Inspirations Review

I looked at inspirations because this would give me a clearer image on how I want my magazine to be presented and what I wanted it to look like.

First of all, I looked into magazine inspirations, as I had not researched into fashion and lifestyle magazines before, and didn't really know what they included/ what design was popular. On the front cover, I was inspired by the main image of the model, and how it attracted the audience into picking it and buying it. I was also inspired by the colour scheme that was chosen and how they had matched it or juxtaposed it with the main image, I will try and use this convention when designing my own front cover. Regarding the contents page, I couldn't find many that inspired me online, but I did like how some had really cool, artistic layouts, and hope to portray this in my magazine. I bought some international magazines (Vouge and Elle) and found that their contents pages are really simplistic and elegant, even though my magazine is only regional, I still want to portray that modern and fashionable vibe, therefore I will try and use it in my design. On the double page spreads, I found that many are image- led, and I think I will try and create my DPS like this, as it allows the audience to see more of the model and the clothing/ beauty she displays.

I researched into font ideas, I found some different typographies that I liked the look of on Dafont.com. I have used this site on all of my past products (AS Media Studies, AS & A2 Graphic Communication) and found it really easy to navigate myself around the website and found that there are some great fonts. I chose four that I liked and thought they would suit my products, and then asked my Facebook group which one was their favourite. I wanted to know their opinion, as all of them live in my specific region (the North East), and will be my primary and secondary target audience. 79% voted for the Dubiel font, which was also my favourite. Thanks to their feedback, I have chosen to use this as my primary font on all products. I can also change the widths and tallness of the font if I wanted to adjust it for my magazine.

I then wanted to have a look at model poses and what inspires me for my own images. When doing some research I came across the Fergus and Millum theories. I found that Trevor Millum studied various male advertisements, and discovered five different variations of poses. Since I want my model to be female, I took more interest in women poses, as investigated by Marjorie Ferguson. I found that the poses I would be most likely to use is the Invitational Pose and the Sexy/ Romantic Pose. This is because I want my model to look sultry and invite the reader in to purchase my magazine, but at the same time look pretty and casual, because I want my target audience to be teenage girls.

Additionally, I needed to decide a name for my masthead, and this would be used throughout my products, so it would become recognisable to the audience. I wanted to go for something short, as most fashion and lifestyle magazines have really catchy and snappy names. I was inspired by the likes of Elle and Look, that have simple mastheads. I had examples such as Ebony, Chic, and Belle. My favourite was Belle, as I loved the connotations behind it, such as it means beautiful in french, and it is easy to remember. I wanted to ask my Facebook group their opinion, as to which was their favourite. 21 people voted for Belle, with another 4 votes split between Ebony and Chic. Therefore my decision was finalised, and my masthead name for my magazine, website, and billboard is Belle.

I then had a look at different colour schemes, and which inspired me the most. I started by picking quite bright colours, as I thought my model will be natural and I need colours that will make my products pop. However after careful consideration, I chose quite neutral tones that will be used consistently throughout my magazine, website and billboard. I also included on my colour scheme a subtle mustard, a pink blush and mauve purple, to help add a pop of colour to the theme, although keeping to the subtly feel of the products.

I then went on to research website and billboard inspirations. Last year, for my AS Media Studies Coursework, I create a simple website on Photoshop, so I had some knowledge of websites, however I had never created a billboard or looked into how fashion and lifestyle is promoted through billboards. In relation to websites, I found that they need to be kept simple and modern for the fashionable feel. This may include only using a couple of images on the home page, and a simple menu bar along the top. For billboards, I found that most are image- led, this includes one large image and small slogan and logo, I will try and keep this in mind when designing my own billboard.

I discovered when researching WIX.Com, that you can pick a template and then design it to fit your product. I reviewed a few different ones, but found two favourites, I have decided that I will just pick the one I want to use when I come to designing on Wix.

Finally, I looked at inspiration for clothing, hair, makeup and props for my model. I have decided for my research, that I want my model to be dressed in casual, but presentable clothing. I could find this in my local highstreet shops, so it is relatable to my regional audience, and they will be able to purchase anything they see in my magazine. For my models makeup, I want her to look natural, but still have noticeable highlight and subtle lipstick on. I think this correctly represents my audience, as it is region based, therefore I want them to able to connect with my magazine and what we are presenting. If I dressed up a celebrity, in really expensive clothing and jewellery, then it would be hard for my regional audience to connect with my products. For the hair, again I want it to be simple and easy to do for my readers to follow and try and home. Furthermore, I have decided against using props, as I want the images to be solely based on the models beauty and clothing etc.

