December Reflection

Like November, I decided to use my free Wednesdays to complete blog posts, however due to the Christmas period, a lot of these Wednesdays were filled with work shifts and I did not have as much free time as I originally planned.

I still managed to complete the majority of posts that I planned throughout the Christmas holidays and am feeling prepare for my return to college.

Inspirations Summary

Similar Products Summary

Deconstructions Summary

I completed the deconstruction of various examples of the products I planned on creating. Last year, in my AS Coursework I only created a magazine and did not need to complete research or create ancillary tasks. When I deconstructed magazines in my AS Coursework I chose 3 covers, 3 contents and 3 DPS. However, because I had to deconstruct websites and billboard, I decided to take this number down to 2 of each. I felt that this was a more manageable amount for the workload that I had.

I found that deconstructing these products allowed my ideas to develop surrounding conventions, tools and connotations. Studying these products also gave me an idea of what I found worked and what I liked about that particular product. This gave me a good basis to begin my products, emulating these techniques and styles.

Magazine App

It is considerably popular within the magazine industry to maintain an app compatible with smartphones, allowing readers even easier access from a device which they always carry with them.

I felt that this was a perfect idea for my magazine as my audience are generally smartphone and social media users, as found in my reader profile research.

I have created 2 example apps on iPhone and iPad.

I felt that creating these apps exercised my photoshop skills even further and allowed me to delve into further possibilities of my magazine.

Example Social Media Account

A Change of Font

Upon researching my magazine, myself and my target audience selected a font that most suited my magazine and it's genre. Due to my target audience favouring the font, I believe it was the ideal choice. However, when placing the font into my front cover, it does not fit as well as I had hoped.

The font looks out of place and does not agree with my image and magazine genre, taking the softness away from my chosen image. Therefore, I experimented with both new and old fonts that I came across. After browsing many, I came across a new font, which I particularly liked. I will paste the differences in these fonts below.

Old Font:





New Font:

When placing in the new font, I felt much better about the appearance on my front cover and felt positive enough to move forward with this font.

Contact Sheet Creation

In order to place all of the images I took at the shoot together, I created a contact sheet on photoshop, by selecting File > Automate > Contact Sheet ||. This would allow me to compare all the images together in one place and determine which ones I liked best, which ones added variation to the images I am using, and which suited my genre and target audience.

I then went on to circle in red the images I decided were the best for my magazine and circled them in red, by creating a new layer over the contact sheets. I will paste below the contacts sheets once circled:

From this, I am taking the images and editing them one by one so that they follow my color scheme. I will post an update of how these images turn out. I will also embed those images into that post.

From the photos I have selected, I have also taken two example images, one that I like and have chosen to use, and one that I dislike and have chosen against using. I think it is important that I fully develop my ideas and explore which images are suitable and why.

Image I like: 

I really like this image of my model, as she is directly addressing the audience, creating an inclusive feel and drawing them in to the magazine. The lighting of the pic is good and her make up is visible in a positive light. The image connotes strength and confidence, which is how I'd like my audience to feel form my magazine in terms of their make up. If they feel like they will be able to gain her strength and confidence then they will be encouraged to by the magazine.





Image I don't like:

This image is not suitable for my magazine due to it's lack of good lighting and dark shadows. The model is not visible and her make up cannot me seen. The model is also facing away from the camera, creating no positive connotations. Therefore, I will not be using this image in my products.

Potential Competition

In order to explore magazine similar to my own, I have researched regional magazines that share characteristics with my product. Therefore, I will be able to compete in the magazine industry with these products, improving the success of my product.

Billboard Recreation

In order to gain further understanding of the conventions and creation of a billboard, I decided to take an example of a magazine billboard, and recreate it within Adobe Photoshop. I believe Photoshop would be the perfect program to use due to my future use of it when creating my final product. I found the billboard quite challenging to create, due to it's several layers and overlapping images, however I found that several dominant tools helped me achieve this particularly similar recreation.

Firstly, I found that one of the most useful tools that I used was the text tool. The tool became useful through the website link, tagline and various elements of the magazine within the smartphones and tablet screens. Through the various fonts available on Photoshop, I was able to find a font that mimicked the original font from the billboard. I will definitely be using the text tool within my final product.

