Final Product

Magazine Webpage

Final Conclusions including looking at my final image and fonts

When looking at my final decisions and what led me to make them I had to rely strongly on intincts as a Teenager myself whilst, at the same time, listening to my focus group and the opinions they had to share. Most of my final product was constructed with the main focus in mind, to create a product that would stand out from the current market and challenge the stereotype of school magazines, this meant that my final choices were thought through strategically and made because of reasons that would help to fulfill my aim.

This thought process included looking at main image variations and how colour and contrast can help create a tone and message, how font face and colour can also help to create a tone for a magazine and lastly how langauge can help substantially in the creation of a tone for your magazine. My first task was to look at my final image and make a choice about the colour variations and composition features, I didn't put this to my focus group as I relied on instincts and also I wanted to make a more creative decision in terms of what I wanted to achieve and the direction I wanted to take the look of my magazine.

My thought processes were as follows:

This being the original image, i felt that the red in the dress should stand out a lot more to make the colour more prominent in the picture as well as making the black of her hair

darker, to do this I knew I would have to edit the contrast of the image and change the variations of colour within the image. My final thought was that the image

itself needed cropping as in order to make the girl more central and her facial expression more apparent. In terms of style i wanted the front image to look very colourful and enticing to students and I felt that to do this, editing the sharpness and contrast of the original image would be essential.

My second attempt at producing a final main image was more successful in regards to sharpening the colours and making the contrasts stand out a lot more. I also cropped the image to make the girl more central and the focus point. By increasing the colour contrasts it makes the image appear more vibrant linking to my

target audience their lifestyles. Although I like this image I still feel that the contrasts needs to be more noticeable so I feel it would be poignant to adjust the exposure,

gamma correction and offset of the image. My third and final attempt lead to the image below. I love the final look and the vibrancy of the colours, as-well as the contrast of colours.

I achieved this by altering what I initially thought would need changing and I feel that the final image fulfills my aim and reflects the way in which my demographic view life.

The second thing that I felt was important to make a decision based on careful thought processes was the font face and the font that would be used as the Masthead of my magazine. This decision I left to my focus group as I felt that their decision would be most appropriate and reflect what my audience would like to see on the front page, which is ultimately the most important point. I gave them a choice between 3 fonts, listed below.

The first being a font called vrts relaxing blaze, my focus group collective felt that although this font would be good for products trageted at my demographic, due to the fact that the font look as it it had been 'doodled', but would not be appropriate for a magazine masthead because of its messyness. However I do think you should try and include a font that looks as if someone has scribbled the writting down on paper as this will link back to your target audience and school life, as many associate doodles and pointless scribbling to be related to teenagers. Taking this into account I decided to look for something that tried to follow the help I was given but still be bold enough to use as my masthead.

The second font I decided to look at was called Mia's Scribblings, I personally really liked this font but once again the same response was coming back from my focus group, although they did feel that it would be best used as font for the rest of my magazine because of teh fact it looks like handwritting and scribbles.

The third font I put to my focus group was called Sketch Rockwell and this ended up being the font I used for my masthead and main title font. The reasons being that my focus group felt that the font was appropriately styled and gave off the right connotations to my audience and also still being bold enough to stand out on the front page and make a statement. After taking all of their comments into account I believed that what they expressed to me made perfect sense and their chosen font would be most appropraite to grace the new front cover.