Overall, looking at inspirations has really helped me create a firm idea of what I want my magazine, website and billboard to be like.

Time Management #13

In this session, I am going to start the review that I mentioned in my last time management post, I also want to look into target audience research.

Costume, Hair, Make- up, and Props Ideas

I have created a Powerpoint and presented it through Slideshare. I have researched into into what my model would wear, what makeup they would have and what hairstyle they would be rocking.

Model Inspirations from Layla Cairns

WIX Template Research

I will be designing my magazine website on WIX.com. The website provides a World class building platform to over 90 million users in 190 countries. It has something for everyone, and provides all the tools and features you need to build an amazing online presence for free. You can easily drag and drop website building platform with HTML5, with the help of 500+ designer- made templates. I may need to get use to this website, but hopefully I can create a professional site that reflects my other products.

Time Management #12

In this lesson, I am going to research into costume, hair, make up and props ideas for my photoshoot. If I finish that, I will then review how all of my inspirations have helped me develop my ideas.

Update: I started the Powerpoint in the session, however did not finish it in the time given, so I have completed it and uploaded it at home. I also didn't get a chance to look at reviewing my inspiration posts, therefore I will start this in my next media lesson.

Time Management #11

In this session, I want to research WIX templates, so I can decide how I want my website to be designed.

Update: I have managed to research WIX.com, I have found out that you can select which website template you like, and then edit it to suit your own company/ product. I am looking forward to experimenting with it, as I have never used WIX before. However it might take me some time to get accustomed to how it works, but I am positive I will be able to create a professional website that reflects my magazine and its design.

Billboard Inspirations

Billboards really stand out if they are unique and individual. I have found some below that have been successful and creative advertisements. Although they aren't magazine related, you can see how interactive and impressionable they are purely because of the creative nature of them. I feel this type of billboard can be appreciated very well amongst both young and old members of an audience, from my background, as long as my advertisement related back to my magazine in some way. This would definitely be the kind of unique technique used by small, regional magazines in terms of advertisement, as it ensures they stand out amongst their competition, and is something to consider when designing my own billboard. From both of the billboards, I will take inspiration for the simplistic image and minimal text, as I think this has an effective, long lasting impression on the viewer.

GAP Billboard

Gucci Billboard

Website Inspirations

Vogue Magazine

At first glance of a website, I think you instantly decide whether or not they are successful. If it looks dull and boring as well as complex, audience members are less likely going to try to navigate through the pages. I feel like a fashion website such as Vogue.com (although an international magazine) is much more effective, as it is simple, modern and easy to navigate your way around. Similar features like the masthead are featured, creating a sense of professionalism, then underneath a clean, basic, yet varied choice of topics and categories can lead the user off too other parts of the website. The hyperlinked images that are placed simply provide a modern and visually engaging way to also find ideal pics and articles for he audience of this fashion magazine. The minimal use of text on this homepage definitely works to its advantage, carrying on the professional and niche international target audience that the magazine was initially aimed at. This layout is definitely one I want to use as it will engage with my modern audience and follow the minimalistic trend that is current right now.

Fashion North Website

This professional website is then juxtaposed with a regional fashion website that is based here in the North East. I feel like this is a real let down, as it is the only fashion orientated product here, and doesn't do a great job of showcasing new, trendy fashion and gossip. Besides the masthead being unprofessional and a bit boring, the website has tried to imitate similar popular websites but has failed miserably. The CGI Multimedia Image is too large and takes up most of the page at first glance. The image is also too large and becomes blurred and pixellated. This makes the page look unprofessional. I need to take this into mind when designing my own website, as I want it to look as professional as possible.


Below I have created a video with some more websites that have inspired me.

Time Management #10

Today, I plan on looking at website and billboard inspirations, as I haven't really looked into these products much yet.

Update: I have found that for both my website and billboard, I am most inspired by the simplistic design, and feel like this will fit my genre very well. I want my products to reflect something trendy and in fashion, therefore I think making a layout and design that is easy on the eye, and quick to navigate around would provide the best for my content to be displayed on.

Colour Scheme Ideas

Coolors Logo

For my magazine, website and billboard, I need to follow a strict colour scheme, to add consistency and professionalism throughout. I used the free website coolors.co, which offers a whole selection of colour schemes and palettes which are programmed together. It allows you to visualise and order colours together, so you can see whether they compliment and contrast effectively.

