Audience Research

Before I started production on my magazine, I gathered a focus group which consisted of  a small minority of my target audience. Which was girls aged 16-21 years. I asked a variety of questions from the design and layout of the magazine to its content and features.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h63-Q-Kww4

Following the answers made by the focus group, I will use the majority of the used answers or a mixture of different answers used for my music magazine. For example the overall group agreed the magazine should have a colour scheme of red, white and black and more seemed to like the masthead title Stereo. For the content they expressed a wish for an interview to be the content of the double page spread, as they could find out about more of the music artist. Every member of the focus group had a different taste in music meaning it would be important to include different genres of music within the magazine but still hold it altogether with the house style.

I think by doing a focus group I have discovered that I can use the different answers to create a music magazine that my target audience would enjoy reading and that would appeal to them. Also this short of raudience research has allowed me to find out what my target audience actually want out of a music magazine and what they want to see being produced, although they didn't all have the same answer, I can use the majority answers and take into consideration the other answers to help me create the type of magazine my target audience want to appeal to them and that they would enjoy reading.

Final Production

Photoshop Edits

For this project it was my first time using photo shop, as first I found it very difficult to use the tools and edit the image how I wanted. However after a lot of tries I managed to learn how photo shop worked and learnt what tools are best to use for the outcome I want. I tried editing the images so that they would fit the style and were the correct photos to use on certain pages of my magazine, as different photos would be used for a front cover to a contents page. Photography is important, because if the correct photos are used in the correct place then they will fulfil the correct purpose. For example a front cover picture should use direct mode of address and make eye contact with the target audience, to make it seem as if they are being invited to read the magazine. It was important to fulfil these purposes, and I think I have with the help of editing the images to fit the purposes I wanted them to fulfil.

Writing the article

I decided for my article for my music magazines double page spread was going to be an interview, as this would allow the target audience to use the magazines as a source of uses and gratifications and brand loyal. As the interview allows the target audience to find out what an artist they are interested in has been up to and what projects they have been working on recently. It would be brand loyal as the target audience may be fans of the artist and would buy a product or subject they are associated with. This also a use of hegmony as the target audience will see the double page spread advertised on the front cover and will think that it will interest them and they have to buy the magazine.

 

For this article i looked at interviews in Q magazine, they often have an interview with a music artist included in their magazine as a double page spread. I followed the description of the artist looks and set the scene of when the interview was taking place. I also seperated the speech between the interviewer and the artist, to make it clear who is who to the target audience. When creating the double page spread i will try and make the layout and design based on the in Q as it very clear, makes the text easy to read and the style and mode of address sticks to the magazines housetyle and has the necerssary conventions.

Improved Music Magazine

After the outcome of my first attempt of the music magazine I decied to make changes to colour scheme and housestyle. I think I have achieved this, while still managing to achieve what is necessarry with the conventions and my target audience.

I changed the colour scheme to red, black and white as these are often the unisex colours used for music magazines. I also found an opportunity to improve my house style I have still kept it colour full and edgy but have made it more symplistic than before. By doing this I have made the magazine seem more professional and this will be a use of hegmony and uses and gratifications for my target audience. As the magazine looks more like a real music magazine they would usually read, they may feel that they can read this and it will be of some interest to them.

I did make sure I used all the necerssary conventions on each of the pages. Such as on the cover I have a masthead, selling line, kickers, cover lines, headline, anchorage, secondary lead, menu strip, barcode, graphic feature and plug. Also on the contents page I have included a section header, stand-out quate, feature shot, section banner, section headers and features. I have also included similar features on my double page that needed to be included and took great care when writing my article for it.

Overall I think this magazine is a big improvement from my first draft as it will appeal more to the target audience and has all the correct conventions needed for a magazine.

Music Magazine Cover 1st Draft

Here is a copy of the 1st draft of my music magazines front cover. I've tried to use all the necessary conventions while still trying to keep it looking professional.I wanted to go for an urban style type of magazine by using bright colours while still keeping it edgy at the same time. They are 2 hard styles to combine but I do think I have found a way to make it work.

I have used all the necessary conventions for the front cover of a magazine such as: masthead. strap-line, feature article image, bar code, pop up, secondary lead, kickers, cover lines and many others. By using these conventions I have made sure that my front cover is similar to real music magazines that would be sold mainstream. I've tried to stay with my target audience which is a mainstream audience. I wanted a varied audience of general music lovers mainly aged between 16 to early 20's, I believe I have achieved this by having a young person as my main feature image and by using bright colours yet having an edgy house style to my magazine, also using a direct mode of address to make the audience feel connected to the magazine and that they are being invited to read this magazine as it may interest them. 

Although I have achieved some of the necessary targets needed for the production of my music magazine, I think I do need to make some small improvements that will make the magazine look more professional. Such as the typography on the menu strip I think would be better if I changed the colour and font type. Similar to my house style I believe I may need to find a better use of the colour scheme, even if this would mean going for a different colour scheme I will find a way to make it work. Also with a little change of the layout, with these little changes I think I may be able to make a big difference to the entire look of the magazine and achieve a higher standard in my work.