Initial conclusions

From all of the research I have gathered about school magazines and the way that they target their demographics I have drawn together some general conclusions about the design of my magazine and the content that is to be included. This is going to come in the form of flat plans that I will put to my focus group and make the necessary conclusions from that. When looking at my title options and taking into consideration my focus groups opinions I am going to call my magazine KNow as I feel that Aidee and Raees had very valid points about the connotations behind the title and what it would represent to my audience. In terms of content, I have solely relied on my questionnaire results to determine the final decisions as I felt that this would be the best way to appeal to my audience by giving them what they want. Taking this into consideration I have chosen to include content on the following: 

 

-Big School events and trips

-Weekend Buzz

-University news and updates (incl. open days)

-Agony aunt (tips and advice)

-Debate page

-Your shout

-How to pages (Wright the perfect personal statement)

-TV talk

-Book revise

-Film review

-Music review

-Sport review

-Latest gadgets

-Exam guides

-Social Activities

-Horoscopes

-Games

-Competitions 

In regards to the magazine itself I have chosen to look at creating both an online and hand out version of the magazine as although the majority of my audience use the internet on a daily basis some may not have access to this facility and by having an only online version of my magazine I would alienate a section of my audience. Following the guidelines of the brief, I am going to include a mid shot image of a 6th form student on the title page but paying close attention to how I represent this image and the way in which I edit my final image as this will affect the way in which 6th formers view my magazine. However, I really want to challenge the stereotype of school magazines and will look to aim my layout and structure in the same format as commonly read general magazines between my target audiences.  I will achieve this by looking closely at font, colours, representations, language and layout.

It important to me that I manage to achieve what I set out to achieve and I strongly feel that in order to do this I need to focus on really understanding my audience. As a 6th form student myself and from the research I have collected my conclusions about 6th form students in general are that they require brands and products that 'stand out' from the conventions of everyday life. They demand information and stories that will play on their fantasies and obscurities. They like to feel that they aren't being patronised and respected as an audience, but most importantly they demand that their content be designed around their needs and demands as a student and teenager and not be 'bothered' by the information that has little or no impact in their lives or daily routines. 

Research Findings. 

From my research I have found that the main conventions employed by the magazine industry revolve around the concepts of Language and Audience, which are very closely linked together. Magazines rely very closely on the representations and stereotypes within societies to 'sell' their ideas and key features, which are constructed by the media itself and previous products produced by institutions. One could perhaps make the conclusion that the media manipulate and control the thoughts and opinions of the public and in that respect control the way that the world perceives individuals and social groups, which in reality is a very scary thought. 

Title Ideas for school magazine

So I can make an educated decision based on the title of my school magazine I have put some ideas to my focus group. Through the questionnaires i handed out some participants gave some ideas about what they believe to be a good title for a school magazine and so these are the titles I have decided to put to my focus group. 

Title Ideas: 

Hot Topic

KNow ( Knowledge Now)

"Taking into consideration the demographic of your brand I am going to say that KNow is perhaps a more appropriate title for your magazine as it ties in with the school theme 

and its also catchy and memorable, a really important feature for teenage readers.  Even though I like Hot Topic I think its a little to stereotypical of a gossip magazine."

"In all honesty I am going to have to agree with Aidee, as I also believe that KNow is a better title for a school magazine aimed at 6th form students. I also think that the breakup of the Knowledge and Now is really clever and is appropriate for a school based magazine."

" I disagree with both Raees and Aidee, as I feel that 6th form students are more likely to read a magazine that has a title linked to images of gossip as this is what most teenagers talk about. It would be an easy way to relate to and target your exact audience."

Collated results for 6th for school magazine

I have gone on to look at the results I gathered from my questionnaire and collate them in pie charts so I could come to some conclusions about how to design my magazine and what to include in terms of content that will appeal to my audience. Click on the link below to view the results as an HTML document. 

Collated results

Questionnaire for 6th form students

As for any new product release you need to be able to understand the demands of your audience as this has significant implications on how you design and structure the marketing and finished product. Perhaps the most efficient way to do this is to construct a questionnaire that enables you to quickly gain insight into your audience on mass. Due to the fact that my target audience spends a lot of free time surfing the internet I have decided to make my questionnaire an online questionnaire so this way my brand can become more interactive with its audience and relate to their needs as a generation. By having an online questionnaire it has enabled me to make my questionnaire more stylised and appealing to my audience in order to make them feel more inclined to fill out the questionnaire and lay strong foundations for my product. Below I have listed the question asked in the questionnaire and explained why certain questions were asked.

