Pre-Photoshopped Images

Rough Cut Feedback

Front Cover

Good

• Image
• Colour scheme
• Layout
• Range of font sizes

Could be improved

• 'Volume' should be in a more interesting font?
• Variety of font sizes in weird places eg. "20 BEST TRACKS AND ALBUMS...."?
• Looks more like a fashion magazine?
• "LADY GAGA" blends in with the sea?
• Improve barcode?

I will use these suggestions to improve my front cover however I would like to keep 'Volume' in a simple font but I will find a font that has a bit of an edge to it. Also the music magazines that I am using as inspiration almost look fashion like so I will keep my layout the same.

Contents Page

Good

• Image
• Colour scheme
• Different fonts
• Creative initial layout

Could be improved

• Needs to be finished with the other images and text!
• The text needs to stand out from the rocks in the background.
• Not keen on the handwriting font?
• Floating girl in the sky?
• Is 'CONTENTS' too small, in the wrong font or in the wrong place?
• Do music magazines have a whole fashion section?
• Needs page number etc at bottom of page.

I think this was the weakest of my rough cuts as it wasn't as finished as the others. I will take all the advice onboard and improve all of things that was suggested, however in my existing magazines research I found that some music magazines do have a whole fashion section. This was confirmed to be important when I asked my target market what they would like to read and so I will keep the fashion section in.

Double Page Spread

Good

• Image
• Layout
• Colour scheme
• Quote
• Font

Could be improved

• Make "KATY PERRY" bigger and move the quote closer together and lower down? This will make it easier to see when printed out.
• Need to finish article.
• Check grammar and make sure words aren't split up on to different lines?
• Try and get the question and answer in the same column?
• The dots are quite random?
• Needs page number etc at bottom of page.

I will improve all of these things on my double page spread.

Diary Entry #8: Week Beginning 21st March

finish rough drafts

Rough Cuts

Diary Entry #7: Week Beginning 14th March

started rough drafts

Diary Entry #6: Week Beginning 7th March

photo planning, drafts, photos, editing photos

Hand Drawn Drafts

Photo Planning Table

(Click for larger image)

Diary Entry #5: Week Beginning 28th February

results, initial ideas

Initial Ideas Brainstorm

After carrying out market research I created a brainstorm to record all of the ideas I am going to include in my magazine.

(Click image for a larger version)

Questionnaire Results

I printed out 20 copies of my questionnaire and handed all of them out to my target market (they were all females, aged 17 or 18). Before asking them to participate I asked if they read music magazines and what genre of music they prefer. These completed questionnaires are by those who read music magazines and enjoy pop/mainstream music. I will use the results to help design my magazine. The results are as follows...

1. In a music magazine, what type of articles/features do you like to read? (Can pick more than one)

Results (percentage out of 20 people): Interviews - 85%, Lists - 65%, Guides - 65%, Fashion - 14%, Reviews - 50%, Quizzes - 50%, Letters - 30%, Other - 5%

This question was designed to help me decide which articles/features I should include on my contents page. From my existing music magazine analyses, I noticed a trend of interviews, lists and fashion. When I asked my target market they seemed to agree that they would read magazines with these in. Concert guides were also a popular subject. One person chose 'other' and said they would like to see "anything to do with [their] favourite band". In my contents page I will include all of the above subjects (so there is variety in articles/features), however include more of the more popular ones (interviews, lists, guides, fashion).

2. Which artists would you like to see feature? (Can pick more than one)

Results (percentage out of 20 people): Rihanna - 70%, Katy Perry - 65%, Lady GaGa - 55%, Beyoncé - 55%, Cheryl Cole - 50%, Jessie J - 45%, Ellie Goulding - 45%, Pink - 45%, Bruno Mars - 40%, Black Eyed Peas - 40%, Ke$ha - 35%, Taylor Swift - 35%, Pixie Lott - 35%, Glee - 35%, Adele - 35%, Olly Murs - 30%, Miley Cyrus - 25%, Britney Spears - 25%, Eminem - 25%, Kanye West - 25%, Taio Cruz - 25%, Justin Bieber - 15%, Willow Smith - 15%, Nicki Minaj - 15%, Eliza Doolittle - 15%, Alexis Jordan - 10%, Diana Vickers - 5%, Chris Brown - 5%, Chipmunk - 0%

(Graph shows amount of times each artists was picked, not percentage)

This question was also to help me in the contents page: to help me decide which artists to include in my magazine. I decided to name which musicians my target market could chose from because there are so many bands/artists out there that it would make the responses too varied if I hadn't. Being a member of the target market anyway, I could create a long list of the kind of artists that would appear in my kind of magazine. The wide variety of this list keeps my options open for models I could use.

