am planning on using a guitar for the image on the front cover, to refer to Ed Sheeran's trademark prop.  I will be holding it, however I may also take a picture of the guitar to include in the double page spread.  

Magazine article essay

This task involved me designing a double page spread article.  The article included a title, a strapline, a kicker, drop caps, pull quotes, images, sub headings and a byline.  I found the task quite easy, however from my lecturers comments on my work, I have found that I made some mistakes.  I used two letters for the drop caps when I should have only used one.  Also, I designed the article on one landscape page instead of two portrait pages.  I have learnt from these errors for when I come to design my magazine.

Lecturer Comments: 'B.  I love the fact that you have used puns and that you understand the conventions of d.p.s design- such as pull quotes, drop caps (although only the first letter should be a capital) bold font and banners.  You also have a good article style- you write well but should work on writing more to ensure that your product looks professional.  You have also included appropriate images to your article.  Make sure that your columns do not cross the lines as this would not happen in a professional magazine'.

Potential problems with my coursework

This sheet lists what problems I might face regarding my coursework and how I will deal with them.  It will help me to be cautious when working on my product so that these problems do not affect it. 



Musician magazines

As my magazine focuses highly on singers who create their own music and those who use instruments, I have conducted research on those types of magazines.

'BBC Music' magazine uses a font for the masthead that gives it its own identity.  The main image is in the middle of the page which connotes that the musician has authority.  The yellow banner is interesting as it shows that the magazine is not just for people with an interest in writing music, but those that like listening to music.  This is achieved by the inclusion of the colours red and yellow which make the cover less formal.  My magazine will be informal through use of the font and its image.

Front cover, contents and d.p.s influences

I have discussed the influences for my magazine on a Prezi.  The link for this is below.

Cover, Contents and Double Page Spread influences

Time management 1

As of the 15th of September, I am up to deconstructing double page spreads.  The workload has been difficult to keep up with at times, which is because I have gone into detail with my deconstructions.  In class, I have done as much work as I can.  Work that is not completed, I have carried on doing at home.  The deconstructions of the front covers and contents pages has been the most difficult part of the research so far, as there are many aspects that must be taken into consideration.  

I am planning my time by looking at when I need to do work for other courses.  Also, I am keeping track of any unfinished blogs that I still need to add to and get published.  I want to spread out the work instead of doing it all together, which could effect the quality of my work.  By the end of this week, I plan to have finished deconstructing the DPSs.

Half Term 1 Time Plan (15th September-24th October)
Week beginning 15th September: Double page spread deconstructions.
Week beginning 22nd September: Influences, proposal form, Introductory survey post.
Week beginning 29th September: Prelimnary task (planning and construction).
Week beginning 6th October: Institution research, Photography research.
Week beginning 13th October: Survey analysis, Reader profile.
Week beginning 20th October: Colour and font samples, Flat plan and rationale, Photoshoot planning.

NME Double page spread deconstruction

This article is taken from an issue of 'NME'.

Layout- As both the headline and image hint at the story, they come together on the page.  The text consists of the conventional three columns.  The names of the people who provided the words and pictures are placed underneath the headline.  I wish to do this, but I will put it somewhere else on the page- perhaps near the bottom.  There is a box with 'Florence' inside it at the top which stands out for people who are just flicking through the magazine.  That is another thing from this double page spread that I am going to use in my own work.

Image- The dominant image represents the story of the article as Florence Welch is sitting on an American flag, showing she has found her place in the USA.  The way she is sitting and the clothing she is wearing connotes that she has been so well received in America because of her style.  This resembles my own idea as I am focusing on a singer who is popular in America and has done a lot of work globally in the last year.

Headline- Welch released a song called 'You've got the love'.  The letter 'U' in USA represents the first word of the song title.  This pun is effective because of its ability to sum up the article.  Welch covers the part of the headline between the letters U and S to increase the effectiveness of the pun.  The fact that the name of the country is in the biggest font tells you it will be about her work there.  It is more attention grabbing to have a difference in text size in a headline as it makes more important words stand out.  I am going to consider where to use this in my headline.

Kicker- 'With America at her feet' connotes she has taken the country by storm.  The rhetorical question creates an enigma code, which I love the use of, encouraging the reader to carry on.  Her name is in a different colour make the rhetorical question more engaging.  If it just used the word 'she' again then it would not fit in with her popularity and fame. 

