The document discusses various design elements used in the media product Muse Mag, including page numbers, masthead, cover lines, color scheme, photography style, and fonts. Page numbers, masthead, and cover lines are designed and formatted similarly to real magazines to make Muse Mag feel realistic. A red, black, and white color scheme is used throughout for consistency and visual appeal. Photographs depict characters looking away from the camera for variety, though one direct image on the cover may have engaged readers more. Different fonts are applied strategically to sections and headings to clearly distinguish content and guide the reader's eyes.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
Page numbers:
In the contents page of Muse Mag, I have represented the page numbers by putting them
into boxes next to the sub heading of what is going to be in that page. I have made sure that
the page numbers and sub headings linked to what I said would be on that page in my flat
plan I made before I made the magazine. For example, on my flat plan if I stated there
would be an article on a certain page I have made sure the page number on the contents
page is an article page. It is important that I have made the plan and the real magazine
match because it makes my magazine more realistic and this would be the same thing that
real magazine creators do when making their magazine. I have coloured the page number
on my double page spread red because it matches the colour scheme for Muse Mag. The
page numbers on the contents page are grey. I have chosen grey because I have already
used too much red on the rest of the page and grey bodes well with red.
Masthead:
The masthead on the front cover of Muse Mag is presented in the
biggest text on the front cover. This is because I want it to stand out
the most because it is the name of the magazine. Generally, magazines
do the same thing so that customers can read the text from a distance
as they are approaching. I have coloured the font black because this is
a bold colour. It also stands out against the brick wall image that is
used on the front cover. I made sure the image and the colour of the
text didn’t clash otherwise it would have been difficult for the reader
to read the masthead. I have done the same in the contents page and
the double page spread for the same reasons.
Cover lines:
Each cover line on the front cover of the magazine are in different fonts and sizes. I have
done this to grab the audience’s attention and make the front cover look more interesting
and unique. If the cover lines we the same size then it could also dominate the cover, which
is what I was avoiding doing. I made sure the cover lines were tucked away from the main
image but not that tucked away that they weren’t noticeable. However, the cover lines on
the contents page and the double page spread are the same size and font. I have done this
because it makes it easier for the reader to notice when there is a change in subject. In the
interview on the double page spread, each new question is a cover line so the question is in
the same font and size. They are also the same colour to make it even easier for the reader
to notice a change in subject.

2. Colour scheme:
The colour scheme used in Muse Mag is red, black and
white. I noted this in the style sheet I created before I
created the magazine. These three colours all bode well
with each other and they don’t clash, so they all stand out.
Magazines such as ‘Q’ also used these three colours are
their main colour scheme. I chose to use the same colours
because in Q magazines it looked professional. Black, white
and red aren’t bias to a specific gender as well so I think it
was a good idea to use them because it would attract both
males and females, not just one or the other. For example,
if Muse Mag was mainly pink colours it would come across
to the audience that it was more of a girly magazine, vice
versa. Red, black and white are used throughout the front
cover, contents page and double page spread. I have also used different shades of grey in
places to add another colour into the scheme. Grey doesn’t clash with the other colours and
they look good together.
Style of photography:
The images I have used in the front cover, contents page and
double page spread of Muse Mag are images of the
characters looking away from the camera. I have positioned
them like this because even though a lot of magazines have
images that are addressing the audience, I thought that
looking away from the camera looked better. Magazines do
have front covers the same as this, but not very often.
However, if I were to change anything about Muse Mag it
would be to make at least one of the images addressing the
audience. This would probably be the front cover because
with the character considering the camera it makes the
reader feel more welcome because they are looking at the
audience. It would have been better to have more of a
variation in the images rather than all of them being very similar.
Fonts:
I have used a different variation of fonts in Muse Mag. This is because by using different
fonts it makes the magazine look much more interesting and attracting to the audience. In
the contents page, each sub heading is the same font and each cover line is the same font. I

3. have done this because it makes it much easier for the reader to identify that the
subheading means this is on a different page to the text above/below. Same for the cover
lines. I have used different fonts for each sub heading on the front cover. I have done this
because if they were all in the same font then the reader could easily think that they are all
about the same article. By making the fonts significantly different it is easy to identify that
each sub heading is a different article/page. Most magazines do the same thing, but some
do use the same font. In the double page spread I have used the same font for the mast
head but I have enlarged certain words to emphasise them more to the reader. The text in
the double page spread is also the same font so it is clear to the reader.