Evaluation

Open publication - Free publishing - More evaluation

Final DPS (Original Images)

Final Contents (Original Images)

This is my final design for the contents page of 'Crunk'. Although it was not compulsory to have the contents as a DPS (double page spread) I decided it fitted in with my style of magazine. 'Crunk' includes a lot of elements that feature in life-style magazines, such as 'Cosmopolitan' and 'Instyle'. The layout is similar to music magazines such as 'Q' so my design has taken an indiviudal interpretation of both styles, hence the DPS contents. 

The house style cater's much more to the target audience (girls/women ages 16 - 24) due to the bold and bright fuschia pink used as the backing for each section; this alone emphasises the feminine aspects of the magazine.

The images used ae all original and have been developed using Adobe Photoshop. I have included captions on both images on page 1, both speech coming from the 'celebrity' in the image. This immediately creates a relationship with the audience, and also adds humour to the seriousness of the photos.

The mode of address suits the target audience well. The editor's section shows a friendly face talking in a friendly way and addressing the audience in a way that makes them feel as if even celebrities go through the same every day occurances that 'ordinary' people go through.

Final Front Cover (Original Images)

20.5cm W x 29cm H (size of regular music/lifestyle magazine)

This my final front cover. The pink wash behind the masthead completes the design and links all the features together.

The final masthead has altered slightly. The reason for this is that the previous design had the right amount of edge to symbolise the style of music but it did not suit is target audience as well as it could, hence the change to fuschia pink.

I have include a variety of codes and conventions within the text by using different styles of font and colour.

The features are all appropriate for the target audience because they are typically feminine.

Pre-lim - St Andrews Magazine Cover

Positive Features: 

The language and terminology used is perfect for the target audience of Year 11 Girls.
The name of the magazine works and the central image has positive structure due to the posture of the model and the fact that she has eye contact with the audience.
There is good use of codes and conventions alike to real media products.


Negative Features:
The masthead needs to be larger so that it appeals more to the audience and makes it more eye-catching.
The background needs to be stronger - the light blue is sickly and swallows the image (due to the blue shirt) preventing it from being bold; thus preventing reader engagement.
The image needs to bigger so that it covers the entire page.
Yellow is hard to read, make it stand out (with an outline, different colour, or make it bigger).
Lastly, vary the style of font more so that the cover is over all more eye-catching.

EXTENSION - Crunk Website

I created this website for Crunk magazine using Adobe Dreamweaver with CSS and HTML code. I entered a SPRY MENU BAR which includes a drop-down menu for particular tabs which would then lead to other pages. I have included links to a TWITTER page, FACEBOOK page and FLICKR page which have also been created for Crunk Music Magazine.

This would be to digitalise the brand of Crunk and use different platforms like a website, apps and social networking to cater to the information age that is my target audience.

Draft DPS

Image Development

Contents Page: 

The image on the left is the original photo taken and the image on the right is after editing. I have zoomed in on the image and cropped unnecessary sections of the backdrop. The image has also had brightened exposure and increased contrast. I have highlighted particular areas of the outfit to accent the figure (Adobe Photoshop).

Image Development

Contents Page:

On the left is the image as I took it, on the right is the image after editing. The image went through a lot of developing (using Adobe Photoshop). The end result has the appearance of an album cover, rather than just an image and the added effects to the exposure and contrast create tension within the style of music that my magazine features.

Images taken - Possible for use (Unedited)

Images Taken - Possible For Use (Unedited)

Draft Contents

This is the mock up of my contents page. The colour scheme has followed on from the front cover (the bold red) however, the colour scheme does not cater to the target audience in the best possible way. The layout of the text does not flow as the first page is cluttered and the second page has a large amount of empty space. The editors section does not fit in with the rest of the contents due to the colour scheme, and looks like it could be part of a completely different magazine. The house style needs to be increasingly feminine but still keeping that edge that the name 'Crunk' gives.

Draft Front Cover

The strongest feature of my draft front cover is the CDI (central dominant image). It suits the target audience as it is playful (i.e. the bubble gum and wide-eyed facial expression) which symbolises the female teenager.

The headline of Katy Perry perhaps should only have one quote rather than two as it reveals to much of the inside story and also means the first quote will stand out more.


It needs:

Website Address
Issue Number

Possible Masthead 3

This is the third design for the masthead of my magazine. The colour scheme has taken place and the layout fits together. The change of font made a different and emphasises the onomatopoeic word 'Crunk'.

Possible Masthead 2

This is  my second design for my masthead. The colour scheme is now taking place and making a statement about the magazine itself. However, I do not feel it looks particularly professional. It is very basic and there is still no flow within the design. The strapline is also difficult to read and if the text is going to be small, it needs to be clear.

Possible Masthead 1

This was my first idea for 'Crunk' magazine. After further development, this masthead is very poor. The seperation of the image and the text makes them appear as seperate features when they are supposed to be one. It gives the magazine an 'indie' vibe which does not work for the style of my magazine because it is based on chart music.

