AS Media Studies

1. +
EvaluationJoshua Rogers

2. +
M Magazine
In my final Music Magazine front cover I have visually included many
common and recognisable conventions usually included on a music
magazine cover, such as: the Masthead, Main Image, Anchorage
text, Coverlines, Date and Barcode. However conventions I decided
to not include was: a Skyline, Puffs, Price, Issue Number and a Main
Coverline.
The Masthead was a compulsory decision since I wanted my
Magazine to immediately be recognisable and disable any hesitation
to happen when knowing what magazine it is; I have made it
obvious, bold and clear apart from the exception of it being
overlapped slightly by the main image. Overlapping the Main Image
gives the magazine a depth of field, making the image seeming to
‘pop’ out of the page as it is presented to the viewer, which also
makes it more aesthetically pleasing and professional. I am happy
with how the main image resulted after the editing and masking
since it fits well with the page and looks much more professional
than the images original background, since it automatically presents
a skill in design to the viewer.
Using an artist with the same genre style music as my target
audience will allow me to attract the correct people who will be
interested in buying the magazine, plus I have visually and clearly
presented the instrument which directs the correct views towards
this being acoustic and singer/songwriter. I have included the
barcode at the bottom left side of the page because it is compulsory
to have on magazine because it is what it is bought with. However I
did decide to follow conventions by having it in the bottom separated
fro the focal points of the cover since it has little importance to the
viewers, design and aesthetics of the page as a whole, only to be
seen when needed by the store staff members.

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M Magazine
I decided to position the Main Image on the right side of the page but with the artist facing to the left
side so the whole page is involved and more open planned rather than concealed, which would be if
the model was facing the edge of the page since it would segregate it from the rest of the cover as
though it was separate and invalid, which is not what I wanted to express to my audience. I have also
considered the rule of thirds which is a design composition technique which is proven to make a
page or image look more aesthetically pleasing, plus it compliments the layout of the page since it
leaves an equal blank space to position the Coverlines.
The Coverlines I have decided to position to the left side of the page, flush with the edge of the
Masthead so the page remains neat, simple and professional which increases it’s value aesthetically.
It is also easier to read and acknowledge when it is separated from the other distracting page
features. I decided to not include a Puff on the page since from analysing my questionnaire I
discovered that my specific audience prefer the page to maintain a simplicity and leave the page un-
crowded so it is easier to navigate around, plus the magazine style is calm and professional which is
juxtaposed to the idea of a puff since they are usually presented very forward to allow them to stand
out and be boldly noticeable on the page which is not what myself or my target audience wants.
The design of the page is inconspicuously geometrically flush. Meaning I have deliberately created a
layout which is easy to read and acknowledge instantly without confusion or trouble. This is because I
have tried to create a relationship between each feature on the page so they ‘fit’ well with each other
which makes the page as a whole look more aesthetically pleasing. For example I have designed the
Masthead to perfectly fill half of the page in the background and of which is centred. Then I have
positioned the Image to the right which fits ideally over the masthead plus leaving an even amount of
space for the Coverlines at he side. I have also created an artificial floor line which sections off the
bottom of the page and almost segregates the blank space below from the the content at the top while
also aiding to the mask of the Main Image. The Artist’s head I have also positioned perfectly within the
design of the masthead mimicking a halo which highlights both features on the cover. I also
acknowledged that we are known to read everything from the top starting at the left and reading to the
right, so I have used this theory in my design so that it is easier to view and the design is smooth; the
noticeable features lead from the masthead and artist’s face at the very top, - then to the Coverlines
and finally to the anchorage text, artist’s fashion and musical instrument which is lesser important.