Composition- The items on the page are spread out conventionally.  The reader can easily navigate as the lighting compliments everything on the page.  In fact, the text could easily be the thing you are drawn to first as the font used for the drop cap is rather glamorous.  The drop cap(s) that I use will be thicker and less formal looking.

Colour- Personally, I find the colour scheme very interesting as it uses a dark colour for Welch's dress to contrast the colours of the American flag.  Although only the red and white are visible on the flag, her name is in blue in the kicker.  It is evident that the headline, the image and the colour palette all help tell the story of the article.

Narrative voice- I have found that using second person for articles is very common in magazines.  Once again, the author is writing the article in the second person and when Welch is talking, it is in the first person.  This shows the writer connecting to the audience and it is something that I feel will help my article look more professional, despite it seeming like a challenge.

Pace- The pace of the article really shows off her fame.  There are lots of complex sentences that take up space.  These are broken up by much shorter sentences which briefly sum up what has been written.  This would not work too well in my article as it doesn't necessarily suit the target audience.

Language- The repetition in 'cosy-cosy' establishes that she is a down to Earth person.  This is reinforced by the simile, 'I always thought Letterman was like Santa' and the extended sentence 'I was sooo hungover'.  When the celebrity is speaking in my article, I will use language like this to further interest the reader.

Kerrang Double page spread deconstruction 2

This deconstruction is of an article from 'Kerrang'.

Layout- This article has one column.  Its position on the far right is due to the large image.  Although this is not something I will use in my own project, it still works effectively here.  Basic conventions are not followed here, e.g. the headline is at the bottom and the kicker is way above it at the top.  I do not find this inspirational as I do not like the layout much, but it is still effective.

Image- The dominant image is of Simon Neil, the lead singer of the band 'Biffy Clyro'.  He is looking at a menacing version of himself in the mirror.  This connotes that he can be a wild person.  His tattoos suggest he is experienced.  The reflection appears to be mocking which connotes he is shutting out his demons- this is reinforced by the headline.  The bands new album is called 'Opposites', so the image is even more suitable.  As I am not doing the rock genre, my image(s) will be toned down and much less excitable.  There is a caption underneath the kicker which names the photographer.  I will need to use this convention.

Headline- Red is a colour associated with Hell so it has been effectively used for this headline.  The font is creepy, yet exclamatory because of the exclamation mark.  I do not want to use punctuation in my headline, but it will still be appealing.  The two letter 'O's are on top of each other, making it look like a pair of eyes looking at the reader.  It is like you are staring into another set of eyes, just like the man in the image is doing.  The headline is worded like a ritual- like the singer is trying to start a fresh.

Kicker- Its position is unusual at the top of the page.  The name of the band is in red, but the rest of the text is in black.  This connotes that it is an important factor in drawing readers in.  The words 'Hard road out of Hell' create imagery of them shutting out their demons which is reinforced in the image.  It is informative as it is telling you about their new album.  My kicker will be similar to this as I will be partly talking about an album in my article.

Composition- It is not as easy navigating around this double page spread as it is on others.  People may not think there is a kicker as they are instantly drawn to the headline, which is right at the bottom.  The text on the right hand side is easy to find as it is introduced by a drop cap.  In fact there are two drop caps in the text, both in a different colour to spread out the colour palette.  The white background makes everything else have more presence as it increases the effect of the lighting.  My composition will be more conventional and easy to follow.  I will achieve this by making my main image smaller and having my headline nearer to the top.

Colour- The colour code is red, white and black.  The red is very dominant because words like 'Hell' and 'demons' refer back to it.  I will use white and black as part of my colour scheme, but red would not work in my article, therefore I am using green or blue.  I may use green and blue, but green would most likely be the more dominant over the two.

Narrative voice- The article is in the third person, however when Simon Neil is talking, it changes to first person.  This is conventional in articles as it is not always just an interview.  There is often some background information and then input from a celebrity or celebrities.  This is the format I am going to follow, but I do not want it to be too detailed as that would not be suitable for the target audience.

Pace- Not much of the text is Simon Neil's words, but there is still background information done by the writer.  There are a range of sentence types.  There are short sentences like 'They live in a caravan'.  These are informative, but are supposed to provide light humor and create imagery.  Complex sentences are more descriptive and in here, they are used to describe the work done by the band and what they have experienced in the music industry.

Language- The word 'They' is used frequently near the bottom of the text which is like a list of the different things Biffy Clyro have done whilst on their road to success.  There is swearing too which determines it as an adults magazine and at the same time is letting the reader know that the image is not all humorous- it does have a tone that is perhaps personal to the band and especially the lead singer in the image.  I will not include any language that may be deemed unsuitable as it is not what my target audience would expect to find when they read a magazine.  I will need to avoid repeating words too as it can bore the audience.

