Evaluation

MEDIA STUDIES YEAR 13
COURSEWORK
EVALUATION
Izzy White

Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop
or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Front Cover
I have followed the convention of having a large and
recognisable masthead, the colour of the font stands our
against the background image, making it very clear and
identifiable. As done in the examples shown here I have
included the date at the top and as all of the examples included
the name of the region the magazine was from I included a
small tag line underneath that detailed the locations the
magazine covers which helps to create a regional identity with
the audience and establish the magazine. The serif rounded
font also helps to establish the sophisticated audience.
Using similar house styles and conventions I mixed
italic fonts with serif fonts to create tag lines that help
draw the audiences attention to the contents of the
magazine and satisfies their cognitive needs. The short
introductory lines underneath also establish the idea of
each piece, helping the reader choose what they are
most interested in. The use of local place names also
helps to create a regional identity with the audience
The main sell line stands out against the background to
attract readers attention and is centralised to help to
bring focus to it
I included a list of the magazine contents underneath one of my
headings, the list fulfils the needs of my audience as it is simplistic
and ordered, this appeals to the younger audience that I am aiming
my production towards as there is less to read. Hermeneutic codes
are created here which encourages audiences to read on.

Front Cover
The background image is of the local area which helps to create a regional identity with the
audience. It helps to establish the magazine.
Underneath the main headline I have listed the areas the regional magazine would
cover, this also contributes to the regional identity established by the imagery and
names of local places on the cover.
In keeping with the sophisticated house styles of other magazines I have studied I didn’t
overcrowd my cover and kept it simplistic. Using serif and italic fonts helps contribute to
this overall style which appeals to the upper class audience that both the magazines I have
studied and the magazine I have tried to create appeal to.
Placing a barcode in the bottom corner conforms to the typical
placement of it seen in other magazines, this helps establish the
magazine as a genuine professional product and reinforces this in
the eyes of the audience. The price of the magazine is also included
with the barcode.
The date is included to the side of the masthead at the top of the page, this helps to
establish the magazine as a product as it is a convention followed by most magazines
and communicates the issue of the magazine to the audience.

Contents
The reappearance of the masthead establishes the magazine as a brand that the
audience can recognise and gives a preferred reading of the professionalism of the
product. Acting as the main title and displaying the month reinserts the relevance of
the product and the preferred reading
The serif font used in the headings uses the Lipmann theory whereby the
stereotypes of the target audiences preferences are used to establish which
grouping/heading they are most interested in. The layout is in a conventional
numbered order grouped into themed headings. This helps the audience easily
navigate the page and fulfils the cognitive needs of the audience by fiving
more information about the contents of the magazine and the articles listed in
the contents.
The numeric and ordered theme is continued here coupling the pictures
with the corresponding page numbers and the white and black fonts stand
out against the images to contrast against them and make them more
noticeable to the audience and increases the navigability of the page
Using images of the local area helps to create a regional identity with the audience
and complies with the uses & gratifications theory. The use of local areas have
Barthes connotations of a regional magazine and product which helps achieve the
preferred reading.
The 50/50 split between images and text helps to appeal to a younger target audience
who are less interested in reading masses of texts so the inclusion of photos as a
substitute helps to keep audiences attention and attracts them to the articles. It also
helps the navigability of the page.

