Brad Matthews Advanced Portfolio - Evaluation Question 1

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

2. Front Cover
Masthead
Sell Line
Magazine price
and bar code
Website Link
Date
Main Image
Anchor Text

3. Masthead
•Large, bold serif font positioned at the top
middle of the page.
•This draws the eye of the audience and
gives instant recognition of the producer,
reinforcing brand awareness.
•The colour of the font stands out against
the background image which makes it
easily identifiable.
•The font is serif which also helps establish
the older target audience. All of these
follow the codes and conventions of
having a large recognizable masthead.

4. Main Image
• The main image is of the local area,
which would create regional identity with
local readers, this helps establish the
magazine as well as the colours, making it
eye opening.
• High key natural lighting is conventional.
• Followed the convention of having a
colour filled main image, opposed to
black and white.
• I made the colours stand out a bit more
by editing the photo on the VSCO app. I
applied the chromatic effect and applied
it to 5.0.

5. Top Band
• The band at the top of the magazine
works with the sell lines to reveal the
contents of the magazine.
• It helps fulfil cognitive needs as well as
creating personal relationships with the
reader as local areas are shown.

6. Sell Line
• Conventional sell line which relates to my
magazine which informs the audience of
what is included in my magazine (uses &
grats)
• The word ‘quay’ is part of a harbour,
which relates to the title of ‘Marina’. It is
meant to sound like the word key. These
all relate to each other.
•White, italic font stands out against
background and other fonts.

7. House Style
• I have used tag lines to draw the readers
attention to the contents of the magazine,
also the use of local locations which
creates regional identity with the
audience. This follows usual house style
codes and conventions.
• Use of subtle colours throughout, which
appeal to the audience. They are not
gender specific so appeal to both.
•Masthead is in a conventional place.
• Top band is also conventional within
regional magazines.

8. Anchor Text
• Text placed around the page in order to
inform the reader of the magazines
contents, a common convention seen in
most magazines. Hermeneutic codes are
created here as it encourages audiences
to read on.
• These tag lines draw the readers
attention to the contents. The use of local
locations ‘Palm Bay’ and ‘Margate’ create
a regional identity with the audience.
•White font allows for the text to stand out
against the background.

9. Contents Page
Images
Headings
Columns
Page numbers

10. Fonts & Features
• Short insight into the articles offered.
Allows for a range of needs to be covered
(uses & grats).
• Black and blue font contrasts to white
background which makes it easier for the
audiences eye, common convention.
• Simplistic layout makes it easy for
audience to find and locate their
individual needs (cognitive needs.)

11. Images
•Common conventions such as high key
lighting are used, this allows my audience to
visualize the relevant article, creating more of
a meaning and relationship to the reader.
•Uses & Gratifications – Multiple images of the
local area creates a regional identity amongst
audiences. The images have Barthes
connotations of a regional product which is
preferred reading.
•I challenged a conventional contents page
layout, were the images are usually used to
break up the text around the page. However
mine are all central fitted into a rectangle.

12. Numbering
• Numbering lies above the article title.
This allows for easy navigation to fulfil
individual needs, also informs them (uses
& grats).
• Placing numbers over images is also a
common convention which I included in
my contents page. It links the images with
the articles and informs the reader what
page they are on.

13. Rows & Columns
•Organized text allows for easy reading, as
being clearly accessible can lead to fulfilment
of individual needs, also informs the audience
(uses and grats).
•I have followed the convention of making the
title bold and underlined, and the rest of the
description in normal text. This highlights the
important of the title to the audience and
splits up the text.
•This simple layout of columns is conventional
in regional magazines to keep the page
looking neat and pleasing for the reader,
along with making it easier to navigate.

14. Editorial Page
Main Text
Image
Short insight into article

15. Introduction
•Introduces the audience to the page –
fulfils cognitive needs after the
hermeneutic codes were created in the
contents page.
•Tagline – This creates personal identity as
the couple are travelling to Margate,
relating to the audiences from Margate
also. Social integrative needs are fulfilled
through this.

16. Main Article
•Cognitive needs fulfilled – Informative for
audiences, encouraging them to consume
the whole product.
•Small serif font establishes the style and
target audiences preferences for the
magazine. Informative articles may lead to
discussions with social peers.

17. Masthead
•Serif font establishes the style of the
magazine and the target audience
preferences.
•The Media Language used signifies a
personal approach from the article,
creating personal relationships between
the author and audience.

18. Masthead
• Large, peaceful image draws attention of
the audience.
• Image taken from a beach in the local
area, allows the audience to create a
personal relationship with the magazine.

19. Advert
Main images
Company name
Contact
details
Descriptive text

20. Main Image
• Main image shows the finished product,
stereotypical content of an advert.
Conforms to the expectations of the
audience.

21. Masthead
• Classy logo and title. It lies at the top of
the page introducing the audience to the
company. The serif font reinstates the
classy atmosphere.

22. Anchor Text
• I followed the convention of using a sell
line. This establishes the product available
with the word ‘finest’ shows how good
quality their work is.
• Conventional use of contact details of the
company. This will appeal to the target
audience as it allows them to visit the
associated website. In doing so, they are
abiding to the surveillance factor in the
uses and gratifications theory.

23. Magazine Extra
• Directly benefits the audience, they are
more likely to create a core audience if
they feel like they benefit from the
product.
• The repetition of the advert conforms to
Neale’s theory, that ‘pleasure is derived
from repetition and difference’.

24. Billboard
Website and front
cover
Masthead
Website address

25. Masthead
•The brand is reinforced, creating brand
awareness.
•The large font stands out which is
important for audiences as they drive or
walk by.

26. Main Image
• The regional area is the clear focus of the
product, preferred reading.
• Bright image will attract the eye of the
audience as they pass by, as well as having
connotations that link with the front cover
of the main product, the repetition of the
advert conforms to Neales theory that
‘pleasure is derived from repetition and
difference’

27. Finished Cover
• The finished magazine cover is shown on
the billboard, along with the website front
cover.
•This is to show the alternative platforms
that the audience can consume the
product on. This not only increases the
ease of access but conforms to the needs
of the lower age range of my target
audience.
•The website address is clearly prominent
underneath the masthead, allowing to
access the product on other platforms.

28. Website – Home page

29. Home Page
•I followed the typical convention by having
the masthead at the centre top of the page.
This allows the audience to clearly recognize
who the product is produced by and therefor
begins to build on brand image. Having the
tab section underneath is also conventional
as it allows for the audience to seek specific
details about a topic. (Cognitive needs = uses
and grats)
• Images placed underneath to make the site
aesthetically pleasing to look at. These images
also have links which follow through to
specific pages about them. It also makes the
reader more likely to read the article if they
are attracted to the image.

30. Gallery Page
• All my hyperlinked pages have the same
masthead and tab section, so the
audience can easily navigate around the
website (uses & grats). Reinforces brand
awareness by having the masthead at the
top every time – common convention in
websites.
• The images are all from the local regional
area which the audience can relate to.
• Some images are features on other parts
of the website and some are new, this
conforms to Neale's theory that ‘pleasure
is derived from repetition and difference’.

31. Contact Page
• Again, hyperlinked page has the same
masthead and tab section reinforces
brand awareness.
• Contact details section are a very
common convention within websites.
There are multiple ways to contact
Marina, these include a phone number,
email, address, various social media
websites and a contact box. The contact
box allows for the user to quickly contact
the magazine, as they don’t have to get
up their own emails to send to the
magazine, they can easily do it on there.