Evaluation- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt from the progression from it to the full product?

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

http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/265611/What-I-have-learnt-during-the-production-of-my-music-magazine/#vars!date=2014-02-04_11:50:10!

Above is the timeline of learning the progression of technologies. On the timeline click More, then Find out more to be directed to my skills development. Looking overall at my timeline I can see that I have picked up and developed a wide range of skills throughout the course and the use of online facilities have become a lot more proficient and efficient. As I progressed through the course I become more accustomed to the new technologies making my work be presented in new and fluent ways. In conclusion not only have I become more design efficient but I have become a lot more aware of different ways to use technology to create and present information. Before I would've just written a simple blog post but now I would probably use software such as Prezi or Issuu.

Evaluation- How did you attract/address your audience?

Learning how to use Tiki-Toki Timeline Software

To present an overall change and progression of my work I placed it within a timeline through using Tiki-Toki timeline software. This allows me to see an overall of all my work.

Evaluation- Who would be the audience for your media product?

Looking at my previous audience profiles I feel that I have established a good understanding of my audience but I have brought to life new audience profiles that would summarise my typical reader in a lot more detail than drawings on paper. I feel that my audience has developed along with the magazine and that although I portrayed their statistics such as going to school or liking music I felt these lacked personalities.

Below is a tumblr page for my typical female reader. I put this on a social networking site to convey her social interaction and called it 'pour me one for the road' as it is a lyric from her favourite alternative band the Arctic Monkeys.
http://pour-me-one-forthe-road.tumblr.com/

Below is a video expressing the interests of my typical male reader.

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

Learning How to use SoundCloud

To speak directly to my audience and add more emotion and interaction I have learnt and developed an understanding of how to present my work personally to someone over a computer screen.

Evaluation- How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?

Final Front Cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread

Here I also added a Converse and H&M advert as these were the top brands from my values, attitudes and lifestyles survey, these are also the type of brands that were place on the audience profiles. I feel that my front cover, contents page, and double page spread is complete to the standard I would want it and being attractive enough for my audience. After rectifying little details I now feel that my design is ready to be published and distributed.

Here I also added a Converse and H&M advert as these were the top brands from my values, attitudes and lifestyles survey, these are also the type of brands I would imagine that my audience would purchase.

Progression of Double Page Spread

Here is the progression of drafts to my final piece.

Progression of Contents Page

Here is my progression of contents pages until the final piece.

Progression of Front Cover

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

 

Final Draft of Double Page Spread

Here I have made the majority of the changes to. I started off by reducing the size of the page numbers as they seemed too big and distracting, so now they do the job while being isolated and not distracting away from the design. I changed my italic font so it was normal to assist the readers in being able to fluently read the article as this prevented a fluent reading pattern. I also changed "the music owns me" pull quote as I felt that it looked odd and stood out too much due to it having a different layout to the others so I changed it to another quote which was similar in layout. I finally spell checked the overall article to add to this professionalism and to assist the readers to understand what was being said.

Final Draft of Contents Page

Here I have understood and enhanced the points made on the online focus group. I have changed the Poppy Scarlet image to a similar one as I felt I needed a more relaxed and less composed snapshot to portray and attract the reader the honesty of the article. I also increased the size of the venues image so the content is more clear. I also added a couple of changes such as the writing on the pick to enhance the similarity between this and the front cover one, and removing the distracting thick black box that encased the social network links to ensure that they were less 'in your face', I also added a pull quote to the Poppy Scarlet article to heighten the attraction to this article.  

Final Draft of Front Cover

After looking at my online focus group I have concluded that this design is attractive to my target market due to the lack of suggestions or complaints. Although I have heightened the opacity of the image underneath the cover lines to ensure that they are more prominent and aligned my cover lines equally to raise the professionalism. I also changed my cover line from 'Chances to Win' to just 'Win' as by including 'Chances to' this implies a negative attitude and possibility of not winning whereas the simple use of 'Win' reflects the positivity onto the viewer, thus increasing the chance of a purchase.

Online Focus Group

I held an online focus group to improve what appeared to be my final drafts to ensure that my magazine would be attractive to my audience and if they felt that anything should be changed. The main points were:

• " I LOVE the pull quotes on the double page, and your house style flows SO nicely. I feel like everything is a little squished, but thats your style of magazine so thats fine, and the simpler dps balances that out too."
• "For the venues image why not make the content bigger and move it across in the frame?"
• (Contents Page) "The Poppy Scarlet image is a bit, goofy! Is there a similar one you could use instead? I do like the continuation of the fonts/colours however"
• (Double Page Spread) "Page number/other info at bottom of page appear too big and bold. Nice use of drop cap although text looks very italic"
•  (Double Page Spread) "I like how image goes across both pages" 

I will work on these points and then decide whether I like them and then rectify if there are any problems but after this I will hopefully be able to complete these knowing full well my audience will be satisfied and attracted to the product.

Third Contents Page Draft

Here I have created a less busy or 'in your face' page which although looks more fluent it doesn't represent or reflect the genre I am representing. This less busy effect is created through the addition of white space. I have also added an app as due to making my Poppy Scarlet image smaller, to make it seem less out of focus, there was a considerable amount of white space left and I had already decided the articles I decided to create an app after looking at the research which suggested the majority had a smart phone and were social, this would suit my audience as I did conclude that I should use cross media convergence to keep current with my audience due to magazines becoming less and less popular as demonstrated in the lack of interest during my research. I defined the busker more by moving and enlarging the image so he takes up the majority of the image and is the subject without looking pixelated and losing the professional tone. I changed the captions to grey which I feel has also worked and made the columns of information convey themselves as less broken. The final major change to my contents page was the positioning of the social networking, as I felt that it was slightly isolated away and I think that as the research conveyed that social networking was the centre of the majority of my audiences lives this needed to reflect that, and I also placed a pick behind the 'Win' article to draw more attention and to also connect it to the similar cover line on the front cover.