Colour Scheme 1

The first house theme involved 5 very strong colours. I liked how it included a grey/ brown, which I think adds a sense of nature and calmness to the scheme, as the other colours are quite bright and vibrant. One colour I am not keen on using is the middle fuchsia, this is because it looks tacky, and reminds me of a little girls magazine, using bright colours to attract the younger audience.

Colour Scheme 2

This is my second colour scheme, and I chose these as I thought they were completely different and unlike any of my competition. I loved the sharpness of the teal greens, and the brightness of the purples, and I thought these two primary colours, really contrasted together well. I think the teal shades remind me of a computing/ technology magazine, as old school text on a computer would be green. Therefore, this is a negative to this scheme.

Colour Scheme 3

I wanted the next house theme that I created to be a little more girly and associate with a females fashion/ lifestyle magazine. Therefore I chose more stereotypical women colours, as they connote pretty things like flowers and makeup. I went for more calming colours, as I thought this would add a natural vibe to my products. I chose the warm yellow as I thought it adds a pop of colour, away from the similar shades, but still blends in nicely with the scheme. I thought I could use this colour for things that need to stand out on the page.

Colour Scheme 4

This is my finalized colour scheme, I have adapted the 3rd scheme, so it adds more depth to my products. I didn't want the whole magazine to be pink, with dots of a brighter colour, therefore, I have adapted that colour so its warmer, then added a light blue and grey to follow with the natural theme. I also wanted to include a dark colour, so I have different shades of light and dark, therefore chose a deep burgundy. I really liked this colour, as it will compliment light parts of my page, and its really autumn colour, therefore will connect with my natural look.

Masthead Ideas

For my magazine, I need a masthead name, and in order to select the best, I have chosen some of my favourite, and weighed out the positive and negative attributes of each one. I also asked my Facebook group which was their favourite, so I have a good idea, of what people from my region would like.

Model Poses- Ferguson & Millum

Marjorie Ferguson: Female Poses
I have learned about model poses on a magazine front cover, and the effect they have on the audience. This has given me an enhanced understanding of them and has given me ideas of how I want my model to pose for my front cover. I also understand that the different poses can have several connotations which can then fit specific genres of magazine.

Trevor Millum: Male Poses
I decided to do some independent research and have a look at different male poses. I found some work by Trevor Millum, who studied various advertisements featuring males, within women's magazines. He found five variations of poses:

• Carefree: within the carefree pose, the models appeared healthy and active looking, and also looked happy as they were normally smiling
• Practical: the practical pose embraced a serious, engaged look, in which the models had their mouths closed and often maintained a small frown in order to portray a look of concentration
• Seductive: the seductive pose portrayed confidence, with a slight smile and eyes that were never quite fully open
• Comic: these poses were centralised around humour and were obviously deliberately funny and slightly exaggerated.
• Catalogue: within the catalogue pose, the model was vacant looking, with an artificial appearance, blank expression portraying elements of emptiness and lack of personality.

As the model I am planning is female, I have taker a larger focus on the female area of model poses, but I found it important to consider both sexes within model poses.

Time Management #9

Today, I am going to look at different masthead ideas, so I know what my magazine is going to be called. I also want to research Ferguson & Millum model poses, so I know which ones to use when it comes to taking the photographs for my magazine.

Update: I looked into different male and female poses, and found that my favourite is the chocolate box pose. I will try and use this for my front cover, as I think it is very inviting but sexy at the same time. Additionally, I decided that my magazine is going to be called Belle, as I thought the connotations of this would fit in great with my genre, and it was also the favourite from my Facebook group.

Feedback on Fonts

Facebook Question

Facebook Feedback

I asked my Facebook friends on their opinion of some fonts I had chosen. I wanted to ask their opinion as they live in the North East and some will probably be likely readers.

I found out that 79% voted for number 1, this was Dubiel. I was very happy with this result as it was initially my favourite font, and I thought this would fit in well with my genre of magazine.

Number 2 on the pie chart was actually number 3 on the question and it only had a couple of votes. This tells me that it would not be a great choice to pick this one. I think it wasn't as popular because it is not quite as girly as number 1, and is too thin for a lifestyle magazine.

Font number 4 had 1 vote, therefore I won't be considering this font, again, I don't think it was popular due to it being too thin and basic.

Font Feedback Chart

The font that had no votes was number 2. I think this was because it doesn't particularly follow the genre of fashion and lifestyle. I also haven't seen a familiar font when researching other magazines, therefore I won't be using this one.

Overall, I will probably use number 1, as this was very popular, and I do think it fits well into the genre of the magazine, and will definitely attract the target audience.