Feature Page
Having a theme heading above the article helps to establish the
contents of the article and the subject of the written piece which
encourages the audience to read on if it is a subject they are
interested in – fulfilling the uses & gratifications of the audience. It’s
serif font also helps to keep the sophisticated house style of the
magazine
The masthead uses a serif font that helps to establish the
sophisticated target audience and is in keeping with the house
style. The short introductory paragraph helps bring the audience
into the page and fulfils the audience’s cognitive needs after
previously establishing hermeneutic codes in the contents page. A
personal identity dialogue is created as the paragraph links the
article’s author to the local area as she is from it, this also helps to
fulfil social integrative needs.
In most magazines the text is written in columns and I kept to
this in my own production, it makes the text easily scannable
for the audience which fulfils cognitive needs and allows the
audience to consume the information easily. The use of a drop
capital at the beginning of the text is also a convention that
most magazines adopt. It enables the audience to easily identify
the beginning of the text. The small serif font is in keeping with
the house style and appeals to the sophisticated target
audience. The informative article also may encourage
discussion between peers.
The main image is placed to the right hand side of the text and is large
enough to take up a significant proportion of the page which would
appeal to the younger target audience. The image is a close up of a
model which helps to establish a personal identity and create a
dialogue with the audience

Feature Page
Including the copyright notes of a photographer and date is a convention
of high fashion magazines, an element of which I was attempting to
integrate into my magazine. It helps to establish a professional element to
the magazine.
In the majority of high end fashion magazines, a large
number of articles will include images of the clothing and
models and more often than not these are positioned with
text surrounding them, this avoids any interruption with text
and draws the audiences attention to the images as they
read.
Including the website link to the article helps to establish the magazine as a brand and
advertises the magazines online presence. This helps to appeal to younger audiences who
are fast moving the majority of their media consumption online, having the magazine and
it’s articles online makes it more accessible, especially on the move.
Having the page number placed in the bottom right hand corner is complying to conventions of
most magazines, the black font contrasting with the white background helps to draw attention to it
and improves the navigability of the magazine as audiences are able to easily identify what page
they are on.

Advertisement
As with many high fashion adverts, there is minimal detail as they are
already established brands, they keep their logos to the bottom or top
corners and include little other texts and keep the centre focus on the
images. I placed the brand logo in the bottom left corner and made it
big enough that it would attract attention from the audience to establish
the brand the advertisement is.
Most high end adverts also include a store location on the page, I
decided to include this in the bottom right corner in a serif font that
is in keeping with the style of the logo and the stereotyped
preferences of the target audience that has a sophisticated feel to it.
Including the locations also enables audiences to visit and offers an
alternative method for audiences to consume the product.
Most high fashion adverts have an unorthodox layout
and I attempted to create a similar effect with the column
photographs that cut off either side of the page. I thought
this interesting layout would capture the attention of the
sophisticated audience who would supposedly be
interested in high fashion and the artistic arrangement.
The colouring of the images would also attract the
audience who would be interested in different and
unorthodox images. It is also typical of most adverts in
high end magazines to use a white background for text
and information and a photograph at the top.

Website
Bright and well lit images attract the
audience and images of the local area
and attractions (Dreamland) reinforces
personal relationships with the local
audience. Images of domestic settings
(kitchens) also reinforce the hegemonic
generalisations of home life and their
sophisticated layout prove an idealistic
representation for audiences to strive
for and be interested in, this means
they are more likely to look at the
attached articles.
The inclusion of the masthead helps to establish the magazine as a brand, it
would be recognisable from the paper product and the serif font helps appeal to
the sophisticated audience.
The sub-headings provide an ease of
navigation for younger audiences who
are not interested in masses of text and
prefer to have easy access to the
sections they are interested in. It also
gives the website a sense of organisation
and a clean look.
The inclusion of social media icons
appeals to a younger audience as it
provides them with alternative
platforms to consume the media
product.
The moving slides provide an interactive point for the audience and
enables them to be involved in their experience of the website fulfilling
their uses & gratifications and showing them the multitude of articles
available on the website which complies with their cognitive needs.