Fifth Draft of Front Cover

Here I have added another cover line to ensure that I am using my space efficiently and making sure I really sell my magazine to the viewer through implying the high amount of content and conveying another story that would attract my target demographic and psychographic. I also lightened the opacity but I feel that this could be altered more to ensure the cover lines are prominent and eye catching enough to be seen. I also moved Scarlet into the middle so she is totally on the body which I think is an alteration I should keep due to the professional tone that it creates.

Second Double Page Spread Draft

For my second double page spread I added more text to ensure that my double page spread met one of the 'four needs' of entertainment and inform. I also added tags to allow my reader to interact with the magazine. Therefore allowing them to become an active audience rather than passive, also looking back at my survey one of my conclusions was that my psychographic was social and used sites such as Facebook or Twitter, so by adding '#' I automatically invite my audience to do what they do the most whilst promoting Amplify as a magazine.

 

Second Draft of Contents Page

Here is my altered contents page which now follows my new colour scheme. I changed the red to pink and changed the main image. I feel that the main image is slightly out of focus so I will probably change this to another one that's in focus but suggests a more relaxed tone which is to suggest that the article is honest. I kept the word 'win' in red to draw attention to this area and to persuade the reader to turn this page. This 'buzz' word will suggest positivity so when a viewer is looking at the contents considering to buy it they will see the only red writing which will draw their eye and possibly persuade them to purchase the magazine. I feel that I should bring 'tickets' and 'merch', I used merch as it has a more colloquial sound that will appeal to my demographic, in so the column is more defined and prominent therefore suggesting uniform and convention which Poppy Scarlet is breaking thus reinforcing her rebellious attitude. I will also need to bring in the image of the busker to also define the column here, I zoomed out of this image due to it being fairly pixelated. I will consider changing the tone of the captions to a grey as planned before as  the black looks extremely compact and makes it look incredibly busy which although represents the alternative genre also reduces the fluency of the page.

Forth Draft of Front Cover

Here is my fourth draft of my front cover where I have updated the colour scheme to just pink, black and white so there is no clash anymore. I also abandoned the lines around 'unplugged' as I felt this distracted a lot away from the word itself therefore not making it as clear and concise as it could. I also enlarged the word and moved the barcode up so it can be easily read from afar and by making it the biggest part out of the cover lines it suggests that the artist is bold, big and brash so through the typography I portray the artist's traits while partly still implying that the article is 'top secret' thus almost conveying that the article is exclusive. The shade of pink isn't exactly the same as the hair colour on purpose due me not wanting the colour scheme to 'fight' as it was before therefore allowing colours not to clash but for information to still be conveyed easily. I also moved 'Poppy Scarlet' to the centre to balance out the whole front cover but I feel that I should place 'Scarlet' totally in front of my model as I feel that it would look more fluent and professional as 'Scarlet' is slightly off her body and it mostly looks like it's meant to be within her body. I could improve this by making the cover lines white so they are more prominent as I feel that they fade into the transparent images or I could raise the opacity of the images so there is more white within them therefore heightening the contrast between the cover lines and the background thus making them more defined and easier to read.

Third Draft of Front Cover

Here I have changed my front cover based on the points risen by my focus group. Here are the points I have addressed in this draft which were raised by the focus group:

 

• My focus group didn't understand why I had chosen a different shade of red to the house style so when I explained that I wanted to create the sense of the 'confidential' stamp to imply that the article was exclusive to Amplify they said that I should improve by actually recreating the stamp outline as well so that this point is more clear. I added this line but I feel that this distracts away from the word and increases the busy ambience on my front cover although now it is fully implied that this article is 'top secret' and for the readers eyes only.
• My focus group agreed when I asked them about the continuity of my magazine as I had followed a house style in the front cover and contents page but this was almost abandoned on the double page spread. They said to improve this that I should remove the photos with my artist with brown hair and replace with the images with pink yet keep the two transparent images to create a sense of variety within the images. When I asked whether they liked the main cover image they sad they like it and it was unique. Although through changing the main image the red now clashes with the pink meaning that I will have to decide what colour to go with. Pink has very feminine connotations but suggests dangerous and unique as this colour is often widely avoided in other media products such as the album covers or the music magazines I analysed at the start. Most of these products contained red as it appeals to most genders of their demographic as well as it represents the alternative genre as dangerous due to the connotations red carries but I feel that pink is unique and 'out there' which I feel represents the genre more accurately than red. My focus group also raised that they didn't recognise that my artist was holding an amp lead and mostly recognised it as a liquorish lace, this adapted their meaning so instead of redoing a photo shoot with my artist holding an amp lead I kept to a pain and simple mid shot of the artist looking straight into the camera which conveys attitude and individuality whilst maintaining a connection with the viewer.
• To keep within this new 'mixed' colour scheme there was a high use of red so to balance this out I coloured the skyline pink to match her hair, I really like this part but dislike the two clashing colours, this reinforces that I will need to decide and finalise a colour scheme.
• I asked my focus group to look at the masthead which they said they liked but to improve they commented to move the month of the issue and the price to somewhere that couldn't be seen as easily as they felt it distracted from the design, so I moved it next to the barcode on the right hand side so when on the newsstand this wouldn't easily be seen. They also noticed at the different font of the £ sign so I changed the whole of this font, but I still feel that this doesn't fit in so in another draft I will have to find another solution.
• When asking my focus group whether they would buy the magazine they said yes but a point was raised that I should include a competition. So I decided to give my readers a chance to win mostly tickets as within my research the majority said they wanted to go but found that something was stopping them such as money issues. I used a buzz word for this and made 'win' in the biggest font to catch the viewers eye, I placed it in a guitar pick which connects to the alternative genre and used red to in the font to draw the viewers eyes to this area. I think I should remove the 'chances to' as this raises the possibility that there is a chance the viewer won't win but if I just use the word 'win' there is more of a positive implication that there is a high chance the viewer will win and therefore purchase the magazine.
• My focus group looked at the cover lines and said they felt that overall it was too busy so I removed the top one, I do agree with my focus group and feel that it is less compacted but cover lines are extremely important in persuading the viewer to purchase so by removing one there is an implication that there is less within the magazine. I also changed my cover lines to black as my focus group commented that when I have it as the same colour as something within in the house style of that stands out on the image they felt that they would 'fight' to be seen whereas now with black there is a clear defined cover line that can be easily seen and separated from other parts of the magazine.