Font Ideas

I have deconstructed and had a look at different magazine fonts, to understand what type of font would fit my genre of magazine. I have picked four, that I think will be great for the main font for my products.

Font Ideas

1. This font is called Dubiel and is one of my favourites. I really like it because its bold in some places and elegant in others. This connotes great with females, as we are strong but at the same time elegant and girly. It also reminds me of other professional fonts for magazines like Vogue and ELLE.

2. This font is called Just Old Fashion, and does remind me of an older era. It is rather bold, which can again connote with women, however I think may be a little bit too bold for a females lifestyle magazine.

3. Another font I do like is called Fashionism, and I think would really suit a lifestyle magazine as it looks elegant and professional. The font itself is really thin and curly, and I think it would look delicate on a front cover page.

4. Again, another font I really like and think would suit my genre is called Fashion Love. This is similar to number 3, however the lettering is a bit wider. I think I might like this more, as it looks modern and simplistic, and think this will work well if I have a busy front image.

After picking 4 fonts that I think would work well for my magazines main font, I am going to ask my Facebook friends on their favourite and see what they suggest.

Similar Products Review

I have looked into similar products to help develop my ideas and give me some insight on how a magazine should be designed and what it should include for my genre and region.

First of all, I looked at the difference between national and regional magazines. I came to the conclusion that there are many more lifestyle magazines that are for the nation, rather than based in the North East. I discovered that there was none in the genre that I want to focus my magazine on, therefore decided to take inspiration from national magazines but use content about my chosen region. Many national magazines were also a lot more professional and designed in a suitable way to attract my target audience, therefore I need to take this into consideration when beginning to design my front cover, contents and double page spread. Furthermore, national magazines tend to include a lot of information so everyone is interested and has something to read, however my magazine will be area specific, therefore probably a lot more interesting for my readers. Comparing national and regional magazines has really helped me develop my ideas for my own products.

I also researched into national and regional institutions, to decide who the best publishing company would be for my magazine. I found out that many national institutions have large followings, sometimes having up to 3 million readers per month, they also publish many different genres, and types of media, such as films, posters etc. Finding regional institutions for the North East proved rather hard, as there was not many. The ones I did find mainly focused on publishing a couple of magazines, and normally in the same genre. Deciding which institution was also another task, as I realised that national (and international) companies would not have the time to focus on a small regional magazine when publishers like Conde Nast have clientele such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, which are some of the largest fashion magazines in the World. Again, I realised that the institutions in the North East, would not publish my magazine the way I wanted, as they only focused on sporting or cultural magazines. I thought it would be best to create my own institution as LAC Media. I think this would provide me with the best chance of publishing my magazine so it is highly popular in the North East.

Looking into conventions on similar products, again helped me develop my ideas. I first analysed a magazine front cover, contents and double page spread, and found that I must include all conventions as best as possible, to really create a realistic and professional magazine. Therefore, it is important to include things such as barcodes, prices and issue numbers on the front cover; page numbers and mastheads on the contents and double page spreads. I also looked at conventions of a website, and realised how important it is to include a simple web address, and multimedia to attract the audience. Finally, I researched conventions of a billboard, and this really helped me decide ideas for my own billboard and what I should include, as I have never really looked or analysed billboards before. I learned that it is key to keep it simple and effective with one main image and a prominent logo. I will keep this all in mind when designing my products.

In addition, I researched what competition I would have. I found that national magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan, would be my main non region competitors as they include similar content and design. Although I don't have much regional competition, as there is no lifestyle/ fashion magazines that are aimed towards females. The only one likely to be similar is THE CRACK. This is because it may use some content I will be wanting to include.

Overall, looking at similar products and analysing the conventions of the products I will be designing, has definitely helped me understand what I need to do to stand out, and be a professional, regional magazine.

Magazine Inspirations

I am researching into inspirational magazines, that I can take notes from. I think it is a good idea to look at magazines that will be a similar genre (even though they are national/ international and my magazine is regionally based), as it will allow me to understand the layout and design of women's lifestyle magazines.

Front Cover

I have began looking at a lot of magazines that I researched when looking at institutions. I found that they all have a large image of a model or famous celebrity. I will take this into consideration however I will feature a fashion personality or up and coming artist to star in my magazine, as my product is only focused on the North East region.

Front Cover Inspirations

Another inspiration is the large masthead that goes behind the models body. I think this is a really effective way to showcase the main image, and accentuate their beauty. I still need to decide on the name of my magazine, but I will make sure that it goes behind the models head. I also think this portrays a sense of professionalism, which is how I want my magazine to look.