Website
The inclusion of small introductory sections
to each article helps to satisfy the uses &
grats of the audience as they are given a
suggestion of what the article has in it and
can decide if they are interested in the
content. Each box was hyperlinked to it’s
corresponding article making for easy
navigation and they all had the issue date
clearly stated meaning audiences were
aware of the most current pieces
I included “quotes” from readers, this gives the impression of a
professional brand that is widely read and would encourage audiences to
explore the website. It also establishes a relationship between readers and
other readers as they are using others “opinions” to influence their own.
Seeing the local areas next to the names gives the comments a sense of
personality as it is a place audiences would recognise and therefore
establishes a sense of regional identity between the brand and the audience
as it is clear that all the readers are from the same place and would
recognise the same places and events.
I also included the option to join a
“mailing list” – this is something
done frequently on real websites as
it allows brands to keep in touch
with their audiences and establishes
a personal relationship. It also
enables brands to inform audiences
of new content or materials

Website
The continuation of the masthead at the top of the page helps to continue
the establishment of the brand with it’s recognisable serif font and bold
lettering. This is a trait carried across most magazine websites as it creates
an association between the paper product and the online format.
The menu to the side of the page
improves the navigability of the
site and enables audiences to move
between sections and easily locate
the types of article they are
searching for, this appeals to
younger audiences as they don’t
need to search extensively for
things that interest them as it is all
underneath a heading which fulfils
their uses & grats and finding the
articles fulfils their cognitive needs.
The menu is interactive and the
screen you are on is highlighted so
make it clear where they are
looking.
The interactive social media icons
encourage audiences to access the
product on different platforms, this
appeals to younger audiences as they
typically access media through social
interaction and platforms. This
conforms to the conventions of many
modern magazines looking to create
a social media following for their
publication as it is becoming the
largest form of media consumption
The inclusion of photos to accompany articles is a convention adopted by
many magazine websites as they help to establish the vague contents of the
accompanying article. They also appeal to younger audiences who are less
interested in reading volumes of text. I also included small paragraphs under
the headings to give an insight to the contents of the article which
encourages readers to read on if they are interested in what they read. It also
includes the date of the issue the article came from helping to establish the
most recent news and pieces.

Billboard
The magazine masthead is repeated here
and this helps to re-establish brand
awareness. It is the centre focus of the
billboard which also helps to reinforce
the product. The large font and the black
colour stands out against the background
helping to easily attract attention from
people walking or driving past.
Including the region the magazine
covers in the format of a tag line helps
to establish a regional identity with the
audience, it is repeated on the cover of
the magazine which also helps to re-
establish the brand and it’s
professionalism
The inclusion of the magazines
website helps to establish the
magazines relevance and suggests it
is a modern publication and offers
an alternative platform for
consumption alongside the social
media presence. The website would
appeal to younger audiences as they
mostly consume their media online.
Showing the product on different
platform encourages the audience
to consume the product in different
mediums and demonstrates the
modernity of the publication by
being compatible with and
available on multiple digital
platforms. This enables easy access
for audiences and appeals to a
younger audience who are
becoming increasingly reliant on
digital media consumption.
The inclusion of social media icons helps to reinforce the
modern and professional media presence of the brand
and encourages younger audiences to access the content
on different platforms as they are consuming more media
products online.
The stone background helps to
establish the coastal area that the
magazine is representing, the
sophisticated element of the
magazine is also made clear by the
clean white stones. The serif fonts
are the same used in the printed
publication and website and helps to
continue the house style.

Question 2 – How effective is the combination of your main
product and ancillary texts?

Web address and Regional Tag
The address of the magazines web page is
included on it’s billboard and feature page
meaning it is present within the print copy and
the advertisement. This links the print
publication, billboard and website under the
“Coast & City” brand. Establishing the products
online presence helps to appeal to the younger
target audience who are increasingly moving
their media consumption to online platforms.
Real media examples of web address presence across the product:
Resident Magazine
The regional tag of the magazine and the brand is
repeated on the front cover and billboard. This
establishes the covered area of the magazine and
creates a regional identity with the audience as
they will be reading articles about their local area

