The task was to make a school magazine for sixth form students. The task was really fun and i enjoyed using my Photoshop skills and learning new things throughout the task.
Below are my mock-ups for the preliminary task:
Below is my final piece for the preliminary task:
Evaluation
The preliminary task which I carried out was to make a school magazine for sixth form students. The project contained mini tasks such as:
-Mock up for the front cover and contents page
-Target audience profile
-Mission statement
-A finished, final piece for the front cover which is produced on Photoshop.
The preliminary task helps to improve my Adobe Photoshop skills and extend my knowledge of magazine conventions for the main coursework and also this task will help me highlight my areas of strengths and weaknesses too.
“6th Former” magazine is a new magazine so to attract the target audience I have not broken any codes or conventions as before the magazine starts challenging the conventions, it needs to have a strong bond with its readership. The magazine’s purpose was to provide enjoyment and helpful advice to the students. It is a magazine you can turn to for guidance and for a good laugh. The magazine believes balance is needed in the student’s life as A level can be a very difficult period. Below are examples of how some of the traditional codes and conventions have been followed within my magazine front cover:
The Date line and issue number are placed underneath the masthead, in a small font. The date line and issue number are important pieces of information but are not significant enough larger than a sell line.
The main sell line is in the left hand third as this is the area which the target audience will look at first. This is because in the western world we read from left to right.
The name “6th Former”, will relate to the readers as it will make them feel like there in an exclusive club; the magazine is only for their eyes. So this will immediately form a relationship between the magazine and the target audience. Also the target audience themselves are also sixth formers so this will enhance the bond between the reader and magazine; the magazine becomes friend-like.
The main image is of a student from the Douay Martyrs School, so the readers will see a friendly face when they pick up the magazine. The readers will be able to relate to the model as she too is a student who is experiencing the same things and is someone who has received well A level grades. She is liked by everyone and some people may aspire to be like her; this is why she is relevant to the target audience and will act as a lure. They do not feel as if there is a stranger on the front cover and they do not feel intimidated by her. To give the magazine a more informal quality, the model has a big smile and is holding her glasses playfully, this makes the readers feel welcome when the look at the front cover. Also the glasses link to the main sell line “Geek Chic.”
The main sell line “Geek Chic”, is all about turning boring business wear into the chic fashion styles which the target audience are interested in. This sell line will appeal to female readers as shopping and fashion is a great interest to them, it will also appeal to the male readers as many male teens as by being a teenager they too want to dress stylish so this article will be appealing to them. Also it ties in with a demand all sixth formers face, which is to look formal and maintain style.
The other sells lines on the left hand third are the “Clumsy common room” and “Useful UCAS tips.” These were place on this left hand side of the magazine as in the western world we read from left to right and our eyes immediately go to this side of the page. The readers will immediately see these sell lines and will be lured into reading the magazine. The most appealing sell lines, to the target audience, are placed in the most effective area on the front cover.
“Clumsy common room” relates to the target audience as it allows readers interactivity with the magazine. The funny images of people falling over, which are included in the article, are sent in by the readers themselves. Also seeing funny and embarrassing pictures of their peers will be a source of entertainment and boost their self-esteem and socialising on Maslow’s hierarchy as they can laugh and joke about the images with their friends. The fact these images were taken in the target audience’s common room will provide a sense of familiarity.
The students are now concentrating on their futures at university so the article “Useful UCAS tips” will be able to inform them on all the things they need to do to fill out their UCAS forms. This makes the magazine reliable and informative. The target audience can turn to it in times of struggle with the forms.
Another sell line is “Come On”, this sell line is solely aimed at the male target audience, and many of the male readers may be part of the football team themselves so reading about the school teams achievements will boost their self-esteem. The mode of address used in this article is colloquial as this is a phrase that males shout out in excitement whilst watching football with their friends. When the male readers read this sell line they will automatically feel as if they are being spoken to by a friend.
The magazine aims to inform the target audience but also to entertain the readers. The sell line “Mrs G” will be another source of entertainment. This article provides a ‘juicy’ interview with a different teacher each month and students can choose the questions which they want to be answered.
Following the codes and conventions of magazines, the front cover does not contain more than three main colours and only one font; this is so the magazine can maintain a sophisticated look. However a fourth colour is used on the puff to grab attention. Being an A level student is an advantage because I can relate to the target audience. This made it much easier for me to appeal to my target audience. As the target audience is both male and female I made sure to use colours that both genders can relate too. Blue is a masculine colour which can contrast with the feminine red to give an over neutral feel to the magazine, Also they are the main colours of The Douay Martyrs School. The puff is another way to lure in the readers. It advertises a free revision timetable which is something that the target audience will need to help them pass their exams. ‘Freebies’ are always appealing to the target audience and also creates a sense of receiving a gift as they unwrap the cover-wrap to reach the gift inside. The dateline also follows the conventions of magazines as it is placed underneath the masthead because it is not as important as the sell lines or images on the front cover.
A symbiotic link is created between the front cover and the contents page of “6th Former” magazine. There needs to be a continuation between the media texts to create brand identity so that the audience can feel a sense of familiarity. The same colour scheme is used throughout the two pieces and also the same font is used to help create the symbiotic links. Also the sell lines which featured on the front cover are also on the contents page which emphasises the symbiotic link.
Overall I think my final front cover piece and mock up for the contents page were completed to a good standard. The front cover appeals to my chosen target audience. I enjoyed making the mock up and it was a useful guide for me when it came to make the real product. Also by having a variety of different sell lines thought out it made the process of choosing the relevant ones much easier. I think that I chose the right sell lines for my magazine front cover and this is one of the things I think went well overall.
However I do think that there are many things which also could have been improved to give the front cover a more professional image. The size of the sell lines can be altered to give a less cluttered look. Also the smaller images on the front cover could have been blended in more to give a more sophisticated finish.
The improvements above are now things which I can focus on whilst producing my music magazine for the main tasks. I believe that this preliminary task has helped me develop my amateur Photoshop skills and I feel more confident using the software. I have also learnt that research and planning is vital for any task to be completed to a good standard. For the main task I will manage my time a lot more carefully and use my time wisely whilst research and planning.
“6th FORMER” is a new upcoming magazine which is aimed at the sixth formers at The Douay Martyrs School. It is a monthly school magazine because the target audience will not have enough time to read a weekly magazine as they are too busy with school work and socialising. “6th FORMER” is a free magazine, as not all of the students will have jobs so this will appeal to a wider target audience.
The magazine can be obtained in their common room as it is a room which is used by all the students all of the time. This means that the magazine will catch most of the student’s eye and this in turn means that they are more likely to read it. Also the magazine will be in an easy reach and so the target audience do not need to go out of their way or their routine to obtain the magazine. They will also begin to see “6th FORMER” as something that belongs and holds a vital place in their school life.
The magazine is not only sixth form students but it is also written by sixth form students; this immediately creates a bond between the magazine and the target audience. Also this allows the style of the magazine to be similar to the readers. The readers will see this similarity along with the quirky articles and the colloquial mode of address and will look as the magazine as familiar friend. As the magazine is aimed at both males and females, a variety of articles will feature in the magazine to cater to the different needs.
“6th FORMER” magazine will mainly be covering the academic part of the average students life as education is the main value for the reader and the magazine, but will also include sections such as “Social” and “Sports” to make the magazine light hearted and more appealing to the reader. Another value which our magazine strongly believes in is to help students cope with the stresses of being a sixth form student and showing then that A levels can also be a fun thing to be a part of. Our key belief is to show that whilst work is important, is also should be enjoyable. “6th FORMER” will provide a service to the students by guiding them through 2 years of their lives and inform and prepare the readers for the future to come.
The target audience of “6th FORMER” has so many important aspects in their lives so we try to include these as topics in our magazine. The main topic being academic as it is a school magazine. The magazine can offer advice on revision and how to relieve stress through the exhausting exam periods. Each month my writes will include an article about a university. This informs our readers of what this university pass rate, what the campus is like, courses and the entry requirements. University is the next step for many of the readers so this will fulfil their needs. However”6th FORMER” magazine knows the how much the target audience enjoys socialising and “banter” so there will be a double page spread of funny incidents which have occurred around the school, this will bring a warmth and light heartedness atmosphere to the magazine. Another important topic is fashion. Most people will hear fashion and automatically assume female fashion however the “6TH FORMER” fashion makes sure there is a little something for everyone. Business wear can be quite dull and dreary to teenagers but each month our researchers will find the cheapest and best buys around so that the readers can look smart and sophisticated but can also add their own personal twists to look stylish. Smaller articles such as job vacancies, upcoming parties and events will run alongside the main articles to make the magazine informal and casual. Other interesting surprises inside “6th FORMER” magazine are, the student of the week and a segment which informs students on discounts they can receive in various shops and restaurants.
Just like all other magazines “6th FORMER” is aiming to fulfil all the needs of a sixth form student. The pyramid below highlights the needs that Abraham Maslow claims we need to be happy. The magazine will aim to help the target audience reach the top three steps of the pyramid: social/affection, esteem/status and self-actualization. Articles with revision tips, exams, job vacancies and other academic issues, will help students be the best they can be academically therefore reaching the top of the pyramid. Also the more social issues such as the fashion tips, agony aunts and social gossip in the magazine will help the target audience feel better about themselves as they will realise that their peers are going through the same issues as they are and they can be satisfied and content with their lives. Social interaction will be achieved as articles such as “How to celebrate your 18th.” Also the magazine provides gossip and topic for conversations between the target audience and their friends thereby boosting their social interaction. This will also fulfil the audience’s social needs because as the magazine boosts social interaction, their needs to have friends and be accepted are being met also.
The magazines brand promise is to help make the sixth form journey as easy and fun as possible. The magazine understands the needs of its target audience will try to maintain the promise within every issue by following traditional codes and conventions of other magazines.
Target Audience Profile
“6th FORMER” magazine is aimed at a target audience between the ages of 16-19 and are sixth form students who are either starting their exciting journey through A levels or are coming near to completing them. Males and females will both be interested in reading the magazine as it covers a broad range of subjects for both genders. Being a sixth former is an exciting and important time for these teenagers as they earn freedom and become much more mature.
The target audience have a vibrant, fun-loving personality. They also have a wonderful sense of humour and enjoy having “banter” with their friends. Socialising is a big part of the target audience’s life as they are just starting to develop an active social life; also spending time with their friends is a nice stress relieving activity. They are trustworthy, loyal and truly value their friends.
Appearance is also important to the target audience, they are not vein but being in sixth form allows the target audience to wear their own clothes, so being well groomed is important as their clothes and style will express the target audience individual personality.
Although they have so many busy aspects in their own personal lives, the target audience still enjoy being part of the wider world and are an active member of the community by doing good deeds such a volunteering. As the target audience are so sociable they can work well in a team and cooperate however when it’s time for them to shine they show initiative and can be a good leader if the situation ever presented itself.
As the target audience are students and are extremely active, they will have lots of hobbies. As mentioned before socialising is the most interesting thing the target audience can do; new experiences and making new friends satisfies a lot of the important needs on Maslow’s hierarchy, e.g. self-esteem. They may also enjoy being outdoors and taking part in sports and physical activity such as the gym as this helps keep their appearance in shape and also boosts self-esteem. Some of the target audience my enjoy performing arts and learn an instrument outside of school as an extra activity. However for most of the target audience music will be another big interest. The target audience feel that they can relate to the music and normally listen to music whilst they revise and are travelling so develop a deep connection with it.
Although the target audience are active, they are typical students and do enjoy watching television and using the internet. Their favourite television shows would be “The Inbetweeners” or “The Hills” as they contain characters which are roughly the same age, this way the target audience can relate to the programme. The internet would be another way for the target audience to social by going on websites such as “Facebook” and “MSN” and they would access these sites with their laptops or computers. This way they can keep connected to their friends and people who may have changed school. Other media texts the target audience may use are their mobile phones. This would be the most used media texts by the students as it’s the quickest way to contact their friends. They would also obtain an IPod or MP3 to listen to their favourite songs. As they like to be kept up to date with the latest gossip they read newspapers and magazines regularly and this is why they would be interested in a school magazine which will specifically cater to their needs.
The target audience begin their day at around 7:00am , an early start to the day as they head off to sixth form. During school they concentrate in lesson and then enjoy care free lunches and breaks. After school they may go out to the nearest shopping centre/town centre with their friends to shop or eat and to generally unwind and then go home where they will complete any homework or coursework and do some general revision. On the weekend the target audience would go out with their friends to places such as the cinema to watch a comedy or horror movie, or go to the bowling alley for a friendly game. During the night they enjoy going out for dinner or if they are the legal age they may enjoy a nice alcoholic beverage.
The target audience are very determined when it comes to revision. Their attitude to learning is brilliant as they know what they want to do as a career and they know what they need to do to get there. As they have chosen to continue further studies, they take pride in their work. In the past years they may have always enjoyed learning and their education, but at AS it become a lot more serious and also they now have developed a love for learning specific subjects. They want to make sure they do well as they know A levels are a vital part of achieving their ideal career.
Some of the target audience may be unsure about their future but this does not affect their determination to do well in their end of year exams. Education is something they value very highly. A job is also something the target audience value. They are entering the age where they now understand the value of money and would like to obtain a job to enjoy the feel of earning their own money instead of relying on their parents.
Bulmer and Katz (1974) claimed that the audience seeks the media and uses it for their own purpose. They then named this the Uses and Gratification Theory. The target audience to “6th FORMER” are a perfect example of this theory; the audience will see if anything on the magazine appeal to them and then will use that information in a way which will help them personally and for their own purposes. Bulmer and Katz claimed audiences may use media in these categories:
- · Information/education
- · Escapism
- · Social interaction
- · Entertainment.
All of the above categories are taken into consideration when one issue of “6th FORMER” is made and the audience can use the wide variety of articles in any of these ways so that they can fulfil all of their needs.
The target audience can use the magazine to help reach the top of Maslow’s hierarchy, self-actualization. By reading the academic articles which provide tips on how to revise and other exam related issues, the students can be the best they can be during their time at sixth form.
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