3. Throughout the course of this project, numerous conventions associated with typical music
magazines were incorporated and individualised within my own work for Symbal. Primarily,
NME served as the main inspiration in terms of the overall aesthetics and presentation of
media – especially seen within the front cover and double page spread – with Q also being
apparent as an inspiration in the presentation of the contents page. Q seemed preferable in
terms of this contents page layout due to the fact that Q magazine tends to show one large,
central image, with around three smaller images allocated to specific areas of the page, and
this format was emulative of the vision for Symbal’s contents page as it focused more on
information than visual presentation.
As can be seen above, Q (on the left) retains a rather simplistic layout, with a wider range of
significant pages in the magazine covered, while NME (on the right) divides the page into
image-based sections so there is no primary focal point or detailed information on the actual
content of the magazine. Symbal largely follows the layout of Q as it wishes to exemplify that
simplicity and focus on the music itself that was mentioned in the mission statement.
Furthermore, the colour scheme of the contents page of Q is simplistic but bold, contrasting
to the newsprint-esque black and white of NME magazine, and the alignment of the masthead
is situated in the top left corner as opposed to dominating the entire uppermost point of the
page as it does in NME, and these are conventions that are prominent within Symbal’s
contents page. Ultimately, like Q, the magazine strives to be eye-catching but entirely musicfocused, and this can be seen in the application of primary colours in the matching colour
scheme (red, white, black) but also in the equalised text/image layout, showing a substantial
proportion of both aesthetically pleasing material and text-based persuasive language. In

4. accordance with this point, however, the language and presentation of the language itself is
generally more similar to NME, with the various colloquialisms and slight humour also
represented on both the contents page, front cover, and double page spread of Symbal.
Moreover, Symbal also uses the same font as NME, and this can best be seen in comparing a
typical NME front cover and the front cover for Symbal, where a mixture of the ‘BebasNue’
and ‘Times New Roman’ font is utilised. The reason for emulating this mode of address is
that Q magazine generally aims to a much wider target audience, with its inclusion of various
genres, and subsequently adapts its use of language to fit a wider variety of people, and in
Symbal it seems much more important to connect to the audience and enable them to
familiarise themselves with the mode of address, as it is more exclusive to the more limited
range of genres in the magazine. This is shared with NME in all but the masthead, where an
almost retro font is used for Symbal in order to represent the culmination of both new music
and classic mainstream music shown in the magazine, and the almost electronic aspect of the
font allows the reader to understand that subgenres such as electronica will be integral to the
ideals of the magazine.
Unlike the front cover of NME magazine shown here, the general colour scheme of Symbal is
reciprocated within its front cover, as opposed to the challenging of it shown in NME with its
use of different colours. Essentially, however, the similarities in conventions outweigh the
differences, as the masthead, sell lines, and positioning of the band are all aligned similarly in
accordance with stereotypical associations with the indie rock genre. Despite this, it can be

5. said that Symbal expands on these associations by challenging them with some of the artists
shown, while simultaneously presenting them in the same way as typical bands of the genre.
Artists such as Grimes and The White Stripes are loosely linked with ‘indie rock’ but tend to
fit more into the lesser known subgenres, and by presenting them on the front cover as
Symbal does, it emphasises the more alternative aspects of the magazine and promotes the
subgenres as an integral part of the Symbal franchise. Based on research into magazines such
as Mojo, Pitchfork and Uncut, this seems to differ from the front covers of any other typical
indie rock magazines (excluding the multi-genre platform Q) in placing emphasis on the
mainstream and non-mainstream bands and artists, showing that both hold equal value to the
general ideas around which the magazine is based on. Also, although puffs and promotional
incorporations are shown, they are significantly less prominent on the front cover of Symbal,
once again based on the thesis that the music the magazine is based around will be the
primary benefactor to its success and it consequently does not need to consistently attempt to
captivate the audience with subscription offers, competitions, and other such miscellaneous
gimmicks. However, contrasting to the idea that information is the primary focus of the
magazine, the double page spread consists of a dominative central image with a relatively
small amount of text, which subsequently challenges the magazine’s own ideals. The reason
for this is that it allows for the next series of pages for the article to be entirely text-based,
with only the first two pages focusing on captivating the reader visually – an idea mimicked
only on occasion in magazines such as NME and Mojo. Due to the general absence of this
layout, it seemed a good idea to apply it to Symbal as it is, quintessentially, a fresh way of
presenting a band to the audience and will consequently gain more publicity for both the
magazine and the band consecutively.