1) How often do you buy magazines in general?

Everyday

More than once a week

sometimes

When I have the money

Other (please state)

This question was asked so i could determine the general market for magazines for my target audience and the competition I will be facing from leading brands. Also I would be able to understand whether to make my magazine weekly, monthly, quarterly or otherwise.

2) What is more important to you as a consumer?

Price

Content

Images

Layout

Representations of people

This question is really important as it will enable me to determine which area to focus my attentions most as this is what is most important to my audience.

3) Do you currently buy or read any type of school magazine? if yes please state

This question was just to see whether there is a market for my product out there and what competition I would face

4) Do you partake in any hobbies or events outside of school?

Sport

Music

Drama

Recreational

Other (please state)

I asked this question so I could have some idea as to what to include in the magazine in terms of content and related articles.

5) What are you main concerns about 6th form life?

University applications

Juggling work and social activities

Exams

Peer Pressure

Other

This question is directly related to my content focus as my magazine in targeted at 6th form students I can get a grasp on the sort of content to cover in my magazine and the issues that they face in everyday life.

6) Would you prefer to read an online version or a handout?

Online

Handout

Both

This was asked to enable me to make the decision about which way I should distribute my product and brand in general. From my research i discovered that most school magazines are available as a download from the school website and this is something I would definitely explore in more detail with a more interactive magazine that will appeal to the audience demands as well as being ecologically better

7) What would you prefer to see as the focus of the magazine?

School life

Social activities

Up and coming events/music/gigs/ news

Again this question relates to content and focus of content, as well as questions 4,9,10,11 and 12.

8) Do you think it is important to have a definitive theme for the magazine?

Yes

No

This question relates to the layout of the magazine and the general tone of the magazine. I wanted to see if my audience felt it was important to have a theme throughout the magazine and whether this would affect their consumption of my brand.

9) Would you read the magazine if you knew it was solely about school itself?

Yes

No

10) Would you like the magazine to have news about University open days?

Yes

No

11) How would you catergorise your interests?

Music

Sport

Fashion

Studying

Television

Other (please state)

12) Would you be interested in having tips and advice inside the magazine?

Yes

No

Website Ideas

Another idea I had in mind for making my magazine and brand unique was to design a website that could be accessed by the students alone, allowing them to build a better relationship with my magazine as well as having something outside of the school that they could relate to and write articles for. Looking at some research I conducted into whether or not this idea would work, I have discovered that websites solely dedicated to school magazines are very rare with most magazines getting some sort of mention on a page of the main school site, with a download option available. A website completely dedicated to allowing students access to an interactive version of the magazine has never been done before and this is what I plan to do.

I put forward this idea to my focus group:

Aidee: I think this is a great Idea as it gives people more access to the magazine as well as allowing opportunities to include interactive competitions and creating a more personal feel between readers and the designers.

Raees: I really like the idea of the magazine webpage, and I think that it would be something to consider if you were to try and get sponsors and competition opportunities.

Will: I like the idea but you will have to monitor what is said on the webpage as teachers and parents could gain access and read inappropriate bulletins and blogs.

If I am to design a webpage for my magazine I want it to be completly unique and designed in such a way that it looks as if it was hand drawn to tie in with the school theme. I think it would be important to pay close attention to colour, layout and content as this is what makes a successful website so appealing to audiences.

Reader profile for preliminary task

From the study I looked at in my audience profile I established a mood board of topics and activities that i felt my target audience for my school magazine would be interested in. I found out that many teenagers are more interested the friendship and social aspects of school than the learning side. I am going to conduct a questionnaire to see if this generalisation is true and closely look at the conclusions i can draw to help me in my creative thought processes and what my target audience will demand more of in my magazine. I have tried to be consistent in my colour scheme as I want to try and incorporate these colours into my final brand as I feel they look vibrant and emit a positive, relaxed, and friendly emotion.

