Student Magazine Evaluation

In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

From the research I did before designing my own magazine I found out there are a number of conventions for student magazines. Almost all of those I looked at had a bright colour scheme and the house style was bases upon three to four colours to maintain a sense of brand identity throughout. The central images were generally of younger people looking happy, to connote fun and youth. There was also a large picture to text ratio meaning the articles were fairly short but there were always large images on the same page to create visual interest for the audience. The mode of address used in the magazines was informal and chatty, this was done to relate to the youthful audience and make them feel like they’re talking to a friend. The front covers also included: a large masthead at the top, short punchy cover lines and a number of puffs to try and encourage students to buy it. 

                I then used this research to aid the designing of my own student magazine. I decided to use a colour scheme of: yellow, purple, white and black for practicality, as it’s much easier to read smaller text in black. This was in keeping to the conventions because the yellow and purple created a bright and bold feel to the cover which connotes fun and youth. For the central image I photographed a student smiling and generally looking happy as did most of the magazines I researched. I slightly subverted convention with my image because instead of having my model being active I instead had her sitting down. The reason for this was my photo shoot was very limited in time and so I couldn't set up a scene or use any props. However, the image is still bright and colourful which does conform to convention. Another thing I did differently was that from my research I realised that the majority of the magazines weren't free, however when I asked my focus group they said they weren't willing to pay. So I made it free.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The social group I have represented in my magazine are students aged between 14-20, this is because they are my target audience. The general stereotype of students is fairly negative because they are assumed to be always partying and drinking. However, I subverted this stereotype by instead creating a more positive representation. I did this by having images of smiling students, to connote happiness, and through the articles I included, as many of them were about things such as how to get a job which are positive. The reason I did this was because the social group I represented were my target audience and so whilst I didn't want to bore them with just academic articles, I also didn't want to be stereotypical or offensive by just writing about parties and having fun. I think I have managed to create a balanced representation of students as being dedicated to their study but also fun loving, through the bright colour scheme. This balance I think would appeal to students and make them want to buy the magazine. However, one way I may have reinforced stereotypes is by using a very informal mode of address and a large picture to text ratio, this is because it shows students to be not that intelligent and to have a limited attention span. The reason I did include these things is that it kept with convention and I think would be appealing. 

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I think my magazine would most likely be sold at Ludlow College because students there are who my target audience is. This is mainly because I included information which would only be relevant to students at Ludlow College such as local news and teacher profiles. It also could be sold at high schools around the area as a sort of advertisement for the college. Potential students could see what sorts of things happen at the college, also they may be persuaded to study there after high school.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product is Ludlow College students and some year 11s, so those who are aged between 15 and 20. I have aimed to make the magazine appeal to both genders through both the colour scheme and the content. However, more girls may read it because the central image is of a female and the purple may put off some boys. My audience would be interested in a variety of different things but in particular entertainment such as films and technology. However, I think it would appeal to almost everyone as the content is mainstream and not specific to one interest.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience with my bright colour scheme because the contrast between the yellow and purple is eye catching and looks vibrant. Also my central image is fairly simplistic and creates a good front cover as it’s not too cluttered or busy, but is still bright and looks fresh, which I think would appeal to students. I used two different fonts for my cover lines which makes it clear what the most important part is and also because it’s in capitals it makes it seem more important. I addressed my audience in an informal and chatty way which should relate to my audience as they feel the language is the same as they’d use with friends.  The fonts and colours I have used are easy to read.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

For my preliminary task I have used a range of different technologies, including: Blogger, InDesign, Photoshop and a digital camera. For the actual creation of my magazine I used InDesign which was totally new to me as I had never used it before. This meant I had to learn how to use it and all the different functions within it. I think this is a very useful piece of software because it contained all the tools I required for my task and enabled me to produce are realistic looking magazine. However, at the beginning I did struggle with knowing where to find different functions as they weren't in obvious places. Another problem I experienced was trying to insert images but I think I have now rectified this with practice. I have also used Blogger for the first time. I didn't have any problems with this as it is all fairly basic, but a big drawback is not being able to post Microsoft Word publications and instead having to convert them to PDF.