Social Media Audience Research

The survey that I added was my final questionnaire. By posting this on my twitter page means that I can get a wide range of responses which will help me when I start to plan how my magazine is going to look.

Final Survey

Create your own user feedback survey

Pilot Survey Analysis

Weekly Update

I completed my textual analysis of an existing students work. I found that somethings that they did I definitely won't do, like having somebody else as the main image on the contents page, and having red in the colour palette, because it doesn't link that well to my genre. I finished doing the conventions of the magazine and moved on to analysing my target audience survey. When I analyse it, I will then be able to make another one asking more open questions to get more detailed answers. I will also be able to create questions for my focus group from my second questionnaire.

Conventions of a Double Page Spread

The main image on the double page spread should take up the equivalent of one page because then the reader can quickly see that it is their article and that they are from the front cover. I will aim to have the main image around about a page in size but I might have it a little smaller depending on the amount of writing in the article. My main image of the artist will be bigger than 50% of a page but maybe not the full 100%. Sometimes the image goes over both pages, for example, having the main image in the middle of the double page spread with text on both sides around it.

Double page spreads also have the masthead at the top and it is often the biggest text on the page. This is so that the reader can be drawn in by the title of the article and often it can attract more people to read it. I think I will stick to having it on the left page because then the rest of the article will flow better on to the right page. I will definitely have it as the biggest text on the page because then it makes it very clear to the reader.

The artist/bands name is the second biggest text on the page so that for anybody who still doesn't recognise them instantly, they will be able to see who it is. I think this is a convention that I will stick to because the article is all about that artist/band so they should be shouted about. Also the typography is conventionally sans serif to connote informality, which I think I will do to give my magazine a constant theme.

The double page spreads conventionally have pull quotes in a different colour and usually bigger and bolder. I will do this because it highlights important quotes from the artist/band which might draw in more readers who are apprehensive about reading their article. The rest of the text is usually black to stand out against the colour palette. It is conventional to have the colour palette of the double page spread the same as the cover page, which makes the editions flow more and often connotes something about the artist/band.

It is conventional for Q and A articles to have the interviewers questions in a different colour and in bold so that there is a distinct difference between the different speakers. If I decide to do a Q and A article, this is something that I will definitely do because it will stop any confusion.

Conventions of a Contents Page

The contents page is always the first page in the magazine and tells people where each article is. This is a convention that I will definitely stick to because every magazine has it the same, so it might confuse people to try and break from the genetic convention. Also it makes sense to have the contents page at the front because then it makes the rest of the magazine have a chronological order because they can see where they want to go.

Another convention is that the artist from the front cover should be the main image on the contents page as well. This helps because readers will look on the contents page for the artists article after being intrigued by the front cover, so to have them as the main image makes it obvious where to go. I will stick to this because I think that it will help my magazine feel like the artists edition.

The contents list having subheadings/article titles being in bold typography or another colour is a convention that I will follow because it makes it clear what the article is called and it stands out more. Also having a very short summary underneath each article title is a genetic convention I will consider because doing it means that the reader can get a little more information before they decide to read it.

The contents page should always have the page numbers next to each article title so that people know where to find it. Also the numbers will be in a slight bigger typography than the article summaries so that they stand out and aren't missed.

Conventions of the Front Covers

From looking at different music magazine covers I found that most of them have the masthead at the top with it being central. This is because when they are stacked, often the the masthead is the only bit that can be seen, so it needs to be visible. the mastheads are also the biggest typography on the page so it is eye-catching and people can see instantly what it is. A lot of the well-known brands have some letters on their masthead covered by the artist, they can do this because it is a well established brand that is very recognisable as it is. I might not follow this because my magazine won't have been seen before, so I want to promote the brand as well as the artist. It is conventional to have the masthead in sans serif font to make it more informal.