6. As can be seen, it utilises the same consistent colour scheme as the rest of the magazine,
which is essential to the continuity of the Symbalfanbase in establishing familiarity and
recognisability with the magazine. Anchorage text is provided in the form of a continuation
of the main pull quote, which is white in order to provide the most clarity and contrast with
the comparably dark image, and a drop capital is used to draw attention to the text and
expand on the simple white ‘Times New Roman’ font, giving it colour and clarity. Moreover,
as previously mentioned, the Symbal double page spread largely challenges the conventions
of typical indie rock double page spreads, even in ones that match its general ideals in terms
of presentation; such as the ‘Gentleman of the road’ NME one shown above. The positioning
of the main title and anchorage text is substantially different across the two pieces of media,
with significantly more information prominent within Symbal, and greater emphasis on a
wider range of contrasting relevant colours is also evident in Symbal as opposed to the
simplistic, image –based NME. Indeed, the content of the image itself is different in that
NME shows the artists in a natural environment, whereas the band in Symbal are facing the
camera directly and clearly distinctive against the background as the only two figures
available. Again, the reason for this avoidance of typical conventions in the double page
spread is to consolidate the magazine as unique and individual, and also to contrast to the
contents page and front cover which do follow typical conventions of indie rock magazines to
an extent – balancing the familiar and the fresh.
In accordance with this, Symbal typically represents those that are educated in a variety
of music genres, which is emulated in numerous aspects of the magazine. Although a
basic colour scheme is recurrent throughout the magazine, a variety of other colours are
also used in the purpose of attracting all ages, not a specific audience who will merely
follow the magazine due to the similar colour scheme to NMEs. Essentially, the reason
for this is that NME is largely aimed at a specific age and gender group, with a focal
interest in the indie rock genre, and this audience consequently expects to have their
simple needs addressed with a simple magazine; reflected in the single genre the
magazine is based around. IPC Media (the media company that markets and promotes
NME) states:
NME READERS AGREE THAT:
They spend a lot of money on
clothes – 45%
It is important to be well
informed about things -92%
It is worth paying for extra
quality goods – 71%
It is important for them to look
well dressed -71%
NME READERSHIP:
Male -69%
Female-31%
Average age-24
Working full time-52%
Working part time-7%
Still studying-29%
Generally, Symbalstrives to differ in terms of its readership in order to be a more
equalised, balanced magazine amongst a variety of social groups. The magazine aims
for a more equal percentage of both male and female readership, and it aims to achieve
this by including significantly more female artists on the front covers of its various
issues than any other magazine of the relative genre. Indeed, this will be easier for a

7. magazine such as Symbal as it expands on the typical indie rock genre, taking numerous
other subgenres into account, and by doing so will consequently allow for a wider
representation of women. Although it is generally uncommon in indie rock magazines, it
is also necessary to note that female artists/bands will not be sexualised unnecessarily
anywhere in the magazine, as one may find it lends to the degradation of the music in
which these artists represent – instead merely drawing attention to their body image.
Sexualising them would differ greatly from Symbal’saforementioned ideals, outlined
more elaborately in the mission statement of the magazine.
Proceeding on from this, the other aspect of these statistics that differs from Symbal
magazines fundamental aims is the large proportion of NME’s target audience who
consider it important to be well dressed, and the average age of the reader. Symbal
strives to achieve a balanced target audience in terms of age, catering for those with a
taste in old and new music and thus aiming for a higher average age of the target
audience due to its wider appeal. With NME, the low average age of the reader
coincides perfectly with how important the target audience believes it is to be ‘well
dressed’ – exemplifying the image-based personality of the younger generation, and
therefore why the editors of NME have to adjust the magazine accordingly to fit that
need for image-based professionalism. It is also indicative of the upper middle class
target audience, as these are the likely candidates to be able to afford putting time and
care into their appearance. Moreover, with Symbal, a slightly older average age for the
readership would increase the likelihood of the more mature target audience being
focused on the content of the magazine, as opposed to the presentation of the content.
However, in appealing to a slightly older audience, it is also important to reduce the
price of Symbal so it is one of the cheapest among its peers, meaning that it can appeal
to the larger majority of lower middle class/middle class citizens, thus generating a
larger fanbase.
In terms of distributing the magazine, IPC media was the most suitable choice
as a media institution, largely due to its highly renowned status as one of the
top media magazine institutions, its accessible website and coherent statistics,
and its consumer feedback. Here is a short presentation on the benefits of using
IPC media, as well as an introduction to its previous successes with brands such
as NME.

