This document contains feedback from a focus group on different elements of a music magazine called MANIA. For the front cover, the focus group responded positively to the image used and thought the color scheme was appealing without being overbearing. The contents page received praise for its design elements like the issue number circle, but some felt the main image was too dominant. Feedback on the double page spread was mainly positive, noting the atmosphere created by the photo while some questioned elements like the visible shadow. Overall, the focus group found the magazine attractive and representative of its target audience of 18-30 year olds.

1. QUESTION 5
How did you attract/address
your audience?

2. HOW DOES THE FRONT COVER ATTRACT/ADDRESS
THE AUDIENCE?
 ‘I think the image is really good because it grasps
the audience and gets their attention. It suits the
design too.’
 ‘The colour scheme is subtle and not too overbearing. The colours compliment each other really
well and don’t repel the reader.’
 ‘I like the cover lines because they don’t block the
model’s face which is good. I also like the varying
font styles and sizes.’
 ‘I think the background is a bit boring and might not
stand out enough.’
 AVERAGE OVERALL RATING
8/10

3. HOW DOES THE CONTENTS PAGE
ATTRACT/ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE?
 ‘The main image is slightly dominant and a little
bit ‘in-your-face’.’
 ‘I really like the design, especially the issue
number circle and the grey lines that shape the
text.’
 ‘The MANIA Review section is a nice touch. I like
the second image too.’
 ‘The feature articles are relevant and it’s good that
there is a high quantity of content.’
 AVERAGE OVERALL RATING
7/10

4. HOW DOES THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
ATTRACT/ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE?
 ‘The photo is amazing – it creates a really nice
atmosphere.’
 ‘I’m not sure about the Superstar Rising bit because it
doesn’t quite fit the genre…’
 ‘The article itself is really good and sounds like a real
music magazine. It’s current and relevant to modern life. I
also like the red lines just because they make it look
professional.’
 ‘I’m not sure about the model’s shadow, you don’t
normally see that in a real magazine.’
 AVERAGE OVERALL RATING
8/10

5. ANALYSIS
 I decided to ask open questions in order to promote and provoke
a detailed, unlimited response.
 The focus group were rather helpful in allowing me to identify the
main issues and concerns with MANIA, as well as receiving useful
feedback.
 I think the response was mainly positive, which was to be
expected.
 The people questioned were aged between 18 and 27 (MANIA’s
target age range is 18 – 30) which meant that their response
would be highly representative of the target audience.

6. FRONT COVER
 The majority of the people in my focus group liked the image and
thought it ‘grasps the audience and gets their attention’. This is
certainly a priority for MANIA and can only be seen as positive
feedback.
 The colour scheme also received high praise, in fact, it was said
that they ‘compliment each other really well and don’t repel the
reader’.
 Many people outside of this focus group have complimented the
masthead choice and the font sizes of the cover lines. It is very
important that they ‘don’t block the model’s face’.
 Overall, I feel the front cover attracts the reader rather well, which
I ultimately its purpose. By failing to do so, MANIA would not be
successful.

7. CONTENTS PAGE
 Some people thought that the main image was ‘slightly dominant’.
However, having studied various contents pages as part of my
research and planning, I feel that less is very much more in terms
of imagery.
 The design received many compliments, especially the unique
features like the ‘issue number circle’ and ‘grey lines’.
 An important factor when making this page was the actual
content. I have included an excessive amount of text in order to
thoroughly communicate the quantity of pages and articles.

8. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
 Many people were fans of the photograph as it creates a ‘really
nice atmosphere’. However, a comment was made regarding the
visible shadow. Despite this being utterly deliberate, I can see
why people may not agree.
 Once again, the design of the page received many good reviews
due to the lines, columns and page numbers.
 The article itself was said to be ‘current and relevant to modern
life’ which is exactly what I set out to achieve.

9. THE END