AS Media: October 2014

WHSmiths offers a diversified/ large collection of magazines for the audience to pick from. The layout/ newsstand is very narrow in what we can see out of the whole front cover. We are only limited to see the top quarter to top half of the magazine. From observing the magazines we are only able to see the Masthead and skyline of each magazines. By having the masthead visible the audience can find their desired magazine, however also to see alternatives to their magazine’s or new genres to try. The skyline is visible in most magazine which identifies the genre of the magazine. For example MIXMAG “The world’s biggest dance music & club culture magazine”. From observing the skyline we can insinuate that new people who are interested in the genre can find the right magazine by reading the skyline.

However the price is not visible or near the top half of the magazine as it can make the reader not wanting to buy the magazine, due to the high price they need to pay. Most magazine use psychological pricing method which makes the magazine appear cheaper. For example MIXMAG is £4.99 not £5. This method makes the person think that the magazine is much cheaper that £5.

Magazines genres can also be identified by the name of the magazine or front cover star. For example “Computer music” is a magazine about mixes of real music to suit other genres. The front cover is a mixture of block of colours to represent the mixture of different songs/ effects in order to create a new sounds appealing to other audiences. A popular example is Skrillex. Another example a guitarist as the cover star can illustrate that the magazine would appeal to guitarist players (e.g. adverts about offers on guitars) or guitarist artists.

The magazine have been organised based on genres, so is easy to find the desired genres and other magazine with the same genre. Another reason is to create competition on the same genres between each brand.

ØIntroduction

For this task we were assigned to experiment more with Photoshop and InDesign which are two famous software’s used by professional industries. During this task we had to make a contents page and a cover page based on a college magazine and had to try and use as many conventional techniques which are also used in a real magazine such as skyline, masthead, cover lines, pull quotes, etc.

By the feedback which I received I am really happy and confident as the task seemed tricky at some stages of production; however I have overcome the problems easily by taking time to actually think it before doing it wrong.

Ø Contents page

Good points

I have made a good and aesthetically appealing contents page which has many conventional features which makes my contents page really professional looking.

The contents page is made of 3 colour schemes (red, white and back) which has been identified in all my feedback. The 3 colour scheme is a typical convention as it keeps the magazine organised, more professional due to the limitations of a few colours and makes it more aesthetically appealing when looked at. It also links to the 3 colours used on the contents page. Also the house style is the same as on the contents page.

I have segmented all the topics by having a sticky note. Some people thought it was a good idea as the magazine is about college and sticky notes are an essential which most people are expected to use, therefore the use of the sticky notes appeals to my target audience.

I had to make sure all the page numbers were in chronological order so it is easy to find the right section by the customer.

The cover star has also been a success as it has elements of the colour scheme colours. The cover star has a couched pause to insinuate a relief from college due to the locker which symbolises physical activates which can be fun, competitive and stress relieving. Stress relieving also has a section in the magazine itself.

Improvements

From the feedback received I have been warned about some of the features which are not really good or may confuse the customer.

Firstly, my placement of the page numbers which some said that it was kind of unusual for a contents page. This could lead to confusion as it is placed oddly either outside or inside the sticky note area. This was an experiment which I will not be using in my real magazine as it makes the magazine seem less professional and away from the simplicity of a magazine contents page which is a conventional feature.

Secondly, I have used Photoshop instead of InDesign, which means that I could have made the contents page much simpler and more professional. Photoshop is used for editing pictures or posters’ not making double pages spreads or contents page, therefore in my final music magazine I will be using InDesign which can lead to some errors due to not using it now. Not using InDesign now means that I may struggle during my music magazine, which can lead to some sort of mistake.

Thirdly, I have changed the properties of the text so it is following the shape of the sticky notes which made the text seem unorganised and some people actually struggled to read it. The “contents” text could have been place elsewhere however it did not fit in the appropriate areas therefore I thought that sideways would be the best option.

Ø Contents page

Good points

My contents page was a success due to the high level of experience with Photoshop and Visual skills. Most of the positive feedback reflects due to the colour scheme and typography. I have also used many typical conventional features such as Drop Cap, Mast head, skyline, cover lines, barcode, date, price “Free”, logo, and cover star.