10. The typical target audience for Symbal magazine would be aged around 30 years old, be working
full time, and would fit within the lower middle class/middle class category. Despite efforts being
made to make the magazine as non gender-specific as possible, it is still likely that the majority
of the target audience will be male as it is the gender most commonly associated with all music
genres excluding pop and perhaps dance. The magazine will be aiming primarily towards creative
individuals with a broad range of interests, not just in music, but also in various cultures, arts,
films and other such works. Subsequently, this may be reflected in the profession of the said
individual, perhaps in that they are a graphic designer or work in the media industry itself.
Although the majority of the target audience will recognise the importance of dressing well and
taking care in terms of fashion, they may not necessarily apply it to themselves as an integral
attribute to their personality and/or lifestyle, and the ideal candidate for a buyer of the
magazine will be opinionated and passionate about his/her interests. They will be looking for
affordable ways to satisfy their needs, whether it is shifting through discounted CDs or looking for
deals in terms of subscriptions for their favourite magazines. Above all, the target audience will
love music, and recognise it as one of the key aspects of their lives in both influencing their dayto-day actions and general lifestyles. For a more detailed profile of the typical target audience,
one should consult the target audience profile in the research and planning.
Initially, in order to attract this kind of audience for the magazine, a questionnaire was
carried out on likely candidates who fit the general requirements of the idealistic target
audience. As can be seen in the research and planning, 95% of the 20 people who took part
in the questionnaire agreed music played an important role in their life, and when asked
what bands/artists they would like to see in their ideal magazine, several bands were
recurrent and all results managed to show a broad range of subgenres covered. Due to the
fact that each person that fully completed the questionnaire served as representative of my
target audience – in all aspects apart from age – the finished media product was designed
largely around their desires and what they expressed to want from a music magazine. This
was done by applying the most recurrent and most representative artists/bands to both the
front cover and contents page of Symbal, but also by presenting them in a minimally
stylistic way to ensure that the focus was on the music as opposed to trying to attract
readers to the band for their style or charisma. Artists such as Grimes, Jack White, Queens
of the Stone Age and TDCC are amongst these recurrent music figures, and consequently,
the majority are given their own feature articles illustrated on the front cover and contents

11. page, and this works perfectly in accordance with the genres Symbal will cover. However, to
ensure that the magazinedoes fit the needs of its target audience, post-production
research is vital, and this has been undertaken in a variety of ways.
FEEDBACK
1. Upon completion of the front cover, contents page, and double page spread, the three
pieces of media were subsequently uploaded to Facebook, in the hope of gathering
constructive criticism and/or positive feedback. As seen here, the three pieces of media
mainly gathered a positive response from friends on facebook, with one friend even stating
that it appealed to them ‘more than any other music magazine’ of its kind. However, one
friend (with a particular interest in the genres that the magazine embodies) was
complimentary of the front cover and double page spread, but suggested that the contents
page did not fit in with the more sophisticated approach of the other two pieces of media.
When privately messaged about any potential improvements that could be made to it, the
friend commented on the ‘cartoonish’ font of the title and suggested a more sophisticated
font consistent with the rest of the magazine. This further illustrates how the typical target
audience of Symbal does not care for anything that may render the content of the
magazine as childish or merely stylistic, as it was suggested that the font used on the
contents page may have done.

