How does my product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

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

2. Front Cover
I have made the layout suit the
natural eye flow of the reader,
the first thing they would see is the
masthead, thus I have made it big,
bold and eye-catching to attract
readers. They would then see the
image and cover lines on the left
hand side which include some of
the main features in the magazine.
The final thing they would see
would therefore be the main
headline which I have also made
big and bold and placed it in a box
to make it stand out and leave a
lasting impression on the viewer to
persuade them to buy the
magazine.

3. Like most magazines I have
placed the masthead in the
centre of the page and have
enlarged it to create a
dramatic impact. In addition to
that, I have decided to make
the masthead red as it is a
very dominating and eye-
catching colour and many
magazines have previously
done so too
I have included an exclusive
banner above the masthead
as this is one of the
conventions which has made
my magazine look more real
I’ve used a kicker in
order to create
diversity within the
coverlines and also to
make my magazines
content appear
modern and intriguing
I’ve decided to use a mid
shot of the model facing
forward and making direct
eye contact as all three
magazines which I analysed
had this type of photo. This
helps to establish a
connection between the
reader and the model,
successfully encouraging the
reader to purchase the
magazine

4.  I have attempted to keep to most conventions of front covers of magazines in
order to make it successful. I have included all the main features such as the
barcode, masthead, exclusive banner, cover lines, a kicker and a main
image.
 However, one way in which I have subverted from conventions is by having a
very limited colour scheme. The front cover only consists of four main colours
(red, white, blue and grey) which could potentially have negative feedback as
most conventional front covers have more colours to attract viewers.
However, as I was going for a much cheaper magazine, I thought that
keeping the colour scheme minimal and simple would be appropriate. The
red in particular is also a very dominating colour thus my deciding to have
most of my coverlines and headline in red could have detrimental effects.

5. Content Page
My content page also follows the
natural eye flow as the reader
first sees the title, then the main
image on the right hand side with
the editorial pillars, then the small
image at the bottom left hand
corner and finally the editor’s
note. In addition to that the
constant colour scheme creates
consistency and makes it look
more professional as it does not
make the reader question
whether it’s from the same
magazine as the front cover.

6.  I have kept to most conventions as I have included various editorial pillars, images,
a subscription box and an editor’s note.
 Having various editorial pillars makes the magazine appear content heavy and
intrigues the reader to want to read what the magazine has to offer.
 The diversity of images used on the content page makes the it look more
conventional as the majority of content pages I’ve looked at and analysed had a
minimum of 3 images. The images which I have used differ in angles and shot sizes
which makes the magazine look more real as most content pages have differentiating
photos.
 A subscription box appears in every magazine and thus I have included one to stick
to conventions and make my content page look professional.
 An editor’s note is an important feature as you are able to find one in every
magazines content page. It allows the reader to connect more with the editor and for
the editor to convey any important messages.

7. DPS

8.  I think I have kept to most conventions of double page spreads but I have also tried to subvert a few to make it
look more unique and memorable. I have included the key features such as a drop cap, the page number and
a snug to stick to conventions.
 Like most double page spreads I have made my image large enough to spam over both pages because I
believe this makes the page look more like a double page spread rather than just two separate pages. I have
also made my title spam over both pages too, I have used two different contrasting fonts for my title to create a
more dramatic effect and to add energy to the page.
 I have used 2 columns to organise my text into a more easily read format and used a reasonable gutter
between the columns, exactly how other magazines have done. In addition to that, I have used 2 pull quotes
which I have made sure to distinguish from my body text by changing the font to a more cursive one and
changing the colour. I have used font size 8 for my body text because if it was bigger, it would look
unprofessional and smaller text would be harder to read.
 I have subverted from conventions by deciding to use a black background for my double page spread. After
receiving feedback I have noticed that a lot of people have said that perhaps the black background is too dark.
Unlike vibrant colours, black seems to suck the colour out of the page. However, because it is an R&B magazine
and some of the themes in the interview include the artist’s tough upbringing I though that it would be an
appropriate colour to use. In addition to that, it creates a stark contrast with the white and red title.