Masthead
The masthead is the focal point of the
brand and is included on the front cover,
contents page, website and billboard. It is
the most recognisable image to be
associated with the brand and increases it’s
awareness, helping to establish a reliable
and consistent audience for the publication.
It’s strong, bold, black and serif font stands
out starkly against the white background
and makes it one of the first focal points of
each page and platform. Having it in the
centre (billboard) or at the top (front cover,
contents and webpage) also establishes it’s
importance and relevance to the brand and
introduces it’s audience to the product as a
part of the overall brand.
Real media examples of masthead presence across a brands
products:
Cheshire Magazine Surrey Magazine
Billboard
Website
Website
Front Cover
Contents

Ancillary Tasks - Billboard
The billboard’s primary objective is to advertise the
brand, I included images of the website on two digital
platforms which helps to advertise the content and the
wide range of online platforms it can be accessed on
alongside the main print publication. The content of the
website itself is complimentary to the main text and it’s
being showcased on a computer and iPhone format
shows the modern and forward direction of the brand
and the appeal to younger audiences who are more
interested in online media consumption. The display of
the online format and link to the website and magazine
masthead works to advertise the brand as a whole.
Product shown in different
format
Real media examples of integration of products on
Billboards:
Magazine masthead Inclusion of web address
Resident Magazine

Ancillary Tasks - Website
The magazine website is the main online format of the
brand and can be accessed on multiple platforms – a
computer, tablet or phone, I demonstrated two of these
on the Billboard. The website follows the general house
style of the brand, giving an overall sense of continuity.
The masthead of the magazine is at the top of the page
which is a recognisable image for the audience, on the
page that displays articles, the corresponding print
publication date is noted in the description and this
reminds audience of the print format they are also able
to consume the product from. Including social media
links/icons also encourages the younger audiences to
consume the product through these, as social media is
becoming one of the most prominent methods by which
younger audiences consume media products this helps
to give the brand a modern edge and the possibility for
a wider young audience.
Real media examples of integration of products on magazine websites:
Masthead as a prominent
feature
Social media
icons
I placed my social media icons lower down on the
webpage, this was perhaps a mistake as it makes
them less noticeable, instead of being at the bottom
I should’ve had them at the top like they are in The
Cheshire Magazine (shown to the left) this would
help attract more attention and perhaps get a
larger audience for the social media platforms

Cohesive House Style
My print publication and ancillary tasks all adhere to the
same house style that I created with my ABC1 18-35 target
audience in mind. The style is sophisticated and minimalist
and links each of my productions together effectively as it is
easy to identify them as part of a cohesive brand. The style
also appeals to my target audience who would come to
recognise it as a signature of the brand on multiple
platforms.
Real media examples of a cohesive house style:
The Cheshire Magazine

Regional Photography
In my print publication and on the website I included
websites of the region and surrounding areas that
audiences would recognise, these all work together to
give the image of a local brand audiences can associate
with and recognise. This creates a regional identity
with the audience and the continuity demonstrated
through their presence on each platform would lead to
the preferred reading of the text, this being that
audiences would appreciate the areas being shown and
feel inclined to travel to the area in a bid to ease the
narrative tension through proairetic codes.

Question 3 – What have you learned from your audience
feedback?

Audience feedback from research and planning
After establishing my focus group I contacted them on several occasions to ask their opinions, suggestions and preferences on
different elements of my production. I contacted them through email, despite having the option of social media because it is difficult
to send large files by social media and responses are difficult to follow
I asked their opinion about the font I should use for
the masthead of the magazine which obviously became
a focal point of recognition for the brand, the group
replied with a general consensus that the top two fonts
were most preferred, 9 people said they would choose
each one leaving no clear preference so I made the
decision based on the overall look of the magazine at
the end of production which I felt the top font suited
more.
I also asked their opinions on the name of the magazine,
obviously being one of the most important features of the
production. I sent them a list of potential names and they
responded with the general consensus that the preferred
“Coast & City” which I took into consideration and made it the
brand name.

The mock up front covers was another thing I pitched to
the focus group. I asked for their suggestions and
preferences and used their responses to base my
improvements on. They chose the image with the most
scenery as they felt that the image would improve local
audiences regional identity with the brand.
I also pitched the different formats of my contents
page to them to ask which they felt was the most
visually appealing and easy to navigate, they chose
the second one which is the layout I then committed
to.

I took on board Lily’s suggestions and filled
up the blank space on the cover, I think it
was a good change to make as the cover
undoubtedly looks more professional and
like a genuine product. I also upped the
contrast on the photo, made the model
bigger to fill the space and included some
different fonts to make it more interesting.

My billboard was another issue I pitched to my focus group, I made two mock ups with black and white icons and coloured
ones. Obviously the coloured ones are more recognisable and linked to the social media sites they correspond to however the
black and white linked in better with the theme and house style of the production, I showed both to my focus group to see what
they felt looked the best. Their response was an overall consensus that they did not feel having black and white icons made the
social media sites less recognisable and that they preferred the black and white as it worked better with the scheme.

I also needed to decide on the layout for my advertisement.
From my research into real media publications with the
same audiences as my own, I noted that most were for high
end products/fashion and chose to make mine for that
kind of brand/product. I mocked up two layouts using the
same kind of styles I had already seen and sent them to the
focus group for their opinions, I did not get a very clear
answer from them as it was a 16/14 split for the three
images and the two respectively. Despite it being a
marginal difference I chose to use the one with three
images.

Audience feedback on my final production
This is one of the responses I received when I sent out the final draft of my front cover,
several members of my focus group were concerned about my magazine not looking like
the typical regional magazine that they would be accustomed to.

However I then explained to them that my magazine did not only focus on regional issues
but also wellness, lifestyle and fashion and showed them several examples of real life media
publications that do similar things and have a similar look to my own and they agreed that
the look of the magazine matched up with the contents and themes of it.

A concern a couple of members of my focus group had with regards to the advert was the large amount
of white space surrounding on the page and whether this was typical for the type of advert I was
creating.

I showed the concerned members of my focus group a few real life media ads that also had the
white space, demonstrating that this was a typical layout of high end advertisement and they all
agreed that my ad fitted in with this type of product.

One concern this member of my focus group had was that the billboard perhaps looked a little plain,
however with little real media examples to go on there wasn’t much to suggest what else should go on it
and I didn’t want to risk over-doing it.

The only real media example I could find was the “Resident” magazine, in my own production I tried to
recreate the same proportions, ideas and approach that the mainstream publication took.

Mostly my focus group thought the article page was sophisticated and refined and did not have
many suggestions to offer, however a couple of people questioned the large amount of white space
at the top and whether this was a stylistic choice or simply a design flaw.

The real media publications I looked at seemed to also have a lot of white space, I felt that
filling it up would make the page look too crowded and take away the sophisticated style I
was aiming for.

Question 4 – How did you use media technologies in the
construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

Researching Existing Media Products
Google
I used Google during the research and planning stages of my production. It was very useful to look up examples of Regional Magazines, their
websites, billboards, media packs (that provide target audience and readership statistics) and advertisements. It was a quick, easy and efficient
process by which I was able to find what I was looking for without spending a long time searching through physical copies of regional magazines
I would have had to source meaning my options would be limited to just our local area. Using Google and Google Images meant I was easily able
to trace things I had previously looked at through a “viewed list” which put together all the existing media I had looked at at different times. I
could also save any links I felt would help my research like media packs and websites.
Image search: Media pack search:

Contacting my Focus Group
I contacted my focus group using email. Without media technology I would have needed to arrange meetings which could be difficult
with 30 people to meet, I also had the option to use social media but I chose not to do this as it is difficult to attach big files in social
media group chats and monitor the responses of 30 people talking at once. It is easy to monitor emails and send out questions or new
elements of my production and responses come back quickly
This is the original email I sent to my focus
group informing them of how I would contact
them and the sort of information I hoped they
would be able to provide me with.
Here are some of the responses I received from emails I sent to
my group, it was easy to filter the replies and see what each
person said and finding the emails was easy due to them all
having the same subject heading.

How my contacting my focus group helped
This was the original design for the billboard and I pitched it to my
focus group but included the idea that perhaps the social media
icons could be black and white instead of coloured and asked their
opinions. The emails I got back suggested people largely preferred
the black and white icons and settled my concerns that the icons
would be less recognisable if they were black and white so I changed
the final design to fit this.
An email response I received from a member of my focus group:
Final Design:
Original design

How I published my research and production
Blogger
I used blogger to publish all of my research and planning and my final production, I was able to record each step of my processes and
research efficiently and in themed and labelled posts that enabled me to find any work I’d done previously, had I not had access to blogger all
of my work would either need to be hand written or printed and would’ve been very difficult to keep in one place. Blogger kept everything I’d
done in one place and easily accessible.

Researching photo technologies
YouTube
YouTube was a perfect resource for researching techniques and tutorials for using the Canon 600D and Photoshop.
The information I learnt helped me to take good quality photographs and edit them to professional standard. If I
hadn’t had access to these videos my production would’ve been limited to using the standardised basic settings which
would not have produced as impressive results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjRqZiAgoHo
- A helpful beginners guide to basic photoshop techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlXVzOZtlII – A
really useful tutorial to using the Canon 600D

Web Tutorials
I made use of a lot of online tutorials to help me with my photoshop skills, whilst the videos on YouTube were helpful,
I found it easier to follow a step by step guide I can read at my own pace. Because of this I was able to follow more
difficult tutorials and create more interesting effects.
This tutorial from the adobe website was particularly
helpful. They had a wide range of tutorials that were
really useful for specific tools and techniques that
helped me understand the programme a lot more.

Photoshop
Photoshop was really useful for editing my photos, I used the image adjustments like Colour Balance, Curve, Brightness/Contrast and
Hue/Saturation. Not only this but I was able to edit out any imperfections using the clone stamp, burn and sharpen tools and the
liquify filter, all of which I learnt to use through YouTube tutorials and web tutorials
Filter – Liquify and Lighting Effects
Clone Stamp
Dodge, Burn and
Sharpen
Image – Colour Balance,
Curve, Brightness/Contrast,
Hue/Saturation

Canon 600D
The camera I used was very effective for taking high quality photographs for my production quickly, it was very easy to transfer the
photos to a computer for editing via SD card. Without having a digital camera my production photographs would have had to be
taken on a film camera which would take a long time to develop and would be very difficult to upload to a computer and edit. The
camera also enabled me to change the effects of the camera and make sure the photos were in high focus and high quality by simply
changing the setting or pressing a button.
Clone Stamp
Dodge, Burn and
Sharpen
Examples of portraiture taken with the Canon 600D:

Website Builder
Clone Stamp
Dodge, Burn and
Sharpen
Curve,
Brightness/Contrast,
Hue/Saturation
I used the website Wix to create my magazines website, Wix was easy to use and effective in creating a
professional looking website, it offered up different potential layouts you could fill with your own photos
however I chose to create my own. It also included a drop down menu that you could include text boxes,
interactive elements, hyperlinks and many other things that make a website professional and interesting. I
was able to use my own photographs and fonts which really helped to keep the house style of the magazine and
branding.

Website Builder
Clone Stamp
Dodge, Burn and
Sharpen
Curve,
Brightness/Contrast,
Hue/Saturation
The website editor includes a menu that you can
choose to add interactive elements, images, text and
a lot of other things. It also offers suggestions for
things that might enhance your website – see “Full
Width Slideshows” tab. The editor also allows you to
preview your magazine and make sure all the
interactive elements and navigation is working
properly. The editor also enables you to easily switch
between the pages you want to edit and make sure
they are all cohesive and work together.

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