The use of rasterizing layers, the magic wand tool and colour overlay all worked together to create the accurate masthead/logo on the billboard in order to maintain this brand identity. To find 'The Resident,' I searched the internet for the magazine and found the logo. However, the text was black and to create a copy of the billboard, I'd prefer it to be white. Therefore, I saves this image and cropped it down to the logo. From there, I rasterized the layer and used the magic wand tool to expel the area around the text that I did not require. Then, I was left with the logo. I edited the layer's properties in order to select white colour overlay. This changed the text to white. I then added some shadowing to create a more 3D look. I believe that I was these tools when create my own billboard and magazine. This is due to my chosen font being taken from dafont.com. I will be required to use the magic want tool on the screenshot of my logo from dafont.com. I may also choose to shadow my masthead/logo in order to make it stand out.

I also made use of the magic wand tool to edit an image of my friend to copy the magazine used within the billboard. I was certain that I wanted to use my own images, as I will be using my own images within my final product. I also believe that simply using the same image would be making the task easier for myself, and by challenging myself with my own images, I found that I developed and improved my skills further. I then edited the image of my friend on to a similar background to the original image and used the text tool to create a similar look. I searched the internet for images of iPhones and iPads to create new images with my magazine cover on the screens. I then used 'embed image' to place these images onto the billboard, shifting their position and size to mimic the original image.

The use of the App Store logo from a screenshot, placing it in a directly similar way. The use of the shape tool created the orange box, adding to the brand identity and creating and eye-catching element. To employ a similar shade of orange, I used the eyedropper tool as this allowed me to find the exact same colour.

Overall, I am considerably pleased with the outcome of my billboard and, therefore, am encouraged when it comes to my final product. I believe my enhanced skills will allow me to create a professional and successful final product. 

December Update

Like November, I planned on using my free time on Wednesdays to complete a wider amount of posts, however I have not completed as many posts as I had planned.

Due to the extremely busy festive period within retail, I have been given shift on these Wednesdays and have therefore not been able to use this time.

However, I am planning on using the Christmas holidays to complete and update anything that I didn't manage to complete.

Magazine Recreation

In order to improve my Photoshop skills, I decided to recreate an example regional magazine. I chose Suffolk magazine as I found it to maintain many generic conventions of a magazine, allowing me to exercise my ability to use these conventions, therefore improving my ability to create a professional magazine when it comes to my final product.


I decided to use my own images within the recreation, as I believe it would challenge me, rather than using the exact same image, which would simplify the process. The use of this challenge allowed me to improve my skills further, and mimicked the way I would create my final product with my own images. The only image I used from the internet was the pumpkins as I was unable to take my own  similar image.


I decided to stick with the theme of animals in nature in my recreation, therefore I used an image of my own dog at the beach. Like the animal in the picture, I placed my own animal centre, covering at least two-thirds of the front cover. I use the text tool, predominantly, in order to copy the text from the original magazine. When creating the text, it was mainly white, however, I used the eye dropper tool when adding the yellow features, to attempt to keep the colours and magazines as similar as possible.


I thought that the use of tagline above the masthead looked considerably effective, so would consider using this in my final product. I also really liked the way the website was pasted above the masthead, as the audience will be able to see it when they observe the front cover. I believe I will use this technique as I will be creating a website alongside my magazine that I would like my audience to view.


I made use of the magic wand tool when editing my images of my lower left-hand model and the pumpkins, I rasterized both image layers and used the magic wand tool to expel the area around the image that I did not require. I then pasted both images of a similar size in a similar position in order to copy the original magazine. I selected similar fonts within the bottom of the magazine. I then took an image of a barcode, and copied the price within a similar font to replicate the original.


One thing I believe I could've improved was the white text against the white fur in my recreation. Evidently this was not a problem with the original, as the colour tones in the image were ultimately different, however, within my magazine this made the text difficult to read. I know for future reference not to overlap similar colours as this prevents the image from being as eye-catching and makes the text difficult to read.


Conclusively, I am particularly happy with the outcome of my magazine recreation and believe it has made me more skilled and confident for when it comes to creating m final product.