Mood Board for Music Magazine

This mood board is to depict what content my magazine will have, where I got my inspiration from and what type of target audience I will be catering for. Here it shows I will be featuring top hit type artists like Katy Perry and Jessie J (my magazine will contain original names).

It shows my target audience are females (16-24 as said before) who love fashion, beauty, gossip, and of course music.

Contents List for "Crunk" Music Magazine

My contents will be split into sections. These sections will be:

- "On The Cover"
- "Crunk's Regulars"
- "Speed Dial"
- "What's Crunking?"
- "Reviews"

On the cover will list the stories that have been displayed on the front cover of the magazine with a synopsis to give the audience a little more information, thus enticing them to visit those key pages.

Crunk's Regulars will not have any synposis because the audience will know they are always  featured so they do not need an explanation. These will be things like columns (i.e. "How to .. etc.), Top 100 charts in UK, download lists, playlist option etc.

Speed Dial will have the months updates from popular celebrites, including Twitter statuses, newly released albums, gigs and interviews.

What's Crunking? Will include all the latest gossip of popular artists that the audience may not know (such as an artist giving up singing, an artist going on tour etc.).

Reviews will again have no synposis because they will have their own section in every issue, and they will be reviews of different artists new songs that they have released.

Style of Magazine and Audience Profile

Style of Mag:
My magazine is to be music based and the main focus will be the UK Charts that make an appearance each month. It will reflect the traits of a stereotypical female and feature sexualised males and fashion tips from female artists. It will feature interviews from the popular artists (such as number 1 that month) and new stars that have recently been signed or "made".


Audience Profile:

A Condé Nast Media magazine aimed at ABC1 Women aged 16-24 who like a variety of alternate music (as the magazine features anything that is in the charts in that particular month).The women in this target audience are obsessed with celebrity gossip and the latest news on new artists, gigs and fashion. They are prolific shoppers and like to be up-to-date with the seasons trends - the artists opinions of fashion is especially important to them.

Survery Results

Question 1: What Type of Music do you listen to?
Most Popular Answer(s): Charts and Acoustic

Question 2: How often do you buy magazines?
Most Popular Answer(s): Monthly

Question 3: What is currently your most preferred magazine?
Most Popular Answer(s): NME, Cosmopolitan, The Fly

Why? Reasons Included -->
NME: Variety, alternative, focuses on music rather than general gossip
Cosmo: Interacts witht the audience and empathises with whatever situation they are going through. Has regular features but also has a variety of articles, headlining article is always random and ineresting, gives everything that a girl wants - fashion, men, health & beauty plus music & celebrity gossip.


Question 4: Name of Artist you would most aspire to be
Most Popular: Adele/Katy Perry/Lana Del Rey <----- ALL CHART MUSIC
Multiple reasons, most common was their own individual style.

Question 5: What is your favourite section of the magazine you purchase most often?
Most Popular Answer(s): Celebrity Gossip

Survey Testing Potential Content/Style and Look

Create a survey testing potential content/style and look of your magazine

1.       What type of music do you listen to?

Charts                   R&B/Rap              Metal                    Rock                      Acoustic               Other

If other, what?

2.       How often do you buy magazines?

Weekly                                 Monthly               Every 6 months                 Yearly                    Never

3.       What is your most preferred magazine currently?

Why?

4.       Name an artist you would most aspire to be.

Give Reasons for you choice.

5.       What is your favourite page in the magazine you purchase most often?

Fashion&Beauty     Interviews       Problems       Health     Celebrity Gossip   Celebrity Careers

Brain Storming Ideas for Magazine

• Chart music (variety of different styles featured)
• Elements of women's lifestyle magazine to cater to target audience of females aged 16 - 24
• Main Bold Colour (typical female: pink) contrasted with others (blues, greens etc) to reflect variety of music and artists.

Possible Magazine Names:

Alternate                      Chart That
Applause                      Only Chart
Years                         
Crunk

Possible Front Cover Features:

• Introducing new artist/number 1 on Charts
• Tour by band
• Losing weight articles (element of women's lifestyle)
• Music Awards gossip (Grammies?)
• celebrity relationships

Magazine MUSTS:

• Website
• price/barcode
• date and issue
• Strong strapline
• Buzz words

Deconstruction of "From The Editor"

Deconstruction of NME Masthead

The masthead of NME immediately sets the house style of the magazine. The bold colours of red, white and black compliment each other brilliantly for this particular genre of magazine. The colours are very specific and sharp and the double outline of the letters emphasises the crudeness of the letters. The playful font style and colour signifies the fact that the target audience is the younger generation of 15 - 19.

The sharpness of the masthead makes the magazine recognizable and memorable for the audience so they can then help the magazine be promoted. The specific colours, the specifc style and the specifc placement at the top left corner of the magazine is all NME's trademark - an identity - that no other magazine has.