Main Points from my Focus Group

Here are some photos from my focus group. All were within my demographic of 16-18 and there was a mixture of males and females but they were predominantly female which means that next time if I want more accurate results from both sides of my demographic then I will need to get a balance of males to females. In total there were eight people who attended the focus group.

Points raised about my front cover:

• Not understanding the different shade of red to the house style for 'Unplugged', after I explained that I was trying to imply a top secret or confidential stamp they understood but explained the I should make this more obvious by including the lines around it.
• Too busy cover lines which take up too much space on the left(third) but when I explained that it is meant to represent the genre they agreed yet still felt that this should be reduced.
• The cover lines colours fight with the motif on the artist's shirt which distracts away from the cover lines and makes them almost blend together.
• Enjoyed my main image with the two transparent leaning across but asked what was in her mouth therefore implicating that it isn't obvious to what my artist is biting as my group originally thought that it was a liquorish lace.
• The month and price detract from the headline and I should move it near the barcode. The £ sign is in a different font and looks unprofessional so should be changed to a totally different font.
• The focus group added that the cover lines were interesting but also felt that to persuade them more to buy the issue that there should be an opportunity to win on the cover to draw more people to become consumers.

Points raised about my contents page:

• It's very busy but then matches the front cover and follows the same style.
• Liked how all the features were matched with an image.
• Preferred the grey background to the white on the front cover and felt that these should remain the same.
• Liked how all the articles in the magazine were listed closely.
• They didn't like how the Poppy Scarlet logo had changed from having being filled with white to now outlined with white.
• The busker image was pixelated
• The titles weren't aligned right on the features.
•  Couldn't recognise the CD's behind the 'Can we have some more CD's please?'

Points raised about my double page spread:

• Very different in style due to the artist now having pink hair. There is no continuity.
• Like the main caption and how they expect the last word to be an expletive but actually isn't.
• Dislikes the amount of text and feels that there could be more fitted in.
• Likes how spaced out and simple it is yet still linking back in style and organised chaos in the contents page and front cover.
• Likes the shade of pink and how it isn't girly and creates a more of a rebel independent female tone which is extremely motivational and inspiring. When I asked the males of the focus group whether they were put off with the pink they said no if it was based around that shade.

When talking about the sense of dramatic change I explained that I would go with either one or another and then asked which one to go for. The majority explained that they preferred the pink as it was more unique, individual and daring as the majority of magazines go with red as it pleases most genders, they said they expected pink to be used in women's magazines yet it works well within this genre. They also said that the pink hair was a 'statement' and portraying the individuality and 'loudness' of the artist so therefore I should use more of the images with my artist having pink hair to brown.

Double Page Spread First Draft

Here is my first draft of my double page spread. I kept the majority the same as my flat plan but I did change some parts. For example I got rid of the title going across both pages as it would go over my artists head but would also look really busy and harder to read due to it being obscured by the spine. I decided to use a pull quote as the title as it would convey that Poppy Scarlet is writing the article and this is her which makes the article personal and honest, thus removing any barriers the reader feels between an interview such as editors or record companies wanting her to be perceived in a certain way, by making the artist's words the title this takes away the feeling of the article being edited therefore being true to the artist. Here I changed the colour scheme from red to pink due to the change in hair colour which would clash with red, this is ignoring the house style which means that I will have to edit my front cover and contents page to fit in with my artist's new hair, I will have to be careful as I was following conventions by using red which is often used to represent the alternative genre but pink has very feminine connotations which could put off parts of my demographic so I will have to use pink in a very neutral way which won't be associated with just females but males and will also be conveyed as an alternative magazine. I also used red to portray her fiery personality but I will have to add another colour which wouldn't clash and wouldn't make the magazine too 'in your face' and busy. I feel that the tone of pink on my double page spread is perfect as it avoids the feminine connotations being paired with the black font but is also representing the alternative genre by not being the stereotypical red which would be safe and appealing to all genres. In InDesign all pull quotes appeared to be the same shade but after exporting some have appeared to be darker in tone, even the page number 18 looks darker than 17, this removes the style of continuity within my double page spread so this must be edited to bring back the feel of continuity. I decided to place my pull quotes in the same style as the main title to emphasise this sense of continuity and also to draw attention to them, I decided to place one in each column to convey that the interview was full of information that would achieve its purpose and fulfil the reader with all his/her questions. I placed them roughly in a diagonal line to mirror the artists pose and to create a feel of symmetry which will make the double page spread feel balanced. I decided on the quotes "the music owns me", "I felt boxed in" and "I am my own fan" as they can stand on their own while making sense and also draw the consumer in to read this article as they would want to know why Poppy Scarlet felt "boxed in" I also used the pull quotes to boost the artist's persona and confident traits to support the image. I feel that the interview is too short and I need to add more information by reducing the size from 10pt to 8pt or 8.5pt so the reader would receive more information and feel satisfied after completing, this will also bring together little parts of text that has been separated such as the bottom of the second column and top of the third where a few words have been pushed away from its main home. I will also try 4 columns to try and see whether that can accommodate more text. To separate the questions and answers I made the questions pink to assist the reader to know who is speaking but also to separate the text to make it not look so compact and like and essay but to draw the reader in to a fluent experience. I am also yet to spell check my interview which is paramount to achieve the sense of professionalism that I am aiming for. I decided on using this image as it creates a defined line which allows text to go over while allowing her face and the majority of her body to be seen. It isn't too busy or relaxed but still conveys an open and honest ambience which is needed to remove these barriers. I do need to change the width and height the image so at the black border it stops leaving the outside white, this will frame the article and define it thus creating a higher impact which will persuade the consumer to read this article where precise information will be revealed.

Learning How to Use InDesign

Above conveys me learning how to use InDesign and developing the basic knowledge of the software I already had. This means that the results will look a lot more professional and that I will be able to create different and interesting effects that will be memorable to the reader and flow fluently.

Album Cover

On my double page spread I will involve my artists new album. In my research I found that this was typical of a page and almost a convention. So I quickly designed a simple album cover.

I called it 'All  You Need to Know' as quite often musicians are asked very personal questions so this is the musicians response to this. The curvy sans serif font conveys a fluency but also creates a statement which can be connected to a signature which is often used to confirm information so the title is almost confirming that Scarlet is signing across her feelings. I covered her face to convey that this album is the artist and is all her emotions. I used the same font for Poppy Scarlet as the magazine to create the feel that this is her logo. I used a close up with her looking straight into the camera to create an honest tone and that this is everything she is, thus creating a personal connection between viewer/listener and artist. At some points the writing cannot be read as it blends into the image but this is the idea to convey that this is a part of the artist.

Possible Questions for my Interview

After reading artist interviews in articles I can now brainstorm possible questions I could use. Most of the interviews are based around a product and I want this feel but I would like to involve a personal tone as well.

1. How was recording your new album different from your last?
2. What's it like hearing your name over the microphone of the BRIT's?
3. What was the first song you ever learned on guitar?
4. Do you ever look back to that YouTube video with five views?
5. What was the meaning behind your new album 'All You Need to Know'?
6. What's the one thing you can't perform without?
7. What inspires your lyrics?
8. What is the most unusual thing a fan has ever done?
9. Did you grow up with music?
10. A summery of your story in five words

These are just ideas so when I get into a fluid writing style I will adjust these questions or add some to relax the tone and decrease the formal tone to appear more chatty as well as make it seem like nothing has been edited and Poppy Scarlet said all the words printed under her name.

Photo Selection

 

Here is my contact sheets where I have crossed off the images I won't be using. The majority are due to her looking away from the camera or moving but some images I tried and experimented but disliked the outcome. For example I tried having someone act as a 'stylist' to create the personal tone through 'behind the scenes' shots but I didn't feel this worked due to the type of shot and props. If I had prepared more then I would've known to do an over the shoulder shot of a stylist facing away doing mascara and the artist looking up with her mouth slightly open (which is how mascara is represented when applying). I would also use a gold reflector being held near the artist's face to create a warm ambience that would usually be created from normal lights in a studio. Other shots of my artist sitting down that were rejected were my attempts at capturing a natural pose that would be behind the scenes but these didn't have the desired effect and simply look like the artist is looking away but not having any interaction or conveying a sense of enjoyment. I then progressed and asked her to bring her legs in to create a more defined shape against the white screen, this contrast will emphasise the artist and therefore heighten the impact.  I then transferred to a more relaxed pose of sitting cross legged, I tried this more relaxed pose to create a more open and honest ambience but I feel that these didn't work as well as the 'N' shaped pose as there was a more of a defined shape which had a higher impact and a more professional tone. I then proceeded to do medium shots which I really liked as a connection could easily me made between the artist and the reader. I also liked the shot of my artist laughing and this was a natural shot that I might incorporate into my magazine as it conveys a softer side of my artist's personality which isn't often seen in magazines as usually there is only one personality shown but this extends my artist's traits and creates a feel that my audience is closer to the artist.

Second Photo Shoot Contact Sheet

As I planned I knew that I would have to perform a second photo shoot so therefore I took the same timing structure, location and lighting from before but this time I wouldn't use props to create a sense of variety. I asked my model to stick to conventions by wearing the typical artist attire of all black but to not wear a plain t-shirt and trousers as this is very conventional, instead I asked her to wear black dungarees with black tights and the same black creepers to ensure there was a link between the two but this isn't vital as her shoes cannot be seen in the first images. I also had to change the poses, for the double page spread I wanted to convey a very relaxed and open tone to create the honest ambience that I wanted my reader to experience so I asked my artist to sit down on the floor to appear toned down and to create an equal between the artist and reader. So I experimented with poses where her legs were crossed and holding herself up with her arms, although I wanted to avoid conveying my artist as too relaxed, such as lying down on her side, due to this contradicting the persona of the front cover image thus removing the tone of honesty away from my magazine. When I met my artist she had dyed her hair pink, I had not allowed or expected this change to happen so I went ahead with the planned shoot, although I did add some medium shots just in case that the variety was too much, but this might mean having to reshoot for different front cover and contents image if my focus group pick up on such a wide variety. Another option is that I could try and recreate the brown hair on Photoshop or vice versa. Another person was present at the shoot and I experimented with the fact of someone 'styling' the artist to give another sense of honesty through the 'behind the scenes' images but I felt that these didn't work so I feel I will probably leave it out. I also had to place weights on the white screen to prevent it from rolling back which can sometimes be visible but I will crop them out of the final piece.

Draft of Contents Page

Here is my draft of my contents page. I have kept to the house style with colour and font to form a sense of continuity between the front cover and contents page. I paced Poppy Scarlet who is my featured artist as the biggest part of the page as this is the leading article and one that the audience will probably have most interest in. I also decided to feature a quote from the article to entice the consumer to read this article. I used three different fonts within this pull quote. The main one being the font that is part of the house style but then I used a serif font in italics for 'Right' as these combined convey a style that has traditional connotations which matches the meaning of the word, then for 'Wrong' I used an eroded and damaged sans serif font to portray the damage that is associated with the word.  I decided to use a different photo to one from the front cover to create a sense of variety throughout. I placed her in the corner to allow articles to be able to be placed around efficiently. I then added three more images to balance the text and images to convey that there is more, but to also draw the viewers attention to these articles. The two images of the live concert and the busker I kept in a square as I feel that the image of Poppy Scarlet isn't very linear so to balance this out I would keep the images square, but also buy keeping them this shape it fills up empty space which is to convey the busy and chaotic side of the alternative genre. I also felt that by restricting the other parts of the contents page to their columns it implies the free and rebelled spirit of my artist that she is breaking the columns. I kept the use of red very minimal and used it mainly for the folios so these would stand out and assist the navigation of the magazine. The navigation of the magazine is important as it can affect the attitude towards it, if the consumer struggles then this will create a negative attitude which could push them to not buy the magazine again. I also changed the colours of type for the featured articles to highlight them and to make them more striking to the reader so they would look at these articles. I compact every other article into one column to make space for the images but I feel that these are too black and there is no way to differentiate between title and caption. I will change the colour of the caption to separate these, but I will keep to the house style. I won't use red as it will distract from the folios and make it harder to navigate, I will try white and experiment but I really don't want to distract from more important parts of the magazine. I placed the social interaction parts in the bottom right corner to allow them to stand out although I find that these are out of the way and could not be seen I really like how they fit in the bottom right corner and merge into the border so I will experiment with moving this into a more prominent box where they are more likely to be seen. I find the picture for the article 'Can we have some more CD's please' isn't very obvious or clear to what it is so could cause some confusion to the viewer. I will take a clearer image that will be more obvious and see whether that will bring any more improvements. I feel that this image doesn't conform to the house style of the linear squares although it is a straight lined shape, so if I take another image I will see whether I can stick to the square shape.

Hot Seating Feedback

For the hot seating exercise I presented this front cover 

The main points raised were:

What do you think of the colour of the cover lines and the overall colour scheme?

• "I like how the colours match the image colour but I don’t think the cover lines stand out as much as they could." 
• "I like how it all fits together. Thanks to the small colour scheme"
• "The colour of the cover lines are good they match the red in the t-shirt and on the lips. It goes well."
• "Black and red is simple and effective, but perhaps the blue of the jeans could be incorporated somehow? This would further aid the consistency of the magazine."
• "Make the reds the same but otherwise, I like it a lot."

What do you like about my front cover?

• "I like the opaque images behind the main image"
• "I like the opaque effect of  the front cover but I do think it’s a bit in your face."
• "I like the other low opacity images behind the main one."
• "It would definitely stand out on the shop floor. The busyness really suits the type of magazine"
• It isn’t my style of music but I know people who do like this genre and I could definitely see them buying this.

What don't you like about my front cover and how could I improve it?

• "Whilst it would stand out at a news stand and the colour/font use doesn’t really draw my eye to a particular cover line"
• "I don’t like the Poppy Scarlet font and I think it could be bigger"

Overall I gained positive feedback from hot seating but here is a list of points that I feel that I will need to address:

• Work on making my cover lines standing out. Feedback said that they liked the colour of my cover lines but they didn't stand out enough, I could work on this by looking at size and spacing to enhance the cover lines. It is vital I address this as the cover lines are one of the core things I will rely on to draw the viewer in to the content and to make them become a consumer. If the cover lines aren't being eye catching enough then it could affect the sales of my magazine.
• I could add one more colour to the scheme by adding blue but this contradicts other information of liking a simple colour scheme so I will have to experiment and decide or possibly hold another way to collect data such as another hot seating or possibly a focus group to see what they, my demographic, prefer. Another part of the colour scheme that seemed to bring comments is the different tone of red which implies that me trying to implicate a 'top secret' stamp wasn't received so therefore I will need to make it more obvious and add a line around it or change the colour altogether.
• There was also a point raised about the 'Poppy Scarlet' font being too small and them disliking it, although I can make type bigger I doubt I will change the font altogether as this was only one opinion and no one shared the  same, I understand that there will be a minority that will take a dislike to certain elements of my design so I should investigate whether there is a strong dislike to the typography or whether it is just a lone opinion.

