Evaluation

What's changed from the draft layouts to the final design?

I have changed the layout of the cover lines so that they are grouped together down the left hand side making it more spacious and focusing on the background image as a main focus point of the design. I have made other small alterations such as moving the price and website details to make them fit in with the rest of the design theme. I have also added a barcode which wasn't in the design draft layout but instead inserted during the final design construction.

What would you change?

I would change how I produced the designs, I think that time management wasn't an issue however I think I didn't spend long enough on the final design. I say this because the contents page is quite bare and simple; it could have done with more images and more design work undertaken. I will take this onboard for my next Media coursework task (main) so that I can develop my ideas but also the design can improve to produce a high quality magazine of which you would expect to buy from a shop.

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

The key ingredients of a student magazine are: interesting topics that interest their target audience, discounts, offers along with reviews of games, films and the lastest music. The front cover has to include cover lines, strap line and the masthead these are the most important to get across what the magazine is all about. However images are important on the front cover as this is what catches the attention of its audience. The typical contents page is brief, clear and easy to follow along with pictures and captions. I have included these conventions in my magazine by using an image on the front cover however this image is a large full page photograph, masthead and cover lines. On the contents page I have also used an image along with columns of page numbers and what's on the pages (by using a brief summary). I haven't done anything differently in relation to the conventional student magazine except perhaps using a full sized image on the front cover because many include a variety of smaller images on the front cover along with cover lines so that they link together in a neat way.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine has represented teenagers who are students. It includes a range of interests of which a teenager is interested in for example there is graphics to technology to fashion to discounts. I have used much more text to picture ratio on the contents page however I have also used a full sized photograph on the front cover which should balance both the front cover and the contents page. The images I used within these 2 pages of the magazine are related to the contents and purpose of the magazine such as fashion - inside wardrobe view photograph and I have also used a full sized image on the front cover of the magazine of which is a teenager (relates because of the student and teenager link to the magazine). I have tried not to stereotype teenagers by including a wide range of topics so that there is something for everyone available therefore it's got a wider audience too.

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

My magazine caters for everyone's taste whether its from music, to fashion or to games; it includes everything a student is interested in whether it's graphics, technology or fashion trends. The college would distribute my magazine because now we don't have a paper-based version of the magazine, its all done electronically online a website. I think that the everyone doesn't want to read an online magazine, and prefer the paper-based version; this is therefore a gap now in the college for my magazine to be distributed.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My audience for the magazine would be in one aspect a more female magazine however it caters for all students from 16 - 19 despite the front cover being more female ordinated. There is both female and male topicss within the magazine because it has a range of topics. I have targeted this particular audience so that it fits in with a student magazine for a college environment with pages such as: reviews, offers, student discounts, music coverage, game addict and educational news plus much more. These topics should appeal to every student of which reads it because due to the wide range of content availability to students.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I have attracted my audience to the magazine by using bright colours such as red & orange. I have also used a lot of cover lines to give an insightful view into what’s available inside the magazine. I have also used a large full page image set behind all of the cover lines, mastheads and strap lines plus other features. The front cover grabs your attention because of the co-ordinating colours used. These colours are currently in demand and are considered to be in 'fashion' at the present moment.

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

I have used Publisher, Coral and a digital camera during the construction & designing process of the magazine along with also editing photographs. I've not really learnt all that much because as a graphic student I use Coral all the time for manipulating images. I've found some useful skills in Publisher such as setting the 'layout guide' to different settings such as 'grid guides'. I have also used a blog to record and present my work on, however I have used blogs before so this isn't a new to me.

Screenshots showing what I have learnt during the construction and design process.