Kerrang Double page spread deconstruction 1

This is a double page spread article from an issue of 'Kerrang'.

Layout- This particular article has two columns, whereas generally three columns are used.  This is so  the page looks less dense and it makes it look like there is less to read.  The image takes up the whole right hand side and the text is all on the left.  It is easier to read because of this however.  This article is unique because of its use of font and its image.  When I come to designing my own double page spread, I will most likely follow the look of this one, but with some text on the second page.  The design is effective as it is meant to look like a piece of school work.  This is because the article looks at his ambitions to become a history teacher.  The stars and skulls on the lined paper represent graffiti on a students work.

Image- The dominant image is of Corey Taylor.  It tells the story of the article as he is holding letters which are presumed to be by fans.  It is the largest item on the page because it easily speaks to the target audience and tells them to read the article.  My image will probably not be quite as big as this one, but it will still be the stand out item of the page.

Headline- It has visual impact because of its use of colour and font.  It is certainly eye catching- giving the reader a chance to see a more interesting element.  This is achieved by the angle the headline is on.  The first part of it is in black, but the words 'History Teacher' are in red as they are more important.  The exclamation mark emphasis the surprise element of the article.  I will not use surprising or shocking words, but I will still hook the reader in by using effective font, colour and layout.  I want to use a linguistic feature in my headline too- such as a pun or alliteration.  The headline is large and fits well because of it tilted position.

Kicker- Here, there are two paragraphs which introduce the main body of text, however there is also an introductory line.  This boldly features the models name and has text below it.  Both paragraphs are the kicker though, as the second part carries on from the first.  Black and red is used for the kicker to make the text appear more spaced out.  For me, I will follow the convention of having one full kicker and a short strapline.

Composition- It is easy to follow where everything is on these pages.  All of the pieces of text are in line with each other and the image makes it apparent what the article is about.  There are no pull quotes, but there is a drop cap which is in a font that differs from that of the text.  I find this interesting and would highly consider using it myself.  The main piece of text is on an angle, just like the headline, to give the impression of an arrow pointing to the dominant image.  There is an arrow at the bottom of the second page, which leads you on to the next page.  This helpful indicator is necessary to include.

Colour- The colour code is red, white and black.  The white background appears to be representing a school desk.  Red is a colour associated with anger, so it is effective that it has been used here, to show a rebellious school student drawing graffiti on his work.  The use of black compliments the red and white.  I will certainly use black text in my article to accomplish this, alongside brighter colours.  There is also gold and silver on the image which connotes wealth and fame.

Narrative voice- The narrative voice is in second person.  The writer describes what Corey Taylor is doing while the interview is being done- 'sits in a white walled room' and what the weather is like- 'a chilly Saturday afternoon'.  When it comes to the section on fan questions, the narrative voice changes to the first person.  Taylor uses humor to gain a connection to one of the fans, telling them he has 'LSD- Lead Singer's Disease'.  I intend to use some humor in my article, even though not everyone will appreciate it- it will mainly be fans of the artist who connect with it.

Pace- There are mainly long sentences to set up the part where Taylor takes over.  The first column is short, so the lack of sentence range does not reduce the quality of the article.  I would prefer to use some short sentences to break the text up.

Language- Alliteration is used.  This includes- 'Stone Sour' and 'Slipknot'.  These words sound strange and fit in with the idea of 'school' as a younger audience would find them interesting.  I will try to use linguistic features in my work if they fit in.

Billboard Contents Page Deconstruction

This is a contents page from the magazine- Billboard. 

Masthead- It is positioned at the top of the page, but not in the middle as there is a section on the charts.  It is black so it has presence on the white background.  The font used for the masthead makes it look more like a music magazine, however it is not smashed like the logo for 'Kerrang', so we know it is not a rock magazine.  I find the masthead intriguing, therefore I would like to use one similar to it for my project.

How easy is it to navigate around the page?- Out of the three magazine contents pages I have deconstructed, this contents page is the most easy to navigate around.  The images at the top are in line with each other and are all the same size.  The images will not all be the same size on my page.  One of them will be myself as the editor, which will not be too small, but not too large either.  