Deconsruction of InStyle Masthead

The bright, striking fuschia pink colour of the masthead signifies the typical woman's lifestyle magazine - featuring fashion, beauty, health, celebrity gossip and men. The name InStyle is directly relevant to the magazine considering it is a fashion based magazine. The middle of the masthead is covered by a member of a girl band Girls Aloud. The fact that a section of the brand name is covered suggests the producers are confident in the popularity of the magazine in the sense that they know it is well-known and recognized; therefore, despite the fact the name cannot be fully seen, the audience will know exactly what magazine it is simply from the font and style of the masthead.

The house style is incredibly simple - pink and white - however effective. The pink gives the masthead a bold and eye-catching appearance but it is not too shocking. This is due to the juxtapostition of the colour white - symbolising a calm and rational woman. The two colours together work well in selling the product.

Cosmopolitan Contents Deconstruction

Kerrang! Contents Deconstruction

Q Contents Deconstruction

Cosmopolitan Deconstruction

Q Deconstruction

Kerrang! Deconstruction

Q Fact File

Whilst studying the alternate music based magazine Q it was harder to pin-point the exact genre of the magazine becuase it changes each month and every issue features a variety of different types. However, the target audience is easier to notice due to the layout of the magazine and the mode of address. The language used is eloquent but has a colloquial nauture to it. It illustrates the older generation being targeted because it includes adult humour - mature but comical. It invites the audience in by featuring artists and celebrities that the older generation are likely to know. The adverts are many such as make-up, Jack Daniels (Whiskey), Madonna/Ed Sheeran tickets - thus illustrating the fact they are targeted at not only both genders, but different genres of music and interests.  

Kerrang! Fact File

While studying the music based magazine Kerrang! I noticed how obvious the target audience of 14 - 17 (16 - 25) multi gender, rock genre music was. The front cover displays the rock band called Mastadon whose appearance illustrates the fact they are within the genre of rock/punk/emo. The masthead is presented in such a way that it suggests a 'punk' nature to the magazine. The strapline then also matches the theme of the target audience due to the use of bold, bright text and sharp colours that put together usually represent danger - again, emphasising the genre. The adverts are all linked to the same genre (console games that feature tattoos, violence, both that fit they stereotype of 'rockers').

IPC Media Research and Findings

Woman's Lifestyle:

Chat - Price 80p
Chat - It's Fate - £1.95
Essentials - Monthly - £2.70
InStyle - Monthly - £3.60
Look - Weekly - £1.60
Marie Claire - Monthly - £3.50
Now - Weekly - £1.40
Pick Me UP - Weekly - 70p
Woman - Weekly - 92p
Woman's Own - Weekly - 92p
Woman&home - Monthly - £3.60

Men's Lifestyle:

Nuts - Weekly - £1.70

Music & Entertainment (SPECIALIST/NICHE):

25 Beautiful Homes - 13 issues per year - £3.60
Amateur Gardening - Weekly - £1.90
Amateur Photographer - Weekly - £2.50
Angler's Male - Weekly - £1.70
Beautiful Kitchens - 10 issues per year - £3.99
Chat Passion - £1.85
Country Homes & Interiors - Monthly - £3.70
Country Life - Weekly - £3.20
Cycle Sport - Monthly - £4.10
Cycling Active - Monthly - £3.99
Cycling Weekly - Weekly - £3.99
Decanter - Monthly - £3.95
Boatbuilder - 6 issues per year - Subscription only
Eventing - Monthly - £3.95
Golf Monthly - Monthly - £4.10
Goodtoknow Recipes - Monthly - £2.20
Homes & Gardens - Monthly - £3.70
Horse - Monthly - £3.60
Horse + Hound - Weekly - £2.40
IBI - 7 issues per year - Subscription only
Ideal Home - Monthly - £3.20
Livingetc - Monthly - £3.70
Motor Boat and Yatching - Monthly - £4.50
Motor Boats - Monthly - £4.40
MBR - Monthly - £4.25
NME - Weekly - £2.30
Practical Boat Owner - Monthly - £4.10
Rugby World - Monthly - £4.00
Shooting Gazette - Monthly - £3.75
Shooting Times - Weekly - £2.20
Soaplife - Fortnightly - £1.60 (specialist but high circulation)
Sporting Gun - Monthly - £3.50
Style at Home - Monthly - £1.99
The Field - Monthly - £4.00
TV  & Satellite Week - Weekly - £1.30 (specialist but high circulation)
TV Easy - Weekly - 49p (specialist but high circulation)
TVTimes - Weekly - £1.10 (specialist but high circulation)
Uncut - Monthly - £4.50
VolksWorld - 13 issues per year - £4.20
What Digital Camera - Monthly - £3.99
What's on TV - Weekly  - 49p (specialist but high circulation)
World Soccer - Monthly - £3.80
Yatching - Monthly - £4.30
Yatching World - Monthly - £4.50

Most magazines published by IPC Media also have an online website that offers subsitutes to the magazine or extra.

IPC Media Timeline