4. +
M Magazine
When deciding on my Anchorage text, I didn't want to create something that would visually draw the
attention away from the main image too much; I was thinking of something much more subtle and light
which was only noticeable from a close range once I have actually interested my viewer via the Main
Image and unique page design. So the decision I made was to have simply the artist’s name in a
handwritten font presented as though it was a signature from the artist. This immediately makes the
page more official and professional since an obvious relation has been made between the magazine
designers and music artist for it to have been the actual signature which is what I wanted my viewers
to believe. I designed it as though it is combined with the Main Image which immediately identifies the
relationship between them both so it is obvious that it is the musicians name. This design idea was
influenced by my research on the global top selling music Magazines (example to the bottom-left).
The date of the magazine I decided to have in the smallest font size on the page because it is of the
least importance unless specifically needed. I positioned it just below the masthead in the same style
and colour flush with the layout. It is discrete if unwanted but noticeable if needed, which helps me
maintain the simplicity of the page. I decided to not include a printed price in the design on the Cover
because this is completely un-relevant to the page plus it could always fluctuate depending on what
store it is sold from and popularity of that specific issue. This is why I have decided that it is up to the
store it’s sold from to put a price sticker on it or not, as this is the one feature or piece of information
which can be shown to the customers elsewhere, such as the stall side, rather than on the actual
magazine. It is also not needed by the shop staff when bought as this is what the barcode is for.
When thinking about the aesthetic design of the magazine Company as a whole, I wanted each issue
to look visually similar as well as musically, involving the layout, Masthead/ Magazine company logo
and the Colours. The colours for the masthead I decided I wanted to maintain a subtlety, so that the
page is simplified which is what my target audience is attracted to, juxtaposed to high contrasts and
bold highly saturated colours. This colour design idea will be recognisable thought-out the whole
Magazine company and found on all printed issues. The Masthead I designed will be positioned in the
same exact place on every issue Cover so the company is always recognised by the viewer from this
relatable convention which will connect with all issues. However, the Masthead I designed very simple
since it is visually cubed, which means it can always easily be developed, edited and colourised
differently depending on the issue or situation (billboard, poster etc.) but will still be recognisable. On
the next couple sides I have presented examples of both colours and styles that can be found
throughout the company, but all are still very much recognisable.

5. Colours

6. Possible Styles

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M Magazine
When designing the Contents page, I wanted to maintain the same simplicity which is recognisable
though-out the whole magazine because this is what my audience prefers which I learnt from the
questionnaire. I have done this by making the decision to display as little page contents as possible
while just presenting the most important main features. Due to the fact that I haven't included many
Main Features within the magazine, I was able to experiment and be creative with the way I paired the
pages together which is unique and allows the page to be more interesting and modern; directly
attracting my young-adult audience. I knew that I wanted a single Main image to feature on the page
as this is a unique convention introduced to modern-day magazines which truly captures the viewers
attention rather than multiple small images where the interest is reduced by image borders and
frames. Using this idea engages my viewer with the page since it is almost interactive since it
becomes part of the whole page rather than just a sectioned area. I decided to use these images
because they are visually engaging to my young-adult audience since it is relatable to their lifestyle
and the people featured are of their age range. This aids me to build a positive relationship between
my viewer and the magazine so they will enjoy viewing the page and hopefully want to pick up the
next issues.
I have used the same font in the Masthead to maintain recognisable similarities between the pages.
To compliment this aim, I have also used similar colours as the front cover. This is first page where a
page number is needed, and as visible, I have used the common book/magazine convention of
having it positioned in the bottom corner of the page; this is so it is discreet and doesn't draw to much
attention away from the page, plus it doesn't allow the design to get crowded and loose its simplistic
style. Looking back at the finished design, to improve, I wish I had practiced with several Masthead
fonts before I made the final decision as this would give me more experience when choosing a font
and colour next time that works the best with the page designs. I did however experiment with
different ways I could present the Masthead on the page, and I chose this design because it was
more modern styled plus it filled blank space on the page preventing it from looking too empty. When
deciding on the colour, I finalised it by masking in a colour gradient within the font which increases the
professionalism of the page since it is more aesthetically intriguing rather than a single shade.

