Evauluation of Student Magazine

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Before designing my own student magazine I did some research into other student’s magazines and what sorts of themes/ layouts they used. One thing I found out was most student magazines have a central image which covers the whole of the front cover. This image was of a student from the shoulder up. I also found out how bright vibrant colours were used throughout to make the magazine see fun and energetic and eye-catching. To keep the magazine consistent they used no more than three separate bright colours. Mostly every student magazine had a free pug/puff somewhere on the front cover, promoting special offers that would catch the eye of the magazines target audience. The layout was very plain and simple to show that the magazine was grown up enough and not a children magazine because students see themselves as grownups. The masthead was large and eye-catching and direct to students so they knew straight away the magazine was for them. The mode of address was informal, Very chatty friendly etc. This is because students will read magazines for entertainment therefore you want them to feel chilled not like there reading there school books.

So to use my research to improve my magazine I used two different colours pink and blue. These colours are bright and eye-catching so produce the sort of house style that the target audience would enjoy, I made. To make the magazine look professional and grown up I used pink and blue throughout my magazine and used a clear easy to use layout. My contents page was very simple so student would understand it so the magazine is still enjoyable to read.  I used an up close photo of a student drinking costa as my main central image this is because of my research and also costa is what students love to do in their spare time. I added a pug in my top right corner of free festival tickets because this will catch the eye of my target audience and make them want to buy the magazine simply for the pug. I chose the name “student escape” this is because students work a lot and will have a lot of work to do. Therefore when they are looking for a magazine they want a fun enjoying one for them to escape from their work. Also from my research I learnt students like to be addressed in the title, so I made sure the word student was in the headline somewhere. I used a San-serif font so it was simple to read and gave off a fun enjoyable vibe.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 I created my magazine in a style which would appeal to my target audience. My target audience was students so from the ages of 16-24, this is a good easy  target audience for me because I am a student therefore If I make the magazine appeal to myself I have then made my magazine appeal to its audience. I took into consideration my target audience research and feedback. I learnt what students wanted from my peers and my research into student magazines. I found out how they want a simple layout and informal text both which is what I did. I kept the central image simple and used a photo of a guy in costa because that’s what students do when they have a break and escape from work. The image also links into masthead name because it’s a student escaping from work.  The research and feedback from students said that because students don’t have a lot of money because there in full time education so no time to work they would not be able to pay a lot of money, because of this I kept the price down to 50p which was a price that my student focus group agreed they’d pay for it. I had a niche market over all because it was just aimed at students. But in the student world it was a mass market magazine because I aimed it to appeal to every student out there and have something for someone’s interest in it, both female and male.

What kind of Media institution might distribute your media product and why?

My magazine could be sold in local shops around colleges and universities because it contain useful information about student life which is relevant for student living away from home doing full time education. So it best to locate the magazine in shops where they will buy their food and drink from. Also my magazine isn't too expensive so student will be more than happy to pay that much for the magazine so will appeal to them. My magazine would appeal to any student who wants to escape work and entertain themselves.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My magazine will appeal to all students’ ages from 16 to 24. I will appeal to people who are interested in fashion, make up, festivals, funny little articles about student life, information about student life, music and films. Therefore my magazine would appeal to a lot of different sort of students! My colour scheme pink and blue and the content in my magazine make the magazine appeal to both female and male.  My magazine has a mass market target audience in the student population.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my target audience by using a simple and basic layout so it was easy to understand because from my research I have learnt that students want a simple design that’s not too busy. My colour scheme is pink and blue. This attracts my target audience in two ways, first way is how it shows that my magazine is both for female s hence the pink, and also for males hence the blue. Another thing about the colour scheme is how the colours are bright and gives a bright, bubbly and entertaining feel to the magazine, my research has taught me that students magazine have to be bright and look entertaining for them to read. These two colours are consistent throughout because students want to read a professional grown up magazine.  I used suitable pugs and puffs on my magazine front cover this is because my student magazine research says that pugs/puffs are a key aspect to bringing a student to buy your magazine. Students love festivals and fashion and would buy a magazine defiantly if there was a slight chance of getting either free. The main thing on my front page which will attract students is the central image, apparently student are attracted to a magazine if a student is the central image. But instead of just putting just a student as my central image I put a student with a Costa cup, this was so it attracts students in two ways. With the student on the front which is what they say catches there eye, and also something students love which is Costa so this will catch their eye as well. Another thing my research taught me was how students love the magazine to talk to them, I did this by using student in my masthead so straight away students will see this and catch their eye that the magazine is defiantly for them. My mode of address is very informal which is what my research said best attracts students. I have used chatty and friendly text and fonts. Also I have made the magazine seem like its talking directly to the student reading it. Direct talk is a key aspect to what will attract the audience.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

To create my magazine I used the program indesign.  Indesign was a completely new program to me, at first I found it very confusing and different to other program I have used like publisher and word etc. Although when I got to understand Indesign I found it a really effective program. I stated to use different layers to add separate images and text boxes so I can move delete and add new layer underneath or on top of the current one I have know.  Also how I can hide certain layer so I can focus in on one element of my magazine at a time. The only thing I found difficult was inserting and placing images and also remembering to insert a new layer every time I do something else.  Learning all this and the practice on this software will be very helpful when creating my music magazine.