Finally, another convention that inspires me is the colour schemes and the way they have presented them. I can recognize that normally the masthead is a colour that is bold and then the cover lines follow the theme. The theme normally contrasts with the main image, and this provides something exciting for the reader to look at.

Contents Page

Contents Page Inspiration

I have also looked at some content pages, however haven't been able to find many that I find inspiration from online. Although I have seen some paper copies, that I will scan in at a later date. From the online contents pages I have viewed, I took inspiration from the large coloured masthead. I really like how it is the main focus point when you see the page, and helps the reader recognize what page they are on.

Another feature I am inspired by is the layout, I like how the contents is laid out in a column form, and it is easy to see what pages have what articles on. Additionally, I like the use of sub- headings for fashion, music, gossip etc, and hope to incorporate this into my own magazine.

Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread Inspiration

Online, I cannot find many examples of double page spreads, however have found a couple that I like. I will look further into this by purchasing paper copies.

One feature I am inspired by is the use of images. A lot of these double page spreads are really image- led, which I will try and take on board when designing my own article. I think an image - led double page spread is really interesting for the reader, as it is entertaining looking at the different images.

Looking at similar magazines, has helped me decide conventions and layouts that I have been inspired to use on my own product. I will keep these mind when designing my pages, as I want it to look as similar to a professional women's lifestyle magazine as possible.

Elle Contents Page

Elle Front Cover

Here is a contents page from a magazine with a similar genre to my own. I kept this magazine, as I liked the layout of the front cover, contents and double page spread. I then scanned it in, so it was available on my blog. I really love how the page is set out in columns, and I think this gives it a minimalistic/ fashionable feel. I hope for my magazine to give of this feel too, and I will use this is inspiration for my own contents page.

Time Management #8

In this lesson, I am planning on creating moodboards of magazines that inspire me.

Update: I have managed to look at magazines that inspire me. I have created moodboards for front covers, contents pages and double page spreads. It has allowed me to see what features I will use when creating my product.

Time Management #7

Today, I want to look at different fonts that may work for my magazine and other products. I am going to ask my Facebook group for their opinion. I also need to analyse how looking at similar products has helped my research.

Update: I have looked at different fonts on dafont.com and found four that I thought would work great on my genre of magazine. I then went on to ask my Facebook A2 Media Studies group on their opinion. The font Dubiel won the most votes, therefore I think I will use this when creating my magazine.

Deconstructions Review

I wanted to deconstruct magazines, websites and billboards so I could get inspiration for my own magazines, and see from real life examples, what conventions work well.

From looking at three international magazines, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Elle, I found that all follow a really strict house theme throughout each magazine. For example, Vogue uses the same style masthead on every page, which creates synergy. This is a convention I wish to use for all of my products, as I want them to look as professional as these magazines, even though my products are region based. All magazines used a dominant cover image, of a celebrity using a close up shot. Even though my magazine is for the North East, I still want to use celebrity endorsement- even if the 'celebrity' is only well known in the North.

From the websites, I found that all used a very low toned colour scheme for the conventional parts of the page (navigation bar, title, etc), I think this is so the images of the stories don't clash with a specific theme. I like how their websites look very professional, however I think I want to add colour to mine.

The billboards I deconstructed were Gucci, Burberry, and Michael Kors. From every billboard, I found the use of one main image and small amount of text, I will keep this in mind when designing my final billboard.

Deconstructing has helped me gather inspiration as I was really looking at the fine details of each product. It will also help me when deciding what conventions to use.

Pitch Feedback

On my Facebook page, I asked the members if my pitch interested them and any topics they would like included in my magazine. I only got a few comments and likes but they were all positive, which indicated that my magazine idea is going in the right direction. I now need to add some polls and surveys for my members to do, which will hopefully give me some insight into what they enjoy reading about etc.

Magazine Competition

Magazine Competition from Layla Cairns

Time Management #6

In this lesson, I will be looking at who my competition is, in terms of magazine competitors, and additionally asking my peers what they think of my pitch, and reviewing their feedback.

Update: I have researched who my competitors are, and found out that the likes of Vogue and Cosmopolitan are my main competition when it comes to content and design, although they are national magazines. However, THE CRACK, is my competition in the North East region, as they have similar content, but are in fact a different genre, and their magazine isn't really aimed at my primary target audience.

Additionally, I have reviewed my pitch feedback on what my Facebook friends thought of my pitch, and it was all positive.

I have also finished deconstructing 3 magazines, 3 websites and 3 billboards, which are now available on my blog.