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M Magazine
I decided on my target audience much earlier in the project before the production process because I needed to know what and how my
designs will be influenced by them and what they are attracted to. This is also why I conducted the questionnaire; to find out specific points
of their opinions towards key features and conventions found on a Music Magazine. My target audience for this issue is young female adults
ranging between 17 to 26 years of age. I was also considering Occupational social groups to attract which I decided to aim for was Social
Groups C and E. These groups consist of middle class citizens with an average yearly salary and spend quite a lot of spare time on the
media. This suits my audience perfectly since they would be starting to drive and find their own home and a permanent Job or possibly going
to University. Identifying this allowed me to adapt my design to these social classes such as the fashion and vocabulary. However, thinking
back to the design and context of the double page spread, I believe I could have stated what the musician was wearing which would promote
their brand to the audience plus this would allow partnerships and sponsorships to form with other companies. This additional information
could also be of some interest to my audience and may make them for interested with what the written information includes.
Considering the fact that I was designing my magazine issue for a specific target audience is visually obvious through-out the pages. Firstly,
the musician and figures featured within the magazine are female and are of a similar age, which directly attracts my audience since a bond
or relationship can be formed between the images and viewer since they will have common similarities and interests which will intrigue them
to read further into what has been written. The colour scheme of this specific issue also directly attracts my target audience since
stereotypically speaking, reds, whites and pinks are more feminine colours than masculine which should help attract the correct audience.
Also, when considering the content of my pages, I decided to not include topics involving industrialisation, management or businesses since
my audience are fairly young and are less likely to have experienced these specific topics enough for them to be of any significant relevance,
especially within a music magazine.

9. +
M Magazine
There are many global institutions which distribute magazines into stores, but after I conducted some research and
planning, I discovered that Frontline would be the best choice for my magazine. This is mainly because of their
experience and globally renowned customers of all Magazine types, genres and styles. This includes distributing for
both Male and Female magazines which means they are not biased or sexist in any way; this includes examples such
as Sewing and Top Gear shown below. But what also is appealing about this specific distributor is that they work with
an existing globally known music magazine Q, which shows that they have experience with distributing to the correct
areas and store locations for a popular music magazine.
Thinking back to the design process, I have learnt many new techniques and ways of which to create and produce a
magazine. Adobe Photoshop was the main software that I commonly used with the physical creation of the pages since
it is the most advance available software which allowed me to design with the least productive limitations. Meaning I
could freely move and edit all features and conventions within the designs while still keeping to guidelines and
maintaining specific layouts aided by precise positioning tools. I was also able to crop, edit and mask my Images to suit
the design and initial drawings as accurately as possible while still allowing me to experiment and learn new skills along
the way. I also gained confident experience with physical technologies such as studio lighting and digital photography,
since it was essential that I tried to get as aesthetically professional images as possible which will immediately help me
prevent the pages looking amateur and bad quality.
Using Digital technology such as computing hardware increased my experience greatly since it was essential that I
knew how to use a computer screen, mouse and keyboard etc, to digitally create my designs. I used Mac OS which
greatly increased my knowledge of it’s compatible softwares such as Photoshop since it allowed the software to
function efficiently for me to use. I did need to use a printing processor when printing my questionnaires, which allowed
me to learn bulk printing and size guidelines of which I can print from such as paper sizes (A4, A3, A5 etc).

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M Magazine
When I first created and designed my preliminary task, the school magazine, I had little experience with the digital software and hardware
that I needed to operate efficiently to create a professional outcome, which lead to it suffering aesthetically and efficiently. One of the many
mistakes which I learnt from and avoided to replicate in the music magazine design, was the lack of design planning and experimentation; I
had pre-drawn sketches of my page designs and layout for my school magazine, but I hadn't experimented with different colours or fonts; I
made an immediate decision without overlooking it’s positives and negatives which lead to the final design suffering in those areas due to
font confusion, untidiness and displacement. From this I also learnt that the page looks aesthetically improved when the least number of
fonts are used on a single page.
Layout for my school magazine was also a big issue for me since I hadn't considered the positioning of my information and text such as the
coverlines. This lead them seeming misplaced on the final design due to the lack of preparation and thorough planning. I remembered this
mistake from the first time which allowed me to identify this problem to prevent it from occurring again when designing the music magazine.