Critical Evaluation of Second Draft of Front Cover

I have printed off my music magazine front cover draft so I can see problems that will need to be corrected. I think that overall my music magazine does convey the right information as it informs the viewer of the contents of the magazine without them having to pick it up. I think I could have improved the information conveyed by including a more well known band than Little Comets in the skyline as this artist isn't iconic for the alternative genre and is taking up space that could be more useful for a famous local of national artist which could draw in more viewers as they are more likely to be recognised. I quite like the style of my front cover but it could be altered by moving the cover lines more to the left as I was too paranoid that they'd be cut off that I placed them too far in which goes over my model in some occasions, them more towards the edge. When looking at the cover lines I can see that there is an issue with the colour with the font colour, I feel that it is too dark and is almost contending with the models t-shirt which conveys the front cover as too busy rather than sticking to simple and spaced out. The colour is also too dark which makes it harder for them to be read at a distance between the viewer and  the news stand this is paramount that I increase the tone of the colour so it can be easily read as the left third is the one of the very few parts that can convey the contents of the magazine. I also need to align the cover lines so they are parallel and some aren't further in than others, in my printed version I can see that I was too cautious in placing my cover lines and that I can move them back to add a more professional tone on my magazine and to make my publication look more fluent. I feel that the choice of font suits the magazine, I have used one particular font as part of the house style which matches the masthead and is clear and easy to read but then I have used more unique fonts for the Poppy Scarlet and Unplugged, I do this to draw attention to this article and to make my front cover less boring and more eye catching by using this font it adds to the personality of my artist, the 3D monochrome font has connotations of modern and contemporary which reflects upon the artist but with the Unplugged font it reflects upon the article itself. I used a raw and rough font which suggests stripped down and without any of the publicists restricting information therefore conveying that all of the article is Poppy Scarlet which will draw the viewer in due to this stripped back and informal interviews which are so uncommon in the music magazine industry, this informal attitude will allow the reader to relate on a personal level to the musician which was the overall aim for my publication. I also used this font in bright red to stick within the house style and it also produces a similar font to the famous 'Confidential' stamp this will imply to the viewer that this article is exclusive and 'for their eyes only' therefore drawing the viewing in to become a reader. To improve this effect I could make the font bigger to fill more space, this would draw attention therefore emphasising the exclusivity that my music magazine would be offering over others in the same market. Looking at my background I feel the tone is just right but my model is too dark, this affects the whole cover as it makes the fonts look too dark and don't stand out, it also effects the fluency making it obvious that the image had been edited on Photoshop therefore making it less like a professional publish, if I were to reduce the contrast between the image and the background then the professional feel would be raised therefore increasing the chance that the viewer would purchase the magazine. With my masthead I feel that it is quite clear and easily read due to the simple design but this could be improved if I extend the bottom line of the L as by having this part obscured the viewer of the magazine can get confused on whether it is an I or a L therefore making it less clear and harder to read, this is not the first impression I want to create for Amplify I want a nice fluent impression with no struggles to ensure that the viewer will be persuaded to become a reader. There is a slight obstruction with the model over the masthead but the masthead remains clear and easy to read. There is a barcode and I have placed it in the bottom right hand corner between the line and the edge of the page, this looked fine on the screen but after seeing it in print I see that it was too squished down and the numbers beneath are impossible to read this means I will have to find a new place for it that won't obstruct the cover yet be easy to read and scan. I placed the month underneath the masthead so it was clear and easy for the reader although it was slightly obstructed but this was fine as the month could still be made out while the magazine remains on the stand, so therefore
the viewer is instantly informed of the issue. There is a price but due to the font I used this meant that there was no pound sign for that font so I used one from another type, this looks unusual and I need to find a way to replace it as it ruins the fluency and professionalism of the cover. I didn't place an issue number on the cover as I felt that this would be irrelevant and by adding to the text it would distract away from the main image, cover lines, which is what is mainly relied on to sell the magazine and simplistic approach towards the design as if my magazine was too busy then it could confuse the viewer and put them off purchasing the published product. I think my cover appeals to my audience for many reasons. For example I have used modern font which is sans serif, this therefore complies to my contemporary fluent style which is what my demographic are stereotyped as having all the latest technology which are sleek and 21st century. I have also used depleted font to suggest a 'raw' interview which adds a personal tone therefore drawing in the viewer this naked tone is also suggested through the use of the colour bright red for the confidential stamps. I have kept to a house style which is seen on my cover as shades of red which are slightly darker than the usual this suggests alternative as usually the genre is quite dark but not so much to suggest a genre such as hard rock or as bright to be pop, alternative is the part between these genres. I feel I have appealed to my audience by using a young artist which can be related to and is likely to be well known within my demographic thus engaging them persuading them to purchase the published product. I have followed the conventions by using a large dominant masthead with short memorable title which instantly grabs the attention of an onlooker and ensures that they will remember the magazine long after they have left the newsagents. There is one whole main image with the artist in the centre with full eye contact with the camera so the observer feels a connection with the artist, she is large enough to take up the entire page while leaving space for the cover lines to be placed and read easily. I took advantage of the left third as this is the only place guaranteed to be viewed by a newsstand spectator although I avoided placing them anywhere else to prevent overcrowding the cover and complicating the design but I might try to involve other parts of the magazine in placing cover lines to take advantage of all my space. I have placed a date and barcode which assists the reader to whether the issue is the latest or whether they have read it yet. I have also subverted conventions to create a unique publish which will stand out and bring the individuality that is aimed through the music magazine, as promised in my press release. I didn't use bright clothing and colours within my magazine as this could infer the wrong genre as a more pop magazine rather than alternative so I kept to the more dulled down colours yet replaced this with a heavy use of black to gain attention from the observer at the newsstand yet I have stuck to conventions by keeping the same colours throughout rather than using a wide variety which could confuse the viewer on where to look but also ruin the professionalism and fluency of the product. I also haven't used thumbnails on the cover of other articles inside as although it is a well known fact that humans respond more to visuals rather than writing I feel that the pictures would create a busy atmosphere on the cover which could make the information inside unclear but I don't intend to totally neglect smaller images from my magazine as I plan to include them on my contents page which will bring a variation of platforms of portraying information while keeping the layout simple and sophisticated. I also didn't involve any competitions or free gifts through buzz words, I feel that although certain buzz words can ruin the fluency of a publication they can bring viewers in which is paramount so in my final draft I hope to include buzz words that don't affect the efficiency and simplicity of the magazine cover. The most obvious subversion of conventions is the way I have manipulated my artist into three different people, I did this to add an individuality to the magazine and to gain attention but also to fill up space as the artist on her own left the cover bare and empty whereas with the edited image a unique tone was fulfilled while removing any empty parts therefore increasing the professionalism of the draft. I think I have reached my design intentions apart from a few little attentions to detail, for example where the line meets the A on Amplify there is a slight alignment issue which can easily fixed but by reviewing my draft I can see that my design intentions weren't the best way forward and by adding buzzwords and cover lines I can create a more effective music magazine cover.

Second Draft of Front Cover

Here is the new and improved version of my cover image. I changed quite a lot from the original version. I first removed the motto from the skyline and replaced it with a bar with artists names in. I did this because I felt that I needed more artists on the cover and that the main area below the masthead was quite full. So I got rid of my motto 'Because Music isn't just for Listening' and replaced it with Arctic Monkeys, Little Comets and Bastille. Although I might remove Little Comets and replace with a more well known band. I put these artists names here so they would be easily seen on the newsstand and could possibly persuade a viewer to purchase the magazine, this would have more of a direct effect than a magazine motto. I also changed the font of 'Poppy Scarlet' and 'Unplugged' I did this to create more of an impact. I used a bold 3D font which has connotations of being modern to create Poppy Scarlet as being trendy and then I used a more raw and worn font for the unplugged so portray a stripped back version of the artist which is what my audience want. I used a different shade of red as I found the font to be very similar to the 'confidential' stamp, this implies that this article is for the viewers eyes only and exclusive to Amplify.

Front Cover Draft

Here is a draft of my front cover which I will take feedback from and then improve. I made the cover lines the same colour of the Bowie and Amp lead and also the cover lines stand out. I could improve this design by using another font for Poppy Scarlet Unplugged as this article will draw attention and it is quite often convention for another font to be used. I feel that the magazines slogan in the skyline is important but I feel that this space could be used more efficiently to persuade the viewer to buy the magazine so therefore I will change this to a list of three artists which will feature within the magazine. Looking back at my artist research I can see that the Arctic Monkeys are high profile so to put them on my front cover could draw in their wide fan base. I will also place the Little Comets on the skyline because of their tight fan base, the tight fan base means a high dedication towards the band so therefore they will buy the magazine but also this 'unknown' band will create a sense of mystery and intrigue which could encourage the viewer to pick up the magazine. I will also add Bastille due to their current high status in the charts which will mean the interest in them will be at its highest, thus meaning more people will pick up the magazine due to high interest. In between I will place the + icon due to its connotations of more and plus which will imply to the viewer that the magazine will provide lots of information and entertainment, thus the consumer will get their moneys worth. Looking at the cover lines I feel that there isn't enough variety and that they blend into each other and don't really stand out, to improve this I think that I will add variety by experimenting with colour, font and spacing which will hopefully spread these cover lines apart making them stand out more and also make them easier to read. I will also need to improve the alignment of the cover lines as they are not totally inline, this ruins the professional effect which is created through attention to detail.

PhotoShop Expiriments

Here I created 3 different layers and reduced the opacity on two so two would be translucent, therefore causing the other to stand out. I quite like this as it wouldn't be too distracting from the cover lines yet is unique and individual which will grab the attention of the viewer. I could improve the image by removing the shadow on the left by using the patch tool. I could also increase the opacity of the right figure to make it look more even. I will also improve the blemishes on the artist so it looks tidy and professional. I used the main image as it presents the artist as a rebel which is the whole image of the artist and will attract the fans. It also has the prop of the amp lead in easy view which emphasises on the article 'Unplugged' and makes the personal tone more clear. There is also an equal balance between left and right which adds to the professional tone of the magazine, yet the image also allows space for cover lines on the conventional left third and if the words were to overlap over onto the artist then this wouldn't be a problem as the image isn't too detailed of busy so therefore wouldn't make the cover line too hard to read.

Here I used numerous photos layered on top of each other that reduce in opacity the further they go so they draw attention to the centre. I changed the background from the grey paper drop screen to white, I dislike this as the contrast is too strong which makes it look unnatural and unprofessional. I feel that the use of lots of the same artist although looks unique and draws the eye is unsuitable to use on the cover of my magazine as it can be distracting and make it harder to read the cover lines. Also it distracts from the main artist which is one of the main reasons people would purchase the magazine. I won't be using this technique on my real front cover as it is too distracting and looks very unnatural and unprofessional. 

Here is a more simple approach to the cover image where I simply improved the portrait. I quite like this although it sticks to the conventions which wouldn't attract as much attention as it fits in with other magazines whereas I want to aim for something that stands out so there is a tone of interest and curiosity which will imprint upon the viewer and persuade them to pick up the magazine. There is room at the top of the image for a masthead and gaps at the side for cover lines. The model looks natural which is an image that I feel that would more suited on the double page spread although a natural pose would look more like the interview was a natural conversation with no editing from the publicist and that all the words in the article were the artists own. 

Overall I feel that the first image is the one I shall use as it subverts the stereotypical conventions of a front cover image. I will make a few adjustments to improve the image. I feel that the second image was too busy which would prevent the cover lines from standing out and the last image too conventional which would mean no one would remember it and the magazine would naturally blend in to the rest of the news stand which is what I want to avoid as I will rely on the ability for my magazine to stand out to draw the eye of the viewer to the published piece so they will read my cover lines then become a consumer and reader instead of a viewer of the news stand. 

Artist Development

 

Here I have developed Poppy Scarlet and explained the name choice, I have also brainstormed possible traits and personalities she would have so I can reflect it within my interview to create a sense of a real artist who often mostly convey their personalities through their words. It is important I capture these traits within my interview as my music magazine promises an intimate relationship between the artist and reader so I must ensure that the interview creates the feel of someone speaking without the need for fillers and hedges in her reply so therefore the reader feels that no speech has been edited of changed by Poppy Scarlet's manager.

Contact Sheet from Photo Shoot

Here is the contact sheet from my photo shoot. The majority of the shots are very similar as I knew what I wanted to produce on the cover of my magazine. I also experimented with lighting. I found that two lights on either side worked better as they produced less of a black shadow but reflected off my models glasses which could easily be removed using PhotoShop. I also got some of my model doing whatever she felt natural so then I would get some photos of the personality of the 'artist' so I could use these images on the contents page and the double page spread to portray that the interview will be 100% the artist and nothing reproduced this will make the reader feel closer to the artist and therefore remove the barrier of the magazine, this informal tone will make the reader feel closer to the artist which is an individual and unique selling point therefore making my magazine more likely to sell and more appealing to the audience. I also got my model to hold an amp lead this was to do with the title of the article 'unplugged' therefore implying that the article would be stripped down and away from all the publicity and be her views not her publicists, therefore attracting the audience to the magazine as what they will read will be 'true'. I made sure my model wore the same colour as the amp lead so then my magazine cover lines could also use this colour. The red would become my colour theme. At first my model wore the t-shirt over the shorts but this looked too inappropriate for my audience so I decided to have the tee-shirt tucked in. I also made my model wear an already established band t-shirt as this is quite fashionable among my target audience with them wearing t-shirts as Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac. By making the model wear similar clothes to the target audience it adds to the audience feeling that they are just like the artist therefore removing any barrier between the audience and increasing the personal tone.

Above is the contact sheet for the front cover I have crossed off all the images that I don't want to be used as they don't meet up to my expectations of what I want for my cover. Either the pose was too natural and more suitable for the contents page of the double page spread or I didn't feel that the pose worked. I will stick to the conventions of having my model looking directly into the camera but I will also look into Photoshop and experiment with different ways that could make my image catch the eye of a viewer and subvert the conventions of a typical cover image.

Improved Understanding of PhotoShop

Here conveys me learning how to edit and improve images to they are more clear and remain looking professional. I have removed moles, out of place hair and spots to also rise the fluent and professional tone. I have now learnt how to improve images on the software.

Photo Shoot Preperation

Apart from all clothing, all images are my own and magazines have been scanned in

 

Deciding on a Name for my Music Magazine

Article Brainstorm

After my research and survey I found that articles are vital in whether people buy the magazine so I will brainstorm articles to ensure I get it right. For my music magazine I would like to have more featured articles than regular as I feel that, like fashion, music changes and if I was to have common regular articles they would eventually become boring and outdated, although my magazine will still have regular features there will be a ratio of 1:2 so for every regular article I have there will be two features.

