This document summarizes the design process for a student's media magazine project. The student: 1) Researched professional magazines like NME to understand conventions for structure, layout, and design elements. 2) Based the structure and placement of text/images in their magazine on NME, though chose a photo where the model is not looking at the camera. 3) Incorporated design conventions from researched magazines like headings, contents pages, and double page spreads, but also added their own touches to make the magazine stand out. The target audience for the magazine is intended to be indie music fans aged 12-22, though the hip hop/rap focused content could also appeal to a broader age

1. Media Music Magazine
Evaluation
By Tom Miller
1

2. I reviewed several magazines before designing my own to gain knowledge
on what professional magazines look like. I used this to base my magazine
on and design some kind of structure. When designing my magazine I used
an ‘NME’ magazine to help me develop the structure and placing of my text
and pictures. From my research I’ve found that on most magazines the
model is looking at the camera which is a stereo typical convention of a
professional magazine. Instead of copying every aspect of a real magazine I
chose a different photo where the model is not looking at the camera.
Although the model is not looking at the camera and does not draw the
viewer in as much, I have tried to accommodate for it in different areas by
adding vibrant text and bright optical flares. I have tried to follow the mis-
en-scene by dressing the model in Hip-Hop clothing and his pose is very
‘Gangsta’. On the next slide I will show you how my magazine is similar in
some ways to a professional magazine and how I have used the NME
magazine to help me design my own.
2
In what ways does my media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?(Front page)

3. 3

4. As you can see from the slide before I have copied some
conventions of a professional magazine but at the same time
added my own touch to it. Some similarities between the two
are;- Well the most obvious would be the heading. I saw the
heading for NME during my research so I decided to design my
own abbreviated heading in Adobe Illustrator and add it into to
my own magazine.
I used the acronym RVB because it highlights the main features
of my magazine (Rhythm, Vibe & Bass ) and it also fits my Mis-en-
scene.
I have used some of the heading on the NME magazine and
based my around it as they worked well and looked professional.
4
Further Information

5. - As you can see on my contents page I have used some of the
conventions from pulse magazine on the right. I tried to use the
same sort of layout and effects but I tried to put my own touch on
it to make it stand out more and look more professional, for
example on the pulse magazine I noticed that there was a lot of
white space visible which made seem a little plain so I decided to
make it look full and blocky . On the pulse magazine there was not
a lot of stories and I wanted to jam-pack my contents page with
lots of stories.
5
Contents Page

6. I used the conventions of the magazine on my magazine on the left. The first
thing I tried to replicate is the picture on one side and text on the other, I done
this through making one side of my magazine stand out with big bold writing and
pictures. On the professional magazine it has big title’s and at the start of the
text it has enlarged letters to represent the start of the paragraph, I have used
this magazine technique in mine to make it look more professional.
6
Double page spread

7. I undertook specific research into what social groups
would read, listen and wear etc. I looked at two main
groups in particular ‘Chavs’ and ‘Indie Scensters’. These
two groups are considerably different yet so similar at the
same time. For example both groups dress different and
their social attitudes are different but they listen to the
same type of music and read similar magazines. I based
this interpretation on the representation of my magazine.
My model is dressed, in my view of what my target
audience will dress like. The theme of my magazine is quite
bold and modern which is what I would expect my target
audience to want from a magazine.
7
How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

8. As I said before my target social group is mainly indie
scenesters, this social group only consists with in the
12 – 22 so my magazine will essentially be aimed at
that age group. Taking a more broader perspective on
it though the magazine is targeted at anyone who like
Hip-Hop/Rap music. There is no particular age range
for this because different people like different music,
but this genre is extremely popular among modern
society.
8
Who would be the target audience
for your magazine?