Billboard Deconstructions

Website Deconstructions

I have deconstructed three websites, FashionMagazine, Elle, and Vogue. Although they are not regional magazine websites, I still feel like their design will give me inspiration, and I will be able to recognize what conventions work well on a website.
(Click on full screen if writing is too small to read)

Magazine Deconstructions

I have deconstructed three magazines, Elle and Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. I have gone into detail on the front cover, contents and double page spread. This has allowed me to research deeply into magazines that I am inspired by, and how they have designed their pages, and what conventions they have used.

Facebook Page

I have created a Facebook page and had added 42 members. I made sure to add only people from my region, yet haven't specified in a primary age, so I receive a good set of results when I do my polls and surveys. I want to do these as it will allow me to analyse who my primary and secondary audience will be. This this let me create a magazine that is professional and a massive hit in the North East.

Time Management #5

In this session, I am planning on quickly uploading the regional and national magazine institutions Prezi to my blog. I am then going to deconstruct a regional magazine cover, contents page and double page spread. I want to look at the conventions they use and how I will incorporate it into my own work.

Update: In this lesson, I managed to upload my regional and national magazine Prezi and have gave brief details of my own institution. I will try and upload a post going into more detail about my own institution. I have not finished deconstructing a magazine yet, and plan to do this outside of college.

Billboard Conventions

A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure that are found in high traffic areas such as a motorway or highly populated city. They are in place to present big advertisements to passing drivers, and the will often have distinctive visuals with witty slogans. The largest standard size billboards are also known as bulletins. They are located primarily on major highways or motorways, and receive high consumer exposure due to their size. Posters are the other form of billboard advertising, and are usually situated along primary and secondary arterial roads. Posters are a smaller format than bulletins and are viewed principally by residents, commuter traffic and pedestrians. They try to be as simplistic as possible, therefore do not have many conventions.

Simple Font- Easy to read font is used because they are usually viewed by a person when they are traveling in a car. It may be difficult to read if the font is cursive and elaborate, which makes the billboard pointless. I will make sure to use simple font on my own billboard because I want my viewers to be able to read it easily.

Billboard Conventions

Bold Colours- Simple but bright backgrounds are key because it will catch the readers eye and allow them to see the billboard easily when traveling past in a car. I need to make sure to use simple colours when designing my billboard, as I want it to be attractive yet effective.

Images- The image used should showcase the product or company being advertised. It is important that this is clear for the viewer to see. I will make sure that the audience is aware of whats being promoted on my own billboard.

Slogans- Slogans are made to be memorable by the company and should bring the product to mind when you hear or see the slogan. It is a really good advertising technique as something short can be catchy and stay in the readers mind. I will include a short catchy slogan on my own billboard, so the people know what product it is.

Logo- Logos are used so company products are recognisable that they belong to that business. They are also a name for a certain product/ or magazine etc. I will make sure I use my logo on my billboard, so the public instantly knows it is my work.

Website Conventions

Websites have many different conventions that make them user friendly, and a great way to inform readers of new information. They are easy to set up as well as cheap to make, and they are the most common form used by youngsters today.

Logo- The logo on the website has to be eye-catching and have constant synergy throughout all pieces of work. It is usually located at the top left hand side, or middle, as this is easily seen when you first look at the screen. As soon as people see the logo, it allows them to know what site their on, and if its the one they are looking for, as on the internet one search may come up with lots of different links on a search engine (such as Google). The audience should also recognise the logo and be able to piece together what genre of site they are on. I will make sure the logo on my website is corresponding with all of my other products, so this allows continuous design throughout, and so readers become accustomed to my work.

Website Conventions

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)- The URL is always located at the top of the webpage and is usually the name of a product or company that the site is on. So, on my example the website is Vogue and the URL is WWW.Vogue.com. This is a necessary convention on all websites, and I will use it on my own. I will also make sure it is connected to the name of my magazine.

Navigation Bar- The navigation bar is also normally situated at the top of the page, but can either be horizontal or vertical. The bar has tabs which allows the viewer to see the different topics and pages on the site, and then hyperlinks to another page once they are clicked. I will make sure to include a navigation bar on my site as it allows the audience to click to different pages and see new content.

On- page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)- The SEO is similar to a search engine like Google, yet only allows the them to search on the website. This could be something they are interested about or something that they can't find themselves. It also saves the readers time by searching straight away what they want to know rather than go through the whole website looking for their answer. I will make sure to include this when designing my website as it always creates a professional feel.

Advert- It is usual to see adverts on websites, as they are normally promoting something that may be intriguing on the page. For popular websites, big companies may pay them to advertise on their page, which will increase sales for them. I'm not too sure whether I will include adverts on my own site as I am not expecting it to be overly popular as I am only targeting my audience to the North East region.