I have used 3 colour schemes (red, white, black) which is a conventional feature of a magazine. The 3 colour scheme limits the amount of colours used which make the magazine seem more professional and more sophisticated/ modern. The 3 colour scheme also stands out which is crucial when the magazines are stack up, which by using the same 3 colours the customer would be able to quickly find it due to the same house style and colours used. The colours also attract new customers as it links to a certain topic sometimes. For example in music magazines we see multi colours which represents DJ mixes or house style because the use of excessive colours symbolise fun and another world (creating a diegetic world) in which we live in for the period of the song is playing. Colour is mainly used to attract and symbolise something.

My typography was good due to the size and font. This is also the house style. I have used “Arial black” which is the most popular and the most serious text type in the world. This is because is easy to read and understand the shapes which are commonly used every day. The font type was successful as it makes the magazine seem simple and complex at the same time, therefore it fits the typical conventions of a magazine. The font size is big so it stand out from distance and also really helpful for people who have vision problems. The font size big allows the customer find the right magazine quickly. This is helped by the house style. The house style helps us find the book quicker as we know where we expect things to be for example a logo in the top left corner with the next to it. The drop caps which I used are really effective as it makes all the topics really important and equal value.

My mast head is big and aesthetically appealing due the red used which makes it stand out and eye catchy. The mast head is the companies incorporate brand which represents the company. The mast head is the name of the magazine which should be found on any magazine. It helps the customer know what the magazine is called and mine is effective due the colour used and placement. The placement is good because when the magazines are on a self it would be easy to find it due to the mast head. This is also a technique used in real magazines which allow the customer find the magazine really quickly due to the mast head.

The house style is kept the same throughout. It’s an important technique used as it makes the magazine the same throughout which is a conventional feature found in a magazine. This allows the customer to find the magazine quickly as they would be focused on the point where the magazine has something unique. For example NME has the logo in the top left corner allowing finding the magazine quickly.

The cover star is a bit effective as she has elements which are typical in a college magazine because of the props she has, for example the folder and paper.

Points to improve on

By the feedback received I have found out that I need to further improve my cover page in order to reach the high expectations of a professional magazine and include all the typical features.

Firstly, the cover star is looking away from the camera which signifies less importance and no communication with the audience. This can lead to no one actually taking the magazine. The cover star’s face is also a bit blurred which hides the identity from the viewer making the magazine not aesthetically eye catchy.

Secondly, the background use is good as it’s in fresh environment however the background makes the colour scheme and layout unusual due the mas amount of colour. For example the trees make the sky line hard to read and the props make some of the cover lines hard to read.

I can also improve on my typography as some of the text is odd. For example the cover star name is small instead of big and some of the font’s sizes seem a bit odd. This can confuse the reader about the covers tar name as it makes her seem not important. There were also some spelling/grammar mistakes founds “wanna go to Cambridge” however it is a deliberate mistake to draw the reader in by using slang.

The Drop Caps used on the cover lines are effective however not having a little description underneath it makes it quiet dull. This is also been criticised as odd and unorganised as it makes the magazine seem less professional.

My skyline is not the best as from the feedback it mentions that the skyline should of be a cover line not a skyline. Also a skyline is text above the mast head which draws the audience in, normally a slogan in this case it was not a slogan. This can make the magazine seem less professional and not aesthetically good.

The banner was a good idea however, the background making it blue is out of the 3 colour scheme limitation which some suggested changing the colour. Due to the reason of being out of the colour scheme limitation it makes the magazine seem less professional and not as aesthetically complex as expected.

Ø Overall I need to improve

1. I need to be aware to how to layout the text effectively and organise it in a way it is aesthetically appealing.

2. Make sure I use the appropriate cover star shot. (mid to close up)

3. Make sure to stick to the 3 colour scheme limitation

4. Make sure to use the appropriate text where needed and grammatically or spelling right except of deliberate reason to make it appeal to a younger audience.

Feedback response