The main image is central in the page and takes up about 60/70% of the cover. This makes it the most eye-catching part of the page so peoples attention goes there first. Many brands use the artist to sell the magazine that's why they have it taking up most of the cover. I think I will follow this and have my artist/band in the centre of the shot and taking up the highest percentage of the page, so if people are walking past and catch a glimpse, it will be the first thing they will see. The images usually use a medium close up or medium shot to make clear the expression and so people instantly recognise them without thinking too much.

It is also conventional for music magazines to follow a colour palette of usually 3 colours. This makes everything link together and often connotes something about the artist/band, for example, what genre they are from. I think I will stick to a 3 colour colour palette because it means there isn't too many things going on on the page. Also I think that 3 colours will work well because if theres any less than that then everything ends up looking very similar and it becomes quite dull/boring.

Most fron covers have anchorage from the artists article which draws in the reader. I think this is something that I will definitely do because it makes the reader intrigued and gives a bit away about the article, without revealing it all.

The feature headline of the artist/bands name is often across the width of the page and is usually the second biggest text on the page. I think that I will make it go across the whole of the width so that it is eye-catching and if people don't instantly recognise them, they will know who they are after reading it.

Textual Analysis of Existing Work Summary

The strengths of the production is that the colour palette works well for them, the white, red and black connotes a rock genre which the reader could see so they know what music she makes. Also the images of Roxy Carter all link together and it is clear which article is hers.

The weaknesses of the production is the contents page. I dont think that having the biggest picture of another person works well because the magazine should be focussed on Roxy Carter but her image is one of the smaller ones. I also dont think that having the contents list on the left hand side is effective because if it is on the right hand side, when the reader is going through the page it is clearer to see it.

Textual Analysis of Existing Work

Weekly Update

I finished off my Form Research of the double page spread, and the cover page which will help me make mine look good and like a magazine should. Then I thought of 10 questions to put into my survey and then created a survey monkey survey for my target audience. I completed my target audience survey questions on Survey Monkey, and sent it to 20 people to get a range of responses. I also began analysing an existing students project from OCR Media Weebly. When I get my results back from my target audience survey I will analyse them in detail.

Audience Research Pilot Survey

Create your own user feedback survey

Form Research Cover Page

Front Cover
The masthead on the front cover is generally at the top of it, this is because when they are stacked, the top is the only bit that can be seen sometimes. The masthead is only ever one word because then the reader can quickly see what it is and it means that they will remember it more. The masthead is usually the biggest text on the front cover and is bold, sans serif typography to connote informality. Some magazines have the main image covering some of the letters of the masthead, this connotes to the reader that the artist is the main selling point, not the brand itself. It could also show how the brand is very successful and already known/recognisable enough to be only partially seen. The main image takes up the highest percentage of the front cover, being about 60%/70%. The image usually links to either a stereotypical view of the artist or genre to get across the type of music they are from if the reader is not familiar with them. Various shots are used for the main image, the most common ones are medium close ups, medium shots and long shots; these shots are used for either showing the expression of the artists or getting across their body language to connote something else. The key
light always lights up the artists face to show their expression, most of the main images are quite light and don't have many shadows in them. The artists name is usually the second biggest text on the page after the masthead, the typography is often big incase they are not instantly recognised by the reader. The feature headline is generally bold and very clear, being the third biggest text on the page, to promote the article. The colour palette contains about 3 colours and they are often contrasting so they stand out a lot and are memorable and appealing to the target audience. The colour palette also usually links to the artist, for example, stereotypically men wear dark colours so the colour palette may use a black/dark blue colour for them. The rest of the front page has a few bits of texts, usually a short sentence, that promotes one of the articles in the edition. The front page isn't very over-crowded or busy, leaving some blank spaces often taken up by background from the main image.