Reader Profile

Pitch Feedback

In order to gain the opinion of my target audience, I have printed several copies of my pitch and distributed it to members of my target audience. I asked them to comment any questions, opinions or suggestions around the pitch in order for me to improve and amend my pitch. I have scanned the feedback I received and, from here, I will improve my pitch in order to produce a more suited magazine.

Feedback 1:

It is evident that this member of my target audience enjoys The Crack magazine. This is a positive, as it ensures that people of my chosen region have a confirmed interest in art. However, this also informs me that I need to set my magazine aside from this and drive it forward in order to compete with The Crack. This person questioned, 'could males be interested?' I believe that predominantly, my audience will be female. However, it is notable that gender neutrality and male interest is dominating the make up industry, therefore this is the perfect time for my magazine to identify this and encourage it further. This means not only does my magazine inform and entertain but it also communicates that my magazine supports gender equality and believes that make up should not be gender specific. The feedback also suggests taking research from make up magazines. I believe that this is a brilliant idea. Therefore, in a further blog post, I will research make up magazine as a whole, and what makes them successful. 

Feedback 2:

From this feedback, I have been informed that the art that I am included must be specified to my audience. I will be making a magazine based around make up artistry with Newcastle. I will show the gender neutral element throughout the magazine through non-gender specific references, for example, I will not use phrases such as , 'a must-have for any girl.' Furthermore, the feedback questions how I will gain the resources and knowledge to produce a high quality product. I will research into several elements of regional magazines, for example, similar products, inspirational products, the software I will use etc.

Character Drawings

In order to gain a better perspective of my target audience, I created two character drawings of a male and a female individual. I created two avatars to represent these example audience members and used word association to create a mindmap. These words describe my target audience, identified their interests and their preferred make-up features. I have scanned these mindmaps into my laptop and posted them below.

Audience Profile 1: Male, 28, Newcastle 

Audience Profile 2: Female, 21, Newcastle

December Plan

Within December I am planning on using my free Wednesday to complete the final areas of my research and planning. I am going to be exploring each area/label and commenting on how all of my research came together in order to shape the way I am going to create my products. 

Reviewing Other Blogs

In order to gather more research and inspiration, I have chosen to review and analyse several other student's blogs and work. This way, I can observe what I like and dislike about them, meaning that I can apply ideas that I like from their to my own. The blogs that I will be viewing, will be those that have achieved considerably high grades as that is what I am hoping to achieve at the end of this course.

Firstly, I will be reviewing Lauren Waine's blog (http://laurenwainemedia.blogspot.co.uk/). I really liked her blog layout and I noted that the theme she used matched her magazine's genre in the way it was very girly. Although her genre is completely different to my own, I loved the way she used Facebook and other social media formats to gather research from her target audience so that she could enhance her magazine so that it suited them. I really liked her final product, although I believe if I were to analyse it without knowing her target audience, I would guess that her magazine was aimed towards 14 year olds and younger, due to it's slightly immature look cause by her used of colour, simple shapes and childish fonts. I do especially like her choice of cover image and the layout of her front cover; it is clear a lot of work has been put in. Overall, I would like to use the a theme throughout my magazine and blog so that they match/are linked. I would also like to use Facebook as a way of gathering research into my target audience.

Another blog that I have reviewed is a blog composed by Courtnie Louise Kerr (http://courtnielouisekerr.blogspot.co.uk/). I particularly disliked her blogs layout as I found it confusing and difficult to navigate. Additionally, I believe that the theme of her blog didn't particularly have much to in in terms of colour. I am planning on maintaining a red themed blog, but I'd like my blog to appear differently to this blog in a way that makes it less simple and more themed and professional looking. On the other hand, I really liked her use of multiple media formats and her employment of video feedback in her blog. I loved her final Double Page Spread. I believe it was very professional looking, it was what you'd expect a magazine double page spread to look like. Along with the Double Page Spread, I also thought that her Contents Page and Front Cover also looked very professional in the way it stuck to a certain house theme and I believed it represented it's genre very well.

I also reviewed Natalie Howey's blog (http://nataliehoweymedia.blogspot.co.uk/). The first thing I noticed was the layout of her blog, I really liked it. Then when I looked through some of her blog posts, I noticed her work contained thorough detail. