2. Question #1:
How does your product use or
challenge conventions and how does
it represent social groups or issues?
3. Conventions are typical things readers expect to see. In my
magazine I have tried to fit conventions while also trying to create
unique product. Before creating my media product I looked at many
fashion magazines while research, to see what generic conventions
existed for e.g. images, titles, layout colour and language etc. I have
followed conventions in each of my final products (frontage,
contents and double page spread).
4. For example my double spread has an introduction explaining what
the article is about one small image on the left hand sight and the
interview on right hand side. The colours and fonts I have used for my
cover lines on front page ,like pink, grey, white and yellow are usually
used in other fashion magazines to give a chic edgy look as well as
simple. I have kept the mast head as it remains to be the largest text
on the page to ensure that its noticeable. To emphasize this further
the masthead is written in bold and the colour used is fuchsia pink
keeping the target audience in mind.
5. Another convention that it follows is the barcode which is usually located at
the bottom so the reader can visually concentrate at the cover image. Also
another way I followed the conventions is giving little insights of what is inside
the magazine through quotations like "summers closet" to raise the curiosity of
the readers. Usually, its mostly seen in the magazines that the main cover
image is hiding the mast head this is only done if the magazine is popular
enough, I have also followed this convention in my magazine slightly covering
the title with main image. In some of the magazines the country’s name is also
mentioned somewhere near the title I have also used this to appeal the
readers at international level. The issue number, date and site has been also
mentioned like in other magazines of any genre.
6. However, I challenged the fashion magazine convention of having two
models on the same page with one being a designer and other his
model. This is a very unusual concept that I came up with since its not
mostly seen where else in other magazines women are used more often. I
chose this as we thought it would be something more unique to genre
which would turn heads and get people interested.
I have briefly outlined the audience for my media product on my blog, I
have composed a post called “Target audience”. My genre of the
magazine is “Street-fashion” and fashion magazines are mainly read by
the female consumers. It is very important for me to talk about the
demographics and psychographics of the audience of my magazine.
Audience between the ages of 18 and 49 middle to upper class (mostly
urban area) from high school graduates to house wife’s will be interested
in this magazine. Unfortunately this perfectly fit the stereotype as there
are more female ratio than male who enjoys fashion but in today’s era
men are equally interested. I have kept my language as simple as I
could with some fashion language that is easily understandable to all
fashion lovers. Mostly people who can afford to buy these magazines are
the one whose income starts from $24 to $75 after spending on their basic
needs. People who are interested in fashion and value appearance
would be the one buying my magazines ,I feel they can also be said to
like to shop, as fashion magazines tend to give this underlying message of
having the most clothes as possible.