Form Research Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread
The double page spreads usually have the artists name biggest across one page so it is very clear that they are the one from the font cover. The colour palette links to the colour palette from the front cover so it makes everything link together. The colours on the double page spread usually are associated with the artist/band. For example, Wiz Khalifa has a double page spread with black and yellows being the colour palette, linking to his successful song "Black and Yellow" and Nicki Minaj has a pink double page spread, a colour stereotyped to women, and linked to her through her perfumes called pink. The main image often takes up the equivalent of a page, because the article is about them, and then it is easier for the reader to find. The image varies shot types from different magazine brands; in some they like to have a long shot, and some like to have a medium close up or a medium shot. The variety of shots means that they can suit it to the article, for example, if an article was about a persons life, then they might want to have a long shot to show they whole person. The masthead is the biggest text on the page and can be in any typography depending on the type of article it is, if the article is a serious one, then it is more conventional to have a serif font connoting formality. Underneath the masthead there is usually a sentence saying what the article is or something about the artist, to give the reader a bit of information before they begin to read the article. The first letter at the start of the article is usually a lot bigger than the rest, this might be to show the reader that this is the start of the article. Some of the double page spreads are question and answers, when it is like this, the questions are often in a colour and bold, to stand out and to show that it isn't the artists response. The answer of the artist is usually in black underneath each question and written exactly how they speak so the reader knows that it is them who responded and can feel as though they can get to know them more. However, if the article is about a topic or more of a story, then it will be written in columns like a normal article. Some articles have subheadings throughout which are in bigger, bolder writing so the reader can see the section they want to read about and then go to that. Often between columns or paragraphs, there is a pull quote from the article that will be in a bigger font, bold and often a different colour to make it stand out from the rest of the writing. This pull quote is generally highlighted or in a box so that it is eye-catching for the reader. The colour of the box or highlight still follows the colour palette of the double page spread. On the double page spreads, the page numbers are either in the bottom corners of each page or in the middle, this is because if the reader is skimming the pages, they can just look at the bottom for the numbers instead of stopping to see if it is the right article they wanted to find.

Weekly Update

This week I completed my genre research which helped me find out more about the pop-rap genre and the sorts of things that might be effective to include. I also emailed professionals to get their input on my production so that it can be even better because they are from successful magazine/media companies. I started doing my form research and have finished the contents page, so that will help me know how to make my magazine appealing and look good.

Form Research Contents Page

Contents Page

The contents pages all have the word 'contents' written and placed at the top of the page before any of the other text. This means that peoples attention is immediately brought here, so they know what the page is going to be about. The typography of the word is very big and bold, usually in a sans serif font to link into the masthead on the front cover. This connotes informality and a relax feeling about the page which flows throughout the magazines. The typography being similar throughout a magazine means that it becomes part of the brand identity. There is always a main image of the artist/band who them edition is about on the contents page. They take up the higher percentage of the page, and the shot is usually a medium close up, giving the reader a bit more of a look at them. The main image alongside the masthead of the contents page create a main focal point for the reader, attracting their attention before they read about the articles. The list of the articles usually are chronologically ordered with the page numbers beside them, this makes it easy for the reader to locate the articles when they have found one that they want to read. The page numbers are always on the left of each one, so the reader can quickly see where they have to go in order to locate the article that they want. The articles in the list have a subtitle to catch the readers attention and so that they can find it easier with the heading of the article on the page. The subheadings are all written in bold writing outlining that they are the important part of the article list. Each article also has a bit more information of what it is actually about, so if the reader is not instantly drawn to the page, after reading the brief summary, they will have more idea whether they want to read it or not. All of the writing in the list is generally always black, because the colour palettes are rarely ever a black background, so by using black text makes it stand out against a colour/light background.

Emailing Professionals

Genre Research

Weekly Update

This week I did influential figures and also some conventions that I found in my textual analysis, to help me decide on how to create a successful and attractive magazine. Next week I will focus on doing genre and form research to understand what magazines from my genre of hip-hop/pop need to have.

Textual Analysis Summary/Conventions

Influential Figures