Kieran Buckingham

1. Evaluation of Student Magazine
Preliminary task

2. In what ways does this media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
Masthead
Cover lines
Main image featuring person
Text anchors image
(revision linked to books)
Colour scheme
(purple and white )
Issue
Barcode

3. • In GQ, the brand is recognisable by consumers so the title can be covered by the celebrity the
magazine is based around. However for the student magazine I had to challenge this convention as
the student magazine is not as a recognisable brand therefore the masthead had to be clear of the
main image.
• Like the GQ magazine the student magazine uses direct address to attract the reader and to involve
them into the magazine contents. Also this is amplified by the use of the centre image models
composition look straight into the camera. This adds effect as the consumer feels connected with the
magazine as the model is looking at them and they are looking at the model.
• The cover lines used in the GQ magazine are different fonts, sizes, and colours to attract attention
and suggest the magazine has different ideas. This convention has been used in the student magazine
as different texts have been used to convey the different articles that might interest the reader.
However a usually convention for a magazine of this type is that the cover lines would not interfere
with the main centre image. This has been taken into account for the student magazine but has not
been used in the same way as the cover lines go over some of the main image. This can be justified in
the way that the usual convention used in the GQ magazine features a recognisable celebrity face
therefore can be feature as a unique selling point but the model in the student magazine is not as
well known so suitable not to focus the readers attention on the model but instead the cover lines.
• In the student magazine a usual convention was used in the form of header and footer to inform
consumers about some of the articles present, to make the magazine neater, and with the use of the
bright colour (which is also the college colour) grabs attention. This is not seen in this particular issue
of GQ magazine but is present in popular magazines such as Men's Health.
• The GQ magazine features a colour scheme of red and blue, more manly colours connoting danger
for their particular audience, which can be seen in some of the cover lines and the main image. This
is also present in the student magazine as the purple of the SSFC logo is present in some cover lines,
the header and footer.
• Another convention that has been used in the student magazine is the use of a puff to grab attention
and to inform the reader about something important which could be a USP. The puff informs the
reader that the magazine is free which would make it more appealing.
• Furthermore the student magazine has challenged conventions as most magazines will have a white
background so the cover lines are easier to see. But the student magazine has a background of a
library bookcase as it is relevant to the magazine as it is a main area in the college and follows the
themes of conveying a academically successful student (model). This left the cover lines to be not as
visible but was contracted with the use of ‘PhotoShop' glow as it allowed a slight white background to
the text making it easily visible.

4. In what ways does this media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
Masthead
Page numbers
Contents text line
Images
Info to contact the
subject/subscribe

5. • The Vogue magazine again uses the white background convention so the
information on the page is easier to see. However in the student contents
page a background has been used to give depth to the information over
laying it.
• Also the Vogue magazine contains a colour scheme that can clearly be seen
and brings the subject together. This convention has been followed by the
student magazine as the ‘Aspire’ logo colour scheme (that is present in the
image with the male model) has been used to highlight the key pages of
the magazine. This connects the page and makes it relevant to the subject.
• A convention that has been used in the vogue magazine is page numbers .
This is also present in the student magazine to highlight the main articles
that are featured on the front cover. This relates to the front cover
meaning that the reader is not confused when opening the first page and
prevents the reader being uninterested when reading .
• A convention that must be present of the contents page is the masthead
that is the same on the front page. This is present in the student magazine
and the Vogue magazine clearly shown by the ’Vogue’ and ‘SSFC’ to make
the page relatable to the front cover and to follow similar themes.
• The subtitle ‘Contents’ is also used on both magazines is present. This is a
clear representation of what the page is about will help the reader
navigate the magazine through this page .
• As the college uses social media which can be a useful tool. The contents
page advertises this along with information to contact the college. The use
of this on the contents page makes it easier for readers to find contact
information in a hurry and allows the rest of the magazine to contain
articles opposed to having information throughout the magazine leading it
to be confusing. This convention is also seen in the Vogue magazine as in
the bottom right of the page the pages encourages readers to ’subscribe’
to the magazine.

6. Who are the audience and how did you
attract/address them?
● The audience of the student magazine are students of the
sixth form college who will be want to be inform about
subjects and events relevant to them.
● Codes and conventions used on the front page to address
and attract the reader was the use of direct address
language. For example ‘YOU’ directly addressing the reader
with the empathises of the use of capitals to stand out and
further convey the ideas to the reader.
● To attract the reader I used cover lines and an attractive,
seemingly academically successful model that the
consumers are drawn towards.

7. What have you learnt about technologies from
the process of constructing your student
magazine?
• Many programmes have been used in the development and creation
of the student magazine. One of the main being Adobe Photoshop
which allowed me to enhance images and give a professional look to
the magazine.
• Also to obtain images a camera was used on a ‘recce’ which gave crisp
images which could then be implemented into Photoshop. I was
trained in the correct procedure on how to used the camera as I had
little previous experience in camera technology.
• Furthermore the many benefits of a blog encouraged me to use one.
These benefits include accessing the blog anywhere to upload work
that could be lost or forgotten about.
• Another technology that was used to transport documents and images
easily.