My brand readers will have an enthusiastic stance to learning and enjoying all of the aspects of school life. They will participate in social events and enjoy social activities outside of school that influence their daily decisions and future choices. They will have a keen interest in a wide range of current affairs, be it globally, locally or otherwise. Be up to date in the latest trends and 'fads' to hit the youth scene whilst at the same time be very head strong, independent, educated individuals who aspire to do the best they can do. Social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook will play a major role in the way that communication is structured and events are planned. Friends play a very important part in the lives of my audience and are there for support, guidance and advice. TV plays an extremely important part in their lifestyle choices and laying the foundations for their own opinions and social stereotypes, as well as other forms of media text's and productions. Films, music and sport help to catergorise the social conventions in everyday life and help my audience to decided which 'side of the line' they wish to stan.

Focus Group

Seeing as my target audience for both my preliminary and Main tasks are the same I have decided to use the same focus group for both tasks. My focus group will consist of 4 people all aged between 16 and 19 but they will each have different qualities and opinions that they will bring to the table depending on their social group and cultural beliefs. By doing this it will allow me to get a varied opinion on how my product is doing as a whole and whether it will be 'attractive' to a wide range of people.

Aiden Hince

Aiden Hince, also known as Aidee, is a sixth form student currently attending Southend high School For boys. She is interested in psychology and how people act the way they do to specific situations which will be really helpful in my product construction as she can give me a more educated opinion on audience demands. She is also a keen horse-rider and loves socialising with friends, she also understands the pressures in school with peer pressure as she is taking sociology at A lever, i feel this will be incredibly useful to myself as i can get a greater understanding about pressure and stress on teenagers, as well as being a teenager myself.I also respect her opinion as she is a great friend.

Raees Mahmood

Raees Mahmood is also a 6th form student at SHSB but it in his last year. He is studying english language and i believe this will be of use to me when i come to ask his opinions as he can take a more analytical approach to my product. He has a love for sports and all things social. He regularly attends small music gigs and so has a cultural grasp on what teenagers expect, this will be useful.

William Wright

William Wright is an old friend of mine who has just gone off to university to study history. I used Will in a previous focus group and I found his opinions and thoughts really helpful to my creative process, so I have chosen to include him again this time around.I feel that his different social network will allow me to get a varied opinion on my br

and as a whole.

Teenagers

For my preliminary task  I intend to create a product that will be targeted towards students aged between 16 and 19 in higher full time education, however I intend to look at in more detail individual reader profiles as this may differ depending on social groups and individual prefference. In a study taken by the health communiction unit they believed that teens are evolving as human beings emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Yet, each generation has their own set of characteristics, which are a result of the events and environment of that cohort's teen years. Teens are highly segmented demographically and psychographically, but they are more accurately segmented by their behaviour than by their attitudes according to this study. Teens are savvy consumers and their limited funds are precious to them. The items teens buy reflect what they think of themselves and how they wish others to perceive them.
For girls, apparel is the most important product category consuming the greatest proportion of
their disposable income and their greatest parent-campaigning efforts. (Zollo, 1995, 1999)
After fashion, girls spend the most on personal-grooming items, however the only item to override this is fun, much of the youth income is spent in its pursuit. This shows that teens are gaining independance socially and financially which puts higher demands on publishers and manufacturers.
"Teens are characterized by contradictions. They want to carve out their own identity, yet they
want to belong to a group."
Social activities include shopping, sports events, concerts, movie theaters, video arcades, theme
parks, teen clubs, and promotions linked to activities and interests.
Teens like the social aspects of school best: friends, boy/girlfriends, extracurricular, free periods,
recess, lunch, and learning.
"Teens are skeptical by nature. They demand truth in advertising, with 65% of teens stating that honestly is truly the best policy."

9 times out of 10 if a teenager feels that they are being patronized or wrongly represented they will reject a product or advert.