13. 2. In order to gather information on what the original
questionnaire recipients thought of the finished
product, another questionnaire has been created and
distributed to the same 12 legible people that finished
the original questionnaire, plus an additional 13
people who displayed an interest in the magazine
during its production. Each was shown all three
finished media products in their fully edited state,
before being subject to the questionnaire shown on
the adjacent page.

14. 1. Are you male or female?
Male
Female
2. What age are you?
13-14
15-16
17 and over
3. Overall, do the finished products for Symbal magazine appeal to you?
Yes
No
4. Which is your favourite part of the magazine? Explain your answer.
Front cover
Contents page
Double page spread
5. What would you change about the magazine? If nothing, continue to next question.
6. Do you think £3 is a reasonable starting price for this magazine?
Yes
No
7. Would you buy this magazine?
Yes
Maybe
No
8. Would you recommend this magazine to a friend?
Yes
Maybe
No

15. Throughout the course of this project, numerous technological skills had to be learnt or
expanded upon under a variety of media platforms. These include:
With Nikon/Canon software and Microsoft Office, it is necessary to note that I already
possessed sufficient skill in using them for both curricular and extracurricular
activities, and that I therefore gained no particular extra knowledge through using them
in this project. However, it can certainly be said that Microsoft Word and Powerpoint
were used to great effect throughout the course of this project, especially considering
that I attempted to create each piece of work in its own individual style – done through
using various alternate fonts, page colours, borders, backgrounds etc. It was evidently a
primary aim to balance both presentational aspects and detailed content equally, and
upon analysing the completed research and planning, this aim has been achieved with
great success. Furthermore, using a Canon in the shooting of the front cover photograph
was significantly more challenging than using a Nikon, as this is the camera that I have
owned for two years and therefore I am more familiarised with it. If one were to look at
the finished photo product of the front cover, however, then it can certainly be said that
the photo was a great success for a first-time user of a Canon, as the subject is central to
the image and there is no reverb from flash or wobble.
Concerning the other technologies, however, there was a substantial amount of
difficulty involved. Blogger.com and Slideshare altered my pre-production work quite
badly when I uploaded them onto their websites, thus forcing me to backtrack in my
work and adjust the fonts and page positioning accordingly so that it could be suitable
for these sharing sites. Moreover, I found blogger.com to be bland and simplistic in
terms of its approach to blogging, and consequently believe that other blogging
websites such as Tumblr would be more appropriate and easier to use than the one used
for this project. However, I mainly overcame such issues with uploading material in the
end, but certain pieces of work such as the font analysis are still in the altered format
that the website applied to them, and it appears that this cannot be undone in any way as

16. the fonts analysed in that piece of work cannot be changed or it would be rendered
pointless.
Ultimately, this project has progressed greatly from the original preliminary task of creating a school
magazine for sixth formers. When the preliminary piece of work was initiated, the knowledge I
possessed of technological devices – primarily Photoshop – was largely limited, and this was
subsequently reflected in the work on the magazine front cover. The main area where the
preliminary cover for ‘Sixth Sense’ magazine failed was in the editing, as opposed to the general
structuring of the page which was adequate and coherent. As a blank background was unavailable
during the construction of this project, the main image was subject to the magic wand tool, meaning
it was copied onto a background created entirely on photoshop. Generally, this was a failure, as the
original lighting of the main image failed to suit the neutral colouring of the computer-generated
background, and also, the image was not copied smoothly, leading to jagged edges that fail to look
professional. Furthermore, since this failed so drastically, I decided to use a blank background in
real life when taking the photos for the main image, and this eliminated these issues in terms of
lighting and using the magic wand tool; it was no longer required, and was therefore a much
simpler experience. In terms of other areas of the project, my mock ups are now far more
representative of the final product in both colour and layout, and significantly more background
research has been conducted in accordance withSymbal magazine. With the aforementioned
progress in using various technologies, I have also greatly improved my photoshop skills, and this
can be seen in the professional editing of the front cover, contents page, and double page spread
of my music magazine.