Regulars

1. PICK News - A summery of news around the area of that month.
2. youPICK - Alternative charts.
3. PICK Reviews - Reviews of albums, artists, gigs and singles.
4. PICK Fan Mail - Letters and other social goings on.
5. PICKme - Competitions for the tickets you need.

For my regular features the title will include the title of the magazine, this is so it is recognised to be special to the magazine and that these articles are regular for my magazine. The magazine title PICK is appropriate here as it can come across as a choice and that a certain part has been chosen.

Features

1. Return of the Vinyl - How to fit it in your pocket.
I did some research into music news and found out that the vinyl is coming back but usually this wouldn't suit my demographic as vinyl's were around before my audience were born yet they are coming back into trend with alternative artists like Arctic Monkeys releasing their songs onto the format people are buying more and more vinyl's. I then put 'How to fit it in your pocket' this refers to the way that the majority of people listen to music via devices they can fit in their pockets such as phones and iPods, from my earlier market research I found that the entire of my surveys said they own a device that can fit in their pocket so therefore an article that wouldn't be relevant to my demographic becomes relevant, it also refers to the size of the vinyl as something usually you wouldn't able to easily carry round the use of 'your' makes the article more personal and sounds like the article would directly benefit the reader so they can take advantage of this new trend.
2. intro: Little Comets - How they turned a bakery aisle into a stage.
Here I used intro this implies that this band is new or that the magazine is announcing a band that would interest the reader. The majority of people wouldn't know who the Little Comets are so the caption is 'how they turned a bakery into a stage' because this is a weird combination so therefore gives the reader a feel of curiosity therefore drawing them to the article even though they might not know the band.
3. It's not over until the comeback tour - Bands that need to give it a rest.
During my research I came across bands that had broken up but had reformed for a 'comeback' tour, so this article highlights that when a band finish it doesn't mean that they are finished for good. By looking at the title alone it could appear to be that PICK have backstage access to a comeback tour so I have given it a short and clear caption so the viewer will know the topic of the article.
4. Give it some Wellington Boots - Festival line-ups slowly being revealed right here.
While I was looking on music news websites to find inspiration for my articles I found that line ups for festivals are being revealed, e.g Latitude. In my audience research I found that there was a wide range of who went and who didn't and then in further research I found that there was an even wider range of reasons to why my audience did/didn't go from money to not having enough knowledge to feel that they could get there, this article will assist them on their problems therefore attracting the majority of the audience who go to festivals or who want to go but face numerous problems. I could make this assistance more clear in the caption as at face value it looks like this article is just giving the line ups, which it will be but it will also be giving extra assistance.
5. Ticket Stubs and Exfoliating Rubs - Bastille reveal their tour experience.
Here I decided to look at another alternative band, Bastille, which have recently come to Norwich on their tour, they have also been having chart success. By including Bastille it emphasises the top local artists that are here and also that this interview was especially for the local magazine rather than copied or available in other music magazines. By using a rhyming title it rolls off the readers tongue better and is also slightly strange which would heighten the interest of the reader making them want to read the article. The 'ticket stubs' is part of gigs so when the audience read this they will know that the article is related to live music and then the 'exfoliating rubs' is the part that gives the influence to backstage access as this kind of information is never easily available so therefore heightens the interest of the viewer. I could draw the readers attention in more by having Bastille in the title rather than the caption as a viewer would more likely see their name in the title and this viewer could be a fan of Bastille which could draw in a purchase.
6. We call the Arctic Monkeys - Why they are more AM than PM.
This article is another one based on an alternative band. The reason I used the language "call" is because they have recently released a single 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" and in the caption I used their album title 'AM' this implies to the reader that we talk to the Arctic Monkeys about their new releases and that the article and magazine is fairly up to date with the alternative genre.
7. School Talent Shows are Cool - How Lordes school talent show got her noticed by Universal
This article is another one that focuses on the artists. The new young Lordes has topped the charts worldwide and got noticed through a school talent show. Usually school talent shows carry connotations of being 'lame' or 'nerdy' but here I have involved an article that talks about talent shows which my demographic would still be in the age range of having. I used the language 'cool' as this also can carry negative connotations as 'nerdy' and trying to fit in, but by using a declarative sentence it portrays that PICK is setting the trend. I also put the record company Universal into the caption to provide evidence for the article, which will portray that this article is serious and worth reading. Again I could improve this title by including Lordes in the title to catch the eye of the reader.
8. Vampire Weekend get their raincoats on - How they swapped sunglasses for umbrellas.
Here is another article that focuses on artists on American alternative band Vampire Weekend who have recently performed in the local area of England. Therefore they have had to swap their attire from sunglasses, typical American weather of sunshine, to raincoats (the typical British weather). It also relates to their breakthrough song 'A-Punk' which also reminds the viewer of who they are if they are unfamiliar with the band.
9. The ugly face of the music industry - Simon Cowell what have you done?
This article isn't based on any artists but the music industry in the alternative genre. Quite often alternative music subverts conventions of the typical Simon Cowell product so here is a history lesson in the music industry and how it has evolved, it will also give tips for smaller artists as quite often there is a big jump from bedroom to stage, this will interest any musicians in my demographic, but this assistance I need to make clear in the title.
10. Baby it's cold outside - Songs so warm that you'll want a BBQ.
Due to edition being a January 2014 it means that generally the weather is fairly cold. The title relates to a famous Christmas song 'Baby It's Cold Outside' which is well known throughout society and will instantly recognise, Christmas relates to winter which reinforces the cold feeling. My caption then follows with opposite lexis in a different semantic field of summer with 'warm' and 'BBQ' which have more positive connotations than winter. Due to the portability of a magazine the way it can be read anywhere a reader can quite often be reading this outside maybe waiting for a bus as the majority of my audience probably won't be able to drive they will want a warm escape therefore drawing them towards this article.