My research shows that female, solo artists are most popular in my target market. (Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Cheryl Cole, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding and Pink were most popular). I think I could use anyone who got 35% or over on my list to feature in my magazine but I will try to use the most popular artists depending on who I can find to photograph that looks like them.

3. And which would you like to see on the front cover? (Pick one)

Results: Rihanna - 20%, Glee - 15%, Adele - 15%, Katy Perry - 10%, Beyoncé - 10%, Eminem - 10%, Lady GaGa - 5%, Ellie Goulding - 5%, Nicki Minaj - 5%, Justin Bieber - 5% (rest of the musicians got 0%)

(Graph shows amount of times each artists was picked, not percentage)

From the previous question I noticed that Rihanna appeals to biggest percentage and from this question I can see that a fifth would like to see her on the cover. This would make Rihanna the perfect cover image: appealing to the fifth of my target audience that would chose this magazine because they are big fans and also the 70% that would just be interested in reading about her. However I don't have any models that look anything like Rihanna and my magazine needs to look as professional as possible. Katy Perry would be the second best as she has the second highest in question two and is fourth highest in question three. Glee and Adele were voted for more to be on the front cover, but this only shows that their fans are more passionate. If they were on the front cover, the 15% that are big fans would pick it up, but only 35% of the audience would be interested in them at all.

4. What is the thing that makes you buy one music magazine over another?

Results: Image - 30%, Headlines - 50%, Articles - 20%, Price - 0%, Name - 0%, Other - 0%

A successful magazine needs to stand out over the others and this question was to show me how that would be achieved with my target market. This response shows that female teenagers don't decide on which magazine they are buying by price and they don't buy the same magazine every week. Instead  they look at the headlines on the front cover. This means I will have to make the headlines clear and concise, drawing attention to them with different fonts and sizes. I will also have to make sure the best articles/features are plugged on the front cover and use fun language. The image on the front cover is also a big factor so I will have to make sure that it is clear, interesting and of an artist that will appeal to my audience. Question 2 and 3 will help me with this. The articles are another main factor for my target market and question 1 is designed to help me with that.

5. Do you prefer an ‘image dominated contents page’ or a ‘blocky contents page’?

Results: 'Image dominated' - 60%, 'Blocky' - 40%

This graph shows that an 'image dominated' contents page is more popular however not by much. I plan to use aspects from both layouts so that it appeals to all of my target audience. On all of the image dominated contents pages I have seen, there has only been one image and no smaller ones. However my target audience like seeing other images of what else is in the magazine. I think that one main, central image which also allows room for smaller ones will be effective on my contents.

6. Which colour scheme do you prefer?

Results: Black, white and one other colour - 40%, Black and white - 0%, Cold - 0%, Warm - 30%, Earthy - 5%, Girly - 10%, Pastel - 15%, Primary - 0%

The highest result in this question is black, white and one other colour. The second highest option is a warm colour scheme. The obvious solution to this is to use a warm colour as the extra colour to go with black and white. However realisticily if this doesn't fit in with the image I will have to use a different colour. To create a sense of unity throughout the front cover, I will take a colour from the image and use this as the extra colour. I will use the same colour scheme throughout the whole magazine so that it is easy to tell that all of the pages belong to the same magazine.

7. Which of these names for a pop/mainstream music magazine do you prefer?

Results: Volume - 60%, Tickled Pink - 10%, Pink Noise - 30%

I wanted to use a name that has girly connotations to fit in with my target market. Volume was the most popular option and this was also my favourite. I think this name will be the most effective as the word volume applies to music and will grab the audience's attention as it has 'loud' connotations. It also applies to the girly aspect as it can be associated with hair. This name will look effective on the front cover but also smaller on the corner of pages.

8. In an interview with an artist do you prefer one long continuous text or questions and answers?

Results: Continuous text - 20%, Q and A's - 80%

This question was designed to help me with the layout of my text on the double page spread. This was the result that I would expect as I think people my age prefer reading things in digestable chunks. My interview will be in a question and answer format and will be split into three columns to make it even clearer. I will also use quotes that will stand out from the text and will be in a bigger font. All of these things will make the text easier to read and will make audience more keen to read it.

9. How much would you be prepared to pay for a music magazine?

Results: £1 - £1.99 - 15%, £2 - £2.99 - 60%, £3 - £3.99 - 25%, £4 + - 0%

I want my magazine to be as believable as possible which means getting details correct. The price is always shown on the front cover and I need to use a price that will appeal to my target market. Seeing as I am aiming for teenagers price will be an issue but £2 - £2.99 will be affordable.