Multimedia Content- Media Content can include photo's, videos, sound etc, which is something every website has. This makes the experience for the viewer a little more interesting that just reading text, and normally something needs an image to go with it for it to make sense. For example a description of a new music video, and then not linking in the video would be pointless. I hope for my website I have lots of my own images to use, as this will make my website a little bit more interesting.

Inbound Links- These are links that come from other sources such as Youtube, Soundcloud, and Facebook etc. They are similar to multimedia content, however they are sourced from another website. This may be a linking in videos from Youtube, or being able to connect to Facebook from the site. I will try and use as many inbound links in my work, to make it interactive for the reader.

National and Regional Institutions

When researching into institutions, I found that magazines are published by appropriate companies that relate to the audience and fan base of a particular magazine. I have looked at national and regional institutes, to help me decide who would publish me.

Time Management #4

In this session, I plan on looking at national and regional institutions, to have a good idea of who would be interested in branding my magazine, website, and billboard.

Update: I have looked at institutions and have started a Prezi with details on national and regional publishing companies.

Regional Magazine Genre Ideas

I wanted to see what options I had when deciding the genre for my magazine, so I looked at Northern business, music, sport and lifestyle magazines, and found that fashion and lifestyle would be the best genre for me to do.

Regional magazine genre ideas from Layla Cairns

Regional Base

In this Prezi, I have decided what region my magazine will be based in, and had a look at some statistics regarding it. I found out quite a lot of information that will enable me to create a great magazine for the North East.

Magazine Conventions

I believe it is very important to include a number of conventions on a magazine front cover. Below I have inserted a magazine that employs a lot of techniques in order to attract their target audience, and encourage them to buy and read on. Even though this example, Vogue is a National (even international) magazine, I have found from research that national and regional magazine covers follow the same conventions when it comes to front covers and layouts etc.

Masthead- The masthead is the title of the magazine, and informs the reader on what they are reading. For my magazine, I will include a large prominent masthead, that follows my colour scheme, so I have a running house theme throughout all of my pages, this will help develop a professional feel. The audience will also recognise the magazine due to the masthead I create, as it is important for branding, and is always used for things like logos on my website and billboard.

Main Image- The main image is the photo on the front cover that takes up around two thirds of the page. In most lifestyle/ fashion magazines, it features a popular celebrity that the most important article is about. This dramatically increases the number of sales a magazine has, due to devoted fans, being interested in a specific person, and going out and purchasing the magazine, even if its not one they usually read. The image has to be clear and a head shot for the magazine to look professional, the model must also look straight into the camera lens, for the most effective front cover. I will feature this on my own page, and remember that is the angle my model needs to stand. For the genre of magazine I have picked, and after a little bit of research, I have come to the realisation that most models and fashion icons look into the camera for photoshoots, posters, videos etc, in relation to the current product they are promoting or selling. Thus, it would only be best for the model to do this pose on my cover.

Tagline/ Sell Line- A tagline is a small amount of text that is associated with a certain magazine. For example, ‘Mixmag’s tagline is ‘The World’s biggest dance music and clubbing magazine’ and ‘Q’s is ‘Discover Great Music’. These sell lines will feature on every issue, therefore viewers will become accustomed to which magazine it is is, just by hearing their slogan. The audience will also find out information in a quick, single sentence. However, since my genre is lifestyle, I have noticed that not many of these types of magazines use sell lines, so I really need to have a think about whether I want to include it on my own products.

Cover Lines- This convention is short sentences that describes articles inside the magazine. This catches the reader’s attention and leaves them wanting to read the full article. On a traditional front cover, there is normally a main cover line connecting with the main image, and then several sub- cover lines. For my magazine, I aim to have 3-6 cover lines representing what can be read inside, this will also broaden my audience hopefully, and interest other target audiences in my region.

Magazine Conventions

Barcode- A barcode is key for sales of the magazine, and not only keeps track of the amount of sales, but makes it a lot quicker for cashiers to scan the code. Magazine companies can keep track of where the most issues were sold, and at what time, this helps them narrow down the type of audience they have and who they are catering for. I will feature a barcode on my own magazine, therefore adding to the professional feel.

Issue Number- An issue number helps keep track of what issue a reader is on. The more number of issues, usually suggests how long the magazine has been published for, if its a long time, this normally demonstrates that the magazine has a large target audience, and has interesting topics that keeps people going and buying their magazine again and again. I will include this convention, because it allows the readers to know what issue they are on, and if they might have missed an issue.

Date- Similar to the issue number, this really establishes when the magazine came out. Nevertheless, it does offer more information. For instance, fashion fans may know when a new clothing line is coming out, and watch out for the date on the magazine, as the collection may be featured. I will use this convention as I think it connects with the audience and really lets them know key information.

Left Third- The start of the masthead and cover lines are important to the left third, and must be seen in shops where the full magazine is not shown. This indicates whether or not a reader would be interested in buying the magazine, therefore it needs to present thought-provoking stories and fit the genre they are looking for. I need to keep this in mind when creating my own front cover.

Plug- A plug is normally situated on the front cover somewhere, and offers a promotion or freebie. It is usually in a bubble or cloud, and really draws the attention of the reader in. I think I might try and include this on my own design, as it might get me more readers.

Time Management #3

In this lesson, I plan on looking at the generic conventions of a magazine, billboard and website. I think this will help me when coming to design my own magazine, as I will know exactly what I have to include in a girls lifestyle magazine.

Update: I wasn't able to finish annotating a billboard and website page, however have finished the magazine conventions and this is now available on my blog. I am going to finish the work I haven't completed in my spare time. After researching conventions I am planning on deconstructing a magazine, website and billboard.

Comparison Between National and Regional Magazines

Here I have analyzed the differences and similarities between National and Regional magazines, and I will hopefully benefit from this research when deciding how my own magazine will be.

Comparison Between National and Regional Magazines from Layla Cairns

Time Management #2

In this lesson, I want to look at the comparison between regional and national magazines, so I can identify what to include on my own magazine.

Update: I have created a Powerpoint, detailing what a regional and national magazine will include. I've also quickly analyzed two, and detailed the findings.

Time Management #1

In this lesson, I plan to research into initial inspirtational ideas for regional magazines. I want to look at specific fashion ones that I can evaluate and relate my own ideas too.

Update: At the end of the lesson, I had started looking at inspirations but had yet to make a blog post about it. I aim to do this in my own spare time.

Time Management Schedule

I have created a calendar for the next couple of months, in relation as to where I should be with my coursework. I am going to try my best and keep to this schedule, and also add to it with extra posts that come to mind.

September Schedule

October Schedule

November Schedule

December Schedule

AS Reflection

How it went: Throughout my year I progressed a lot in terms of skills on Research, Planning and Analysis, including softwares like Photoshop. I feel like alongside studying Graphics, I was able to further my designs and this is the reason I want to carry on print production in A2. I loved the process of designing and tweaking my designs until I was happy with the final outcome.

Strengths: I feel my design itself was very strong, but looking back now, I think I would of been able to improve it. However, my evaluation was very detailed, and hope to carry on these skills in A2.

Weaknesses: Certain weaknesses may be time management with my evaluation questions. Although they were detailed I did not leave myself with a lot of time to complete them.

Plans for A2: Because of this weakness, I feel it is very necessary to stay on top of the evaluation questions, and get my research, planning and designing done in good time. I will keep a schedule and stay organized, so that I can be as productive and efficient as possible. Hopefully, I keep up the effort and achieve an A in my coursework, the same as last year.

Pitch

Over the course of the academic year, my A2 coursework for Media Studies requires me to make a regional magazine (this includes a front cover, contents page and double page spread), a website and a billboard. The genre of my magazine will be lifestyle and fashion from the surrounding areas (Sunderland, Newcastle and Durham). I know there are already certain magazines such as Crack and Spark, that offer information on the latest gigs, and trends etc, but feel like there is space in the market for mine, which will solely concentrate on females interests in the North East. Therefore, I may find my primary audience being mainly girls.

Proposal

I intend to create a magazine for my main task, and as it needs to be regional, I am going to go down the route of fashion, makeup and girly interests in the North East, similar to Spark Magazine and Fuse Magazine in Sunderland, and Crack Magazine from Newcastle.

As for my ancillary tasks, I have chosen both the website pages and billboard advertisement to create.  I feel like these two tasks play to my strengths in print design and I will be able to create them at a much better standard compared to AS. Initial ideas include a website with lots of different categories about my chosen topic, and then perhaps the billboard advertising a fashion show.

A2 Brief

The brief for my A2 coursework is to create the first four pages from an original regional magazine, together with the following:
- two hyperlinked pages from magazine's website;
- a billboard advertisement for the magazine.

Welcome

Welcome to my A2 Media Studies Blog. Here I will complete the coursework set for me within the A2 element of my Media Studies course. This will include research, planning, designing and analysis for my regional magazine.