Tuesday 12 May 2009
Wednesday 6 May 2009
Urgent!
This needs a summary of your survey findings - no good giving the questions without coming to some conclusions.
PROJECT? Have you done one? Put the project on the blog today and annotate the pages & incorporate within the evaluation.
As this stands it would fail.
PROJECT? Have you done one? Put the project on the blog today and annotate the pages & incorporate within the evaluation.
As this stands it would fail.
Tuesday 5 May 2009
final evaluation
Introduction.
With in this project I aimed to create a magazine front cover, contents page and double page feature article, I designed these products with careful consideration to the research I gathered which was focused on what products were already on the market.
In what way does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media products were designed with inspiration from the research on current available independent music magazine that are already available on the market today. I analysed and dissected the key conventions and codes that make the real media products successful in design. From this I was able to draw the conclusion that the typical elements such as a brand logo, large title and bold colour pallet (usually red and white) along with an interesting imagery were typical elements in every magazine and play a key role in making the product marketable, so I decided to use these features in the design of my magazine.
I decided that my magazine had to have a key selling point, some that made it stand out from other current products on the market, so I decided to create a bolder composition that would be more eye catching than other products I believed I achieved this with use of a minimal colour pallet and black backgrounds which made the text in the for ground stand out.
I also thought there was a need to bring some thing new to the genre of magazine and therefore I researched other magazines of the same genre and found that the articles in them were written in a more formal and question, answer layout. From this I thought of writing my interview in a more informal style, like a normal chat between two people this would give the interview a more personal quality and allow the reader to see what the artist is really like as apposed to a simple question answer structure. I think that this style of writing worked successfully and connected with my target audience, this is confirmed in my feed back as the person I tested it on said, “The style of the interview engaged me as a reader”.
How does my media product represent particular social groups?
I think my music magazine represent and therefore appeals to a social group of both male and female, of any age that are interested in unsigned up and coming bands. The appearance of the magazine constructs imagery of the stereotypical Rock, Indie and Grunge genre and therefore people who associate with and are part of the rock scene will find interest in this magazine and be able to identify with the look and conventions in it. I think this representation worked well as in my feed back the person could immediately tell who my magazine was aimed at and also why it would appeal to them.
What kind of media institution might distribute my media product and why?
To publish and distribute my magazine I would want some one like paste, because they already have an independent magazine retailing world wide which is constantly growing in popularity and has a core fan base. Paste focuses predominantly on the unsigned hip-hop genera, as where my magazine is centred about unsigned rock bands and therefore would fit in nicely with the current product retailing from this publishers as they are both of the same genera that of independent music but are different as they focus upon different genres of music, so having Paste as a publisher would likely make my product marketable and also profitable, considering the current magazine they market.
Who would be the audience for my media product?
My media product is aimed at a target audience of both genders, any age and of any social class who have an interest in modern independent rock music.
After doing some research I came to the conclusion that this is a good audience to target as it would create a loyal niche fan base, made up of people that have similar interests and tastes when it comes to music.
When analyzing my feed back I think my target audience’s attention was captured by my product and it gained a mostly positive reaction.
How did I attract / address my audience?
When designing and creating my magazine I create specific guidelines that it had to follow, these factors were convention what the audience would expect from a magazine focused upon my chosen genera.
When creating my magazine I had to consider my choice of title, I needed some thing that sounded bold and some that was memorable, so I chose “Back Beat” as I thought this was interesting and relevant to my magazines theme.
When creating my front cover I had to consider the key image as this would be some thing which convinced my audience to buy the magazine, I came up with using my artist with his instrument on a plain black background as this created emphasis on the foreground, which gave the front cover an over all bold appearance.
I also featured short, sharp, interesting story lines on the front cover that would appeal to the reader and make them want to read more and possibly buy the magazine.
For the contents page I decided to use an informal layout, this reflected the theme of my magazine. I also considered the careful relationship between text and imagery and how the layout of both is key in creating a final product that looks professional.
For my double page spread I had to consider the headline – appropriate size and font.
I also had to consider the type of language and style of the text in my article; I opted for an informal style as this would appeal to my target audience. I also had to consider the way the text was laid out, as it needed to be easy to read and also be appealing to look at, so I chose to structure my text in a series of 4 columns and include pictures and quotes from the text to create a more interesting final product.
What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Technology played a key role in researching my product. I used the internet to create a blog to document the process of researching what was currently on the market and analysing it. I also looked at sites such as http://www.paste.com/ and http://www.kerrang.com/ to as well as others to gain information on what was currently on offer on the market.
I also learnt a great deal about using DTP software such as Photoshop and Indesign to create a product that looks professional and would appeal to my target audience.
Looking back at my preliminary task what do I feel I have learnt in the progression from it to the final product?
I think that my preliminary task was an important part of this project as it familiarised me with the programs Indesign and Photoshop. It also allowed me to design a magazine cover and then analyse it to see what further improvements could be made.
I think I have improved greatly from my initial preliminary task to my final piece, as I was able to see from my preliminary task how a minimal colour pallet is important in creating a final product that is bold and draws in the reader’s attention.
Also I think the imagery on the front cover has a more iconic quality as it is simpler and therefore bolder, I believe that this makes the product look more professional and authentic.
I also realised that a logo was an important key feature for a magazine and therefore created one and placed it on my final product, this created a sense of corporate identity.
Conclusion.
I think my final composition are quite successful as they appeal to my target market which was my main intention when creating my designs, I think that this idea is reflected in my feed back as it said, “ The magazine is clearly intended at people who are interested in unsigned rock music.” I think this was due to the imagery and general theme of the pages, I used an informal theme throughout all the products and this works well in establishing the genera of the magazine.
I think I could have improved on the photographic imagery; the articles could have been improved with more images as this would have made them more aesthetically interesting.
With in this project I aimed to create a magazine front cover, contents page and double page feature article, I designed these products with careful consideration to the research I gathered which was focused on what products were already on the market.
In what way does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media products were designed with inspiration from the research on current available independent music magazine that are already available on the market today. I analysed and dissected the key conventions and codes that make the real media products successful in design. From this I was able to draw the conclusion that the typical elements such as a brand logo, large title and bold colour pallet (usually red and white) along with an interesting imagery were typical elements in every magazine and play a key role in making the product marketable, so I decided to use these features in the design of my magazine.
I decided that my magazine had to have a key selling point, some that made it stand out from other current products on the market, so I decided to create a bolder composition that would be more eye catching than other products I believed I achieved this with use of a minimal colour pallet and black backgrounds which made the text in the for ground stand out.
I also thought there was a need to bring some thing new to the genre of magazine and therefore I researched other magazines of the same genre and found that the articles in them were written in a more formal and question, answer layout. From this I thought of writing my interview in a more informal style, like a normal chat between two people this would give the interview a more personal quality and allow the reader to see what the artist is really like as apposed to a simple question answer structure. I think that this style of writing worked successfully and connected with my target audience, this is confirmed in my feed back as the person I tested it on said, “The style of the interview engaged me as a reader”.
How does my media product represent particular social groups?
I think my music magazine represent and therefore appeals to a social group of both male and female, of any age that are interested in unsigned up and coming bands. The appearance of the magazine constructs imagery of the stereotypical Rock, Indie and Grunge genre and therefore people who associate with and are part of the rock scene will find interest in this magazine and be able to identify with the look and conventions in it. I think this representation worked well as in my feed back the person could immediately tell who my magazine was aimed at and also why it would appeal to them.
What kind of media institution might distribute my media product and why?
To publish and distribute my magazine I would want some one like paste, because they already have an independent magazine retailing world wide which is constantly growing in popularity and has a core fan base. Paste focuses predominantly on the unsigned hip-hop genera, as where my magazine is centred about unsigned rock bands and therefore would fit in nicely with the current product retailing from this publishers as they are both of the same genera that of independent music but are different as they focus upon different genres of music, so having Paste as a publisher would likely make my product marketable and also profitable, considering the current magazine they market.
Who would be the audience for my media product?
My media product is aimed at a target audience of both genders, any age and of any social class who have an interest in modern independent rock music.
After doing some research I came to the conclusion that this is a good audience to target as it would create a loyal niche fan base, made up of people that have similar interests and tastes when it comes to music.
When analyzing my feed back I think my target audience’s attention was captured by my product and it gained a mostly positive reaction.
How did I attract / address my audience?
When designing and creating my magazine I create specific guidelines that it had to follow, these factors were convention what the audience would expect from a magazine focused upon my chosen genera.
When creating my magazine I had to consider my choice of title, I needed some thing that sounded bold and some that was memorable, so I chose “Back Beat” as I thought this was interesting and relevant to my magazines theme.
When creating my front cover I had to consider the key image as this would be some thing which convinced my audience to buy the magazine, I came up with using my artist with his instrument on a plain black background as this created emphasis on the foreground, which gave the front cover an over all bold appearance.
I also featured short, sharp, interesting story lines on the front cover that would appeal to the reader and make them want to read more and possibly buy the magazine.
For the contents page I decided to use an informal layout, this reflected the theme of my magazine. I also considered the careful relationship between text and imagery and how the layout of both is key in creating a final product that looks professional.
For my double page spread I had to consider the headline – appropriate size and font.
I also had to consider the type of language and style of the text in my article; I opted for an informal style as this would appeal to my target audience. I also had to consider the way the text was laid out, as it needed to be easy to read and also be appealing to look at, so I chose to structure my text in a series of 4 columns and include pictures and quotes from the text to create a more interesting final product.
What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Technology played a key role in researching my product. I used the internet to create a blog to document the process of researching what was currently on the market and analysing it. I also looked at sites such as http://www.paste.com/ and http://www.kerrang.com/ to as well as others to gain information on what was currently on offer on the market.
I also learnt a great deal about using DTP software such as Photoshop and Indesign to create a product that looks professional and would appeal to my target audience.
Looking back at my preliminary task what do I feel I have learnt in the progression from it to the final product?
I think that my preliminary task was an important part of this project as it familiarised me with the programs Indesign and Photoshop. It also allowed me to design a magazine cover and then analyse it to see what further improvements could be made.
I think I have improved greatly from my initial preliminary task to my final piece, as I was able to see from my preliminary task how a minimal colour pallet is important in creating a final product that is bold and draws in the reader’s attention.
Also I think the imagery on the front cover has a more iconic quality as it is simpler and therefore bolder, I believe that this makes the product look more professional and authentic.
I also realised that a logo was an important key feature for a magazine and therefore created one and placed it on my final product, this created a sense of corporate identity.
Conclusion.
I think my final composition are quite successful as they appeal to my target market which was my main intention when creating my designs, I think that this idea is reflected in my feed back as it said, “ The magazine is clearly intended at people who are interested in unsigned rock music.” I think this was due to the imagery and general theme of the pages, I used an informal theme throughout all the products and this works well in establishing the genera of the magazine.
I think I could have improved on the photographic imagery; the articles could have been improved with more images as this would have made them more aesthetically interesting.
My survey:
1. What do you think of the layout of each page?
A: I found it straight forward and easy to read.
B: I found it easy to read but i think more photos would have been nicer.
C: It was readable and the colours contrast making it bold.
2. Can you detect a solid underlying theme throughout each page?
A: yes , because of colour pallets and font consistency.
B: yeah because all the pages have the same theme.
C: All pages represent the style of music the magazine puts across.
3. What do you think of the title of my publication?
A: It fits the content of the magazine
B: It is interesting and catchy
C: Could have chosen some thing more edgy.
4. What do you think of the fonts used throughout my magazine?
A they fit in with the genre and representation of the magazine
B: They were some times hard to read.
C: i liked how bold the font used was.
5. Is the font easy to read ?
A: yes as it stands out from the back ground.
B: They fit their purpose and were easy to read.
C: yes as it is large and well spaced.
6. Do you like the photographs I have used?
A: yes but more of them were needed
B: they could have reflected the genre of the magazine more.
C: I liked the theoretical boy photos.
7. How realistic does my publication appear to you?
A: i think its a good but its not exactly real looking
B: it needs a few more tweaks before it would look authentic
C: Good, not a real publications standard.
8. If sold in shops would my magazine attract an audience and create a profit?
A: it might be too niche to appeal to a wide variety of people.
B: There are some people who are keen on new music that would buy it.
C: yes because music lovers would appreciate a mag like this.
9. what would attract people to this magazine?
A: the artists featured on the front
B: It contains relevant artists to their interests.
C: It looks interesting and has articles relevant to the buyers taste in music.
10. How old are you?
A: 17
B: 17.
C: 16
11. Are you employed?
A: No.
B: No
C: No.
12. Of what gender are you?
A: Female.
B: Male.
C: Female.
13. What genres of music do you enjoy?
A: Indie
B: Rock, Indie and Metal , Hardcore
C: Indie Rock.
14. Are these allocated for in my magazine?
A: Yes.
B: Yes.
C: Yes.
15. Do you agree with the price of the publication?
A: It’s reasonable
B: I wouldn’t pay that much if there wasn't a free cd or poster with it .
C: yes.
16. Did you enjoy reading the main article/interview?
A: Yes, it had a personal edge to it .
B: Yes it was light and fun to read.
C: I though it was interesting and light hearted.
17. Over all do you think this publication was a success ?
A: it was a good try but a few minor alterations are needed.
B: yes it looked authentic.
C: mainly minus a few little errors.
from this research i was able to gain feed back for my evaluation and see if my magazine publications fulfilled my initial brief
1. What do you think of the layout of each page?
A: I found it straight forward and easy to read.
B: I found it easy to read but i think more photos would have been nicer.
C: It was readable and the colours contrast making it bold.
2. Can you detect a solid underlying theme throughout each page?
A: yes , because of colour pallets and font consistency.
B: yeah because all the pages have the same theme.
C: All pages represent the style of music the magazine puts across.
3. What do you think of the title of my publication?
A: It fits the content of the magazine
B: It is interesting and catchy
C: Could have chosen some thing more edgy.
4. What do you think of the fonts used throughout my magazine?
A they fit in with the genre and representation of the magazine
B: They were some times hard to read.
C: i liked how bold the font used was.
5. Is the font easy to read ?
A: yes as it stands out from the back ground.
B: They fit their purpose and were easy to read.
C: yes as it is large and well spaced.
6. Do you like the photographs I have used?
A: yes but more of them were needed
B: they could have reflected the genre of the magazine more.
C: I liked the theoretical boy photos.
7. How realistic does my publication appear to you?
A: i think its a good but its not exactly real looking
B: it needs a few more tweaks before it would look authentic
C: Good, not a real publications standard.
8. If sold in shops would my magazine attract an audience and create a profit?
A: it might be too niche to appeal to a wide variety of people.
B: There are some people who are keen on new music that would buy it.
C: yes because music lovers would appreciate a mag like this.
9. what would attract people to this magazine?
A: the artists featured on the front
B: It contains relevant artists to their interests.
C: It looks interesting and has articles relevant to the buyers taste in music.
10. How old are you?
A: 17
B: 17.
C: 16
11. Are you employed?
A: No.
B: No
C: No.
12. Of what gender are you?
A: Female.
B: Male.
C: Female.
13. What genres of music do you enjoy?
A: Indie
B: Rock, Indie and Metal , Hardcore
C: Indie Rock.
14. Are these allocated for in my magazine?
A: Yes.
B: Yes.
C: Yes.
15. Do you agree with the price of the publication?
A: It’s reasonable
B: I wouldn’t pay that much if there wasn't a free cd or poster with it .
C: yes.
16. Did you enjoy reading the main article/interview?
A: Yes, it had a personal edge to it .
B: Yes it was light and fun to read.
C: I though it was interesting and light hearted.
17. Over all do you think this publication was a success ?
A: it was a good try but a few minor alterations are needed.
B: yes it looked authentic.
C: mainly minus a few little errors.
from this research i was able to gain feed back for my evaluation and see if my magazine publications fulfilled my initial brief
Tuesday 24 March 2009
Infomal Evaluation
I am fairly please with the out come of my final product. It conforms to the key conventions that current magazines on the market feature, such as a bold, vivid colour palette and eye catching iconography that draws people’s attention; I believe that this attracts my target market of people in the 15 – 35 age bracket who are interested in independent rock music.
I think the fonts used worked well as it gave a more informal style to my pages and added to the over all grunge theme of the magazine, I used this type face as I believe it closely links to the genre of rock music.
Also I think the style the interview was conducted in worked well. I opted for a more informal chat which I think will engage the reader more then the standard question and answer structure, as it has a more personal quality. When I tested my product on my target audience this informal style appealed to my audience as they said it was more engaging.
My weakest point with in this project was imagery, a wider range of photographs would have made my publications aesthetically more interesting and this iconography would have appealed more to my target audience. This idea of incorporating more imagery into my pages was mirrored in my feed back, as my tester said ‘The use of more photographs in the publications would have improved the project by far.’
I think the fonts used worked well as it gave a more informal style to my pages and added to the over all grunge theme of the magazine, I used this type face as I believe it closely links to the genre of rock music.
Also I think the style the interview was conducted in worked well. I opted for a more informal chat which I think will engage the reader more then the standard question and answer structure, as it has a more personal quality. When I tested my product on my target audience this informal style appealed to my audience as they said it was more engaging.
My weakest point with in this project was imagery, a wider range of photographs would have made my publications aesthetically more interesting and this iconography would have appealed more to my target audience. This idea of incorporating more imagery into my pages was mirrored in my feed back, as my tester said ‘The use of more photographs in the publications would have improved the project by far.’
Monday 19 January 2009
Contents - Preliminary
Here is a mock up design of my contents page for my college magazine, i researched what convention a contents page should encompass and from this i am able to draw up this idea (CLICK TO ENLARGE AND SEE TAGS)
front cover - preliminary
This is a mock up design for a college magazine, i have taken into account all the codes and conventions of current distributed magazines and applied these to my design to create a cover that i think is composed quite well.
To further improve my design i would change the background image in composition as i think an image where there is more going on would be more interesting and relevant.
To further improve my design i would change the background image in composition as i think an image where there is more going on would be more interesting and relevant.
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