80% of teens say they have access to a computer at home. (Bibby, 2001)
Teens spend over one hour a day on the computer. (Bibby, 2001)
In 2001, 99% of teens used the Internet. (Environics Research Group, 2001)
79% of teens access the Internet at home. (Environics Research Group, 2001)
71% of teens use the Internet to access information. (Willms & Corbett, 2003)
32% of teens use the internet to find school-related materials. (Willms & Corbett, 2003)
60% of teens use the Internet to communicate electronically. (Willms & Corbett, 2003)
27% of teens report using email daily. (Bibby, 2001)
47% of teens use the internet to play games. (Willms & Corbett, 2003)
Significantly, more boys then girls play video games. (Zollo, 1999)
69% of boys and 26% of girls report that they play video/computer games daily to weekly.
(Bibby, 2001)

In terms of music
86% of teens say that they listen to music daily. (Bibby, 2001)
Music is probably the most influential and pervasive medium. It can define a teen's experience
and it is culturally significant to teens. (Zollo, 1999)
53% of teens see music as influencing their lives a great deal or quite a bit. (Bibby, 2001)

After friends, magazines are where teen girls find the most information about trends.
Boys use magazines for information and entertainment.
Teens view ads different that adults. To teens, ads are more than product information. To teens,
advertising is popular culture. - credited to the health communication unit. Toronto.

How do Magazines target audiences?

In order to gain a greater understanding about the conventions used in magazine publishing and the reasons behind why certain techniques have been employed, I decided to look at 2 magazines that show a complete contrast so I could understand how different magazines target different audiences. To get the biggest contrast I have chosen to look at GQ and Nuts, two well known mens magazines.

From face value it is quite clear to audiences that these two magazines are aimed at the male market with the choice of focus as images of women semi naked but the similarities stop there. If we look at GQ as a magazine first of all, it is published by one the worlds best known publishers, conde Nast, with Nuts being published by IPC media. Conde Nast holds the publishng rights to other magazines such as Vogue, Tatler, and Vanity Fair, to name a few, with circulations reaching well into to the 100 thousands. This automatically puts GQ into a different publishing league, so to speak, as traditional readers of magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair are likened to the more well do to families and socialties, so therefore GQ would match, in status, the likes of Vogue in the very male orrientated professional business world.

IPC, on the other hand, publish magazines that are very working class in their connotations and representation within society with examples such as Look, NME and Marie Claire, which means that the magazines themselves are targeted at two completely diferent markets. Due to the publisher and the image that they continue to uphold, GQ has been marketed to attract a professional, business audience who aspire to do well and live comfortably, an audience who are intersted in politics, business and culture, which can be seen on the cover of GQ itself with highlighted key contents that is to be covered in the magazine. In complete contrast, Nuts was to be targeted towards a younger, more 'laddy' audience, where the cover images tease it's audience with unrealistic fanatsies. Now I understand this in a larger context I am going to look at how these two magazines have been edited and styled in a way to attract these two completey different audeinces.

In referrence to Language and the techniques that the magazines employ, this media convention is perhaps the most important part to product success.

The images on both covers are relatively similar in there structure and focus, with both photos showing famous womem, semi-naked, covering a part of their body. GQ has used subtle lighting tones and 'warm' accents and tones to emphasise an idea of seduction and subtlely puts forward connotations of sex. It does this by cleverly using lighting and shadow to outline her figure which makes the image seem more sensual and dreamlike. This would appeal to men as it plays on their own fantasies and represents the women on the front of the cover as a 'dream like' being and one they wished to know. This is also emphasised in the use of the white sheet as this symbolises and connotates images of innocence and perhaps almost angelic qualities. If we look at Nuts, the contrast in the use of colour between the magazines is clearly evident as Nuts has used very Bold, bright and ' in your face' colours to make the magazine stand apart from the rest, making the image of the women sharper and 'harsher' on the page. Whereas GQ use lighting and tone to present an idea, Nuts has used stereotypes to appeal to men as the women on the cover is posed in way that would suggest to men that she is more free willing than most and is perhaps the type of women that the 'average joe' would be able to abtain. In contrast to GQ where the women is seen to be an almost unobtainable dream and one that draws by appealing to your fantasies. Whereas the image used on the cover of Nuts doesn't rely on tone or lighting to convey an image but instead, derocative stereotypes and social generalisations of typeography, for example the Blonde Bimbo. I found it interesting that the women on the cover of Nuts is seen to be wearing Black, which connotates a 'sexier' side of seduction and shattered innocence, which is in complete opposition to the white used in GQ.

Going back to GQ, the magazine has linked all of the colours on the cover with one central tone and emotion, which blends together to create the sensual feeling that is trying to be portrayed whereas Nuts has used quite contrasting colours, and bold colours, with the red, yellow and orange, which unlike GQ, make the undertone and message of the cover representations less subtle. The sharpe hars lines of the words and images have no real hint towards seduction like GQ but instead hint at a more brash and direct approach to sex as a topic. These differences are fundemanetal to the way the different target audiences have been targeted. In regards to the rest of the cover GQ has lsited features that are to be covered in the magazine such as politics, the economy and culture which is suggestive of a professional, high powered lifestyle that has ambitious men leading the front of the pack as these topics will be of interest to them in their lives and daily routines, whereas the ordinary working class 'folk' will not neccessarily be interested in the latest high Tech equipment or the latest politics. The magazine has used very clean cut, understated type face as not to distract from the overal representation, in contrast to Nuts which solely features quite upfront features about sex and relative stories, for example there is a give away for 2 life size posters of semi-naked women, again lacking subtlety. Words such as strips, topless and naughty also hint at a bolder approach to sexuality, whereas GQ solely relies on the cover image and connotations to present it's messages.

I also realised whilst conducting my research that Nuts pays similar resemblance to Heat magazine, which can be very closely compared in terms of target audience the only difference being gender. They are similar in both structure, layout and overal representations. GQ, as a magazine could perhaps be compared to the likes of Voque in its approach to subtlety and standard of presentations. When looking at the presentation of the magazines, GQ has been set out in a way that looks neat, with bolder colours and text when needed, whereas to look at, Nuts is messy and seemingly unstructured in layout with an abundance of content on the front cover. This can be linked back to audience expectations as a professional audience would not want there magazine to look cheap and messy as this ditracts from audience representation. It would be fair to say that GQ looks expensive and Nuts, in comparion looks trassy and cheap, in the colours, structure and representation of women as a sexual object.

If we ditract from the magazine covers and look at the advertisements used in the magazines, there is real definition between the target audiences, with the likes of GQ advertising designer brands and high end expensive fashions, technology and cars. This is all linked to money and the representations within that. Nuts, on the other hand, holds advertisements for computer games and sport ware, relative to a working class audience who couldn't afford the sorts of products being advertised in GQ as opposed to the professional city workers.

When looking at the industry of magazines themselves, almost every magazine has its own website that ties in with the theme and content of the magazine covers. This allows audiences more interaction with the magazines and builds a brand identity with the audience and the magazine. Having a website for a magazine is especially relevant in todays media world as print media has taken on a new life online and has become very interactive with its audiences. 

 After really taking a close look at the technique that these two magazines have employed I now understand the importance of knowing your audience and their expectations within the media community. I think i would be really beneficial to my final product to conduct market research into my chosen target audience so i can understand what they want and expect in a school magazine. 

Analysis of school magazine covers

For my research I have looked at a selection of school magazine covers in order to gain a wider grasp on my market and the concepts that they employ to reach their goals. The first product I have looked at appears at first instance very simplistic in style. Block colour has been used as a backing for

the product which would suggest to us as an audience that this colour is linked to the school in some way, perhaps that school colour. In regards to the layout the cover has been structured in a way that would indicate professionalism and academia, with a very positive stance on the pictures that have been use. This suggests to me that this magazine was m

eant for prospective students and parents, presenting the school in a way that will look appealing and attractive. The images used also indicate a school that is inspired by team work and a modern way of education as 2 of the main images show a group of students together participating in activities and the image of the young girl at the computer would suggest the more modern, technical side of teaching and education, which can also be appealing to parents. By using these images it could also be evidence of what is to be included in the magazine with reference to school activities and achievements. All of the images used were constructed in way to make it clear who the target audience was and demonstrate the values of the school and how they want their students to come across. This is also reflected in the simplistic nature of the layout, as a more stylistic magazine cover gives connotations of an artistic setting rather than a academic one. This is all linked to representation and audience, 2 major concepts when referring to media texts. The 'language' of this magazine is also vital to its overall image as the use of hard, cool colours is suggestive of a more academic natured school in contrast to more energetic colours such as greens, pinks and yellows which is indicative of a more laid back approach to learning.

The second cover i analysed for my research is from the Loyolite School and is their most recent magazine publication. This magazine appears more stylised in terms of graphics than the previous cover which would suggest that this magazine is aimed at a younger audience, perhaps the students. The way that the cover has been constructed is reminiscent of a scrapbook which has connotations of youth culture and the usage of lined paper as a background is suggesting an educational image. This cover is completely different in terms of representation and language to the previous cover as the images that have been used are neither positive or negative and show no real evidence of students at all in contrast to the previous. by doing this audiences have no real indication as to what will be inside the magazine. As an audience, we can get from this cover that this school is perhaps more artistic and creative in their schooling system as the scrapbook approach is very suggestive of this, it also suggests that the students themselves may have been involved in making the cover in contrast to the previous as this cover appears very youthful in its represen

tation and layout. As a concept, i like the ideas behind this magazine cover but I would perhaps look at developing the ideas a bit further as i feel that is doesn't really do its job properly in indicating to audiences what is being represented in this

magazine, however it is very successful in distinguishing its target audience.

This magazine cover is very similar to the first cover I looked at, in terms of style and layout. The colours that have been used are indicative of an academic persona just like the first cover as the colours emit a certain tone and setting. The images that have been used are also representing a school that comes together and has success in a lot of areas as well as emphasising the team work side of schooling, again just like the first cover. The layout of this cover differs slighty with the images being in different places but all in all the cover still allows itrs audience to get a clear picture of what the school is all about and the stance that they take towards education. This magazine cover in particular, makes it very clear as to who the target audience by the colours used and the overal structure of the layout, just like the first cover this magazine has been designed with the intent of showing it to prospective parents to show the school in a way that would make it appealing and attractive. Some would say that this sort of magazine is a form of propaganda for the school itself as school life itself does not always center around just the academic side of things that this magazine suggests, in contrast to the seconf cover which hints at a slightly more relaxed view on school culture. I personally really like this front cover, I like the colours that have been used and I feel that it is exactly the type of magazine that would appeal to parents, so in that respect it does it's job, which, after all, is the purpose for any media publication.

As with all magazine covers and publications the written language on the cover is also important as it can be evidence of specific target audiences and the representation that the magazine wishes to put towards its readers and audience. in regards to the three covers i have looked at the writing on the covers has all been very in-personal and formal with only the name of the school being mentioned, which signifies that their target audiences have all been of an older generation and audience expectations would demand formal and informative writing. Depending your target audience your magazine cover would vary dramatically in terms of written communication as younger audiences would demand and expect certain colloquialisms and communication between magazine and audience in complete contrast to the older audiences.

After looking at three different magazine covers I have learnt that the most important aspect to consider when designing and planning your ideas is the tone and image you want to represent to your target audience as this will be key to the success of your product. The most important part is the audience and if your product does not convey the specific aspects that would lend itself to certain audiences then your product will not be accepted into your target groups. I have also realised from my research that a lot of the school magazines out there today are targeted towards adults and parents, I aim to create a magazine that is targeted towards 6th form students themselves and challenge the market of school magazines.