Necessary Information- The blue box below the masthead has the issue number.  The text for it is not big at all, unlike 'Q' which boldly lists its issue number.  Clearly, Billboard is not as established as Q.  At the bottom of the page is the 'Home Front' section, giving the reader the link to the magazines website.  There is also information on events such as tours.  This applies to my target audience so I think it would be a good idea to include this sort of information.

Text- The contents of the magazine are split into four different sections- 'upfront', 'features', 'music' and 'in every issue'.  Only the features are laid out in a detailed list, the other categories are in columns.  These subheadings are larger than the text below them, however there is not too much text.  The 'No.1 charts' section is not used in every magazine.  The words 'No.1' are the largest because when people are drawn to it, they will instantly know it is about the charts.  The numbers indicate what page everything listed is on and sometimes they actually replace worded text.  This is something I will do to give the magazine more identity.  The information at the bottom quickly tells the audience what they may want to know.  It is organized in columns and the subheadings are indicators for the audience. 

Font- The font type is sophisticated for the listings.  I found the same thing in Q magazine.  A more simple font is used for the information section at the bottom as it is not about what is actually involved in the issue.  The font used in the masthead is used again for the heading 'No.1' because it is also at the top of the page.  This draws the reader to the charts list.  This contents page is the most helpful as this magazine has the same target audience as mine.  I find the font used for the masthead and listings an interesting blend.  I will keep this page in mind when constructing my work.
 
Images- There are 4 images on the page.  The three at the top are all the same size indicating that the features on those pages are all equally important and take up relatively the same amount of pages.  Although the images do not have captions, fans will know who they are.  Plus, there will be information on them in the listings.  The page number which accompanies the main image is bigger and bolder.  The fact this image has much more focus makes it obvious that it will be an interesting page to turn to.  The main image on my contents page will relate back to the image on my cover.  It will intrigue the audience further as it will be accompanied by other images.

Colour- The colour palette is blue, black and grey.  There is use of light and dark blue, not only in the text, but in the shapes too.  The grey is used on the main image for the man's clothing.  It is also used in the charts list opposite.  Yellow is also used here to separate the lists.  The colours used are not particularly warm, except for the red and yellow in the Billboard logo.  This is positioned in the top right hand corner.  It has a white background so that it retains its own identity and is not involved in the other text boxes.  I will have dark blue and a lighter shade of green on my contents.  This will mix the essence of the colours as it will not be too bright, nor too dark.

NME Contents Page Deconstruction

This deconstruction is of the contents page from an edition of 'NME'.

Masthead- Surprisingly, 'NME' does not use the word contents for its masthead.  Instead, it has the NME logo with 'This Week' after it.  It is positioned at the very top of the page.  The font is effective as some of the letters are conjoined.  The effect is that it makes the magazine look more modern.  I do not want my magazine to look outdated- it needs to be modern for its target audience.

How easy is it to navigate around the page?- It is fairly easy to navigate.  The listings are laid out on the right in a column, with the main article in the middle of the page.  The subscriber section at the bottom is easy to access because the word subscribe comes first, meaning any reader can see that it is a separate section.  This also applies to the 'Band Index'.  I am not planning on having an index or subscriber section, but I will include something extra, possibly about myself, as I will be acting as either a writer or the editor of the magazine.  The fact that each section uses either a different background colour or font colour helps to identify the way in which everything is separated. 

Necessary Information- The date is directly below the masthead.  It is very probable that the page number is at the bottom, however it is not visible on this picture.  At the bottom of the page, there are details on how to subscribe.  The fact it is telling the reader that they can save over £45 gives the magazine a better look as it is giving information in the form of advice.  Instead of a subscriber section, I think it would be interesting if I had a social section, which included links to Facebook and Twitter.  This would very much fit in with the target audience.

Text- The text is the listings and there is an index of bands.  Clearly, NME covers the different genre of bands in the music world.  The subheadings stand out, especially the one for the main article.  Numbers play a huge part on this page as they are used for informing and persuading.  The pun, 'GLASVEGAS' is effective because of the way it takes a place and changes it to fit in with a music theme, whereas the alliteration in 'Gig Guide' is effective because it is short and simple.  Puns are an interesting linguistic feature and I will certainly use one in my own work if it fits in well.

Font- The modern font used for the masthead is used for the subheadings that break up the listings and for the heading, 'Band Index'.  The smaller text uses a more simple font as it does not need to be as eye catching.  I will need to use modern looking fonts as my logo masthead has an older look to it.

Images- None of the listings have pictures with them.  There is a single image in the middle accompanied by text, but it is of a building and not a singer or band.  I like this idea.  If I am to use a main image with a headline on my contents page, it will probably be situated at the top of the page.  It is still interesting though as this single image is dedicated to a music venue- 'The Astoria', which is closing down.  This shows it is dedicated and does not just focus on the artists themselves.  There are two images at the bottom, however this section is separate from the contents of the magazine.  They are situated in the subscribe section and they are images of NME front covers.  Showing more than one edition will tempt the reader to subscribe if they haven't already as they have already been told that they will save money by subscribing.

Colour- Because the NME logo is red text with a white outline, a lot of the text is red.  However, the listings on the right are in a black font so they are dominant on the page.  This is because they are the purpose for this page.  The box at the bottom uses yellow for lots of its text so the reader knows it is meant to be separate from the rest of the items on the page.  The arrows at the side are black, however the arrow at the bottom is red and is larger, signifying that it is more important.  Bold colours also help achieve this.  If I use a range of shades in my magazine, then the reader will know what is more important.  The magazine images at the bottom have different colours on them which helps brighten up this contents page.  The page number indicators are red- NME's trademark colour.

Q Contents Page Deconstruction

This is the contents page of an edition of Q magazine.  I have deconstructed the front cover of an issue of Q and am now looking at how one of its contents pages is designed.

Masthead- The Q logo on the front cover is placed in a red square, however here it is in a red rectangular box.  It is in the left hand corner of the page.  To its right is the word 'Contents' which is obviously the most vital word.  It is in a sophisticated font, but is not white like the Q logo.  Instead it is black to make the colours different.  It is placed at the top where you expect it be as the majority of magazine contents pages do this.  Not all magazines put their logo on the contents page and when they do, it is not massive.  I will place the logo of my magazine on my contents page.  It will be at the top, but positioned in the corner.  After all, it is not necessarily important. 

How easy is it to navigate around the page?- The layout of the page allows the reader to navigate easily.  Although the listings are the purpose of this page, they are kept to the sides so that the overall look of the page grabs your attention.  This helps you find what you need.  The page numbers are bold and the images they accompany are generally together to avoid confusion or untidiness.  There are two columns of listings, however in my case I am considering using three, shorter columns.

Necessary Information- The issue number is in the box at the top of the right side page.  This is issue 284 of Q, so we know it is a long running magazine.  It is important we know this hence the fact it is fairly big.  I will include the issue number on my contents page, except it will be much smaller than here.  The use of white text for the issue number makes it stand out against the red background.  The page number is at the bottom in the corner.

Text- The list of articles and features are laid out on the left of the first page and the right of the second page.  The order is that the left page lists the 'features' and the right page lists the 'regulars'.  There are subheadings above each listing, some are only one word such as the name of a singer.  I like this idea.  It is something I want to use.  There is not an overwhelming amount of text either.  The only part that contains a bulk of text is 'The Q Review', which is clearly a regular piece in each issue.  The purpose of the text is to inform the reader where they can find what interests them.  Some of the features are not only listed, but have a picture.  These pictures give the page that the feature is on.  The numbers grow in size based on how big the image is.  They help to split up the page.  The use of alliteration in 'Access All Areas' involves the reader by letting them know that they can read about the type of music that interests them by choosing from all of these 'areas'.  It would be an interesting idea to use alliteration or another linguistic feature in my magazine.

Font- The text stands out, but the same font is used regularly.  This causes the contents page to appear sophisticated.  Italics is used for the first feature on the list.  This is curious as it is at the top of the list and is the largest in size, however it is on page 58.  Evidently it is a 'must-read' feature.  Although I do not currently plan on using italic, I will make the main feature stand out more than the others.

Images- There are a total of 9 images.  They vary in size, but only the image of the anime character is large.  There is no caption next to the image, but I can see it is on the Gorillaz.  Fans of the group will instantly know that they will be heavily featured in the magazine.  The other images are of singers and bands.  Some of them are tilted to make the page more diverse- something I will consider for my contents page.  Two of them are actual pictures of what the article page looks like.  One of these shows a feature page called 'Planet Mika'.  The word 'Planet' is the most significant as it implies he is at his peak in terms of popularity.  There is also a cartoon version of the contents positioned in the top right- a unique edition to the contents.  Every image has either a page number or caption on it.  Two of the images, though have the page number beside them or underneath.

Colour- Red, white, black and purple are the colours that stand out the most.  Red and white are most frequent due to them being Q's trademark colours- making the contents page more warm than cold.  The character in the main image has purple hair which is instantly eye catching.  Though I want to use green a lot on my cover, there will be some blue.  Blue will be used more on my contents page.  The use of purple, pink and green on this image make it the most interesting, appealing item on the two pages.

Billboard Front Cover Deconstruction

This is my third front cover deconstruction.  This is an edition of 'Billboard' featuring pop sensation Rihanna on its cover.


Masthead- Because it is targeted at a young audience, the masthead has bright colours, I.e. red and yellow.  Rihanna's head is covering a large portion of the masthead, giving the impression that it is very popular amongst young people.  I do not plan on covering much of my masthead.  The fact only the first letter of the logo is a capital letter lets the audience know it is informal.  It is in the centre because the word is not short enough to be positioned in the top left hand corner. 

Text- The cover line about a conference at the top of the page is informative and does not have any imaginative words.  This is not repeated however on the rest of the cover lines.  I will have cover lines together on my cover, but there will be one or two that are positioned alone.  'Bull on parade' and 'killer app summit' are much more appealing to teenagers and young adults.  The headline tells the reader that the article will be about the 're reinvention of Rihanna'.  Not only is the headline different, but the strapline is even more so, informing us that Rihanna's fans don't really know who she is.  The reason it's the most involving item on the page is because it speaks directly to the fans and will undoubtedly pique their interest.  What's more, it is quoted by Rihanna herself.  For me, it will not necessarily be the headline that catches peoples' attention, more the props, as I plan on having a guitar in the main image.

Colour- The red and yellow circles on the masthead create the idea of summer.  The red represents heat and the yellow represents the sun.  Rihanna is wearing a summer dress which is a very light shade of pink- connoting she is feeling cool.  The use of white reinforces the idea of coolness.  The red lips symbolise love and lust alongside the red hair.  There is the use of green on the far right of the page which symbolises temptation.  This symbolism comes from the story of the garden of Eden.  Personally, I am not fond of the bright colours, although they do work better here considering the target audience.  As I wish to have a white background on my own cover, the colours I use will need to stand.  This will be accomplishable by using darker shades of green and blue, which also relate to the image and topic of my magazine.

Font Styles- The font styles used on the headline and strapline are certainly stylish.  The use of italic is effective due to the fact that Rihanna is positioned over to the right of the cover.  I do not currently plan on using italics for my text, but I may end up changing my mind.

Layout- The cover line at the top is situated between the letters B and D in the masthead.  This is much more interesting than just listing the features and articles at the side.  The cover lines that are at the side do not get in the way of the main image.  The whole right hand side is dedicated to the star, however we know she is the main star of the issue because her name goes right across the page.  My headline will be placed further to the right because there will be cover lines on the left.  The barcode, price and date are together in the bottom left hand corner.  It is often the case that the barcode is put in a certain place because there is no room for it anywhere else.  This denotes it is not an important factor when it comes to selling a magazine to an audience.  I will most likely put the barcode in the bottom left or right corner.

Images- Since it has a target audience of younger people, Billboard does not need to lavish the page with loads of images.  This is more common in magazines aimed at children, where the images play a crucial role in selling it.  The celebrity image here fills the page which makes it more noticeable over other magazines surrounding it.  The target audience will recognize the pop star when they are drawn in by the brightness of the image.  As I plan on using a white background, my main image cannot be too bright.  I like how this magazine has contrasted the lighting though.

Mise en scene- The models clothing is not detailed because it is not the main focus.  It does not come off the page like the makeup does.  The red lipstick and the red hair are typical of Rihanna.  The light is all on her, connoting she is a superstar.  Plus, it causes the red to become dominant.  The location is probably a studio that has set up the roses and the leaves.  Her facial expression is seductive.  She appears to be hiding from something which is connoted by her tattoo of a gun. The photo shoot appears to have a theme- danger.  Rihanna has a famous personality as a pop star.  Songwriters tend to have more subtle photo shoots, therefore from seeing this cover, I can see how different mine will look.

Pose- The pose is romantic/sexual.  Rihanna is looking at the reader as if she is telling them that she is single.  The use of red reinforces love and lust.  It also connotes danger, which some people may find attractive.

Semiotics- Particular things such as the bright colours and the use of the word 'fans' help me to understand who would be more interested in this cover.  It is clearly most appealing to Rihanna fans, however it invites the general young generation in by its stand out colour scheme and recognizable star.  This is similar to my idea as I am planning on using green to associate my cover with the latest album by Ed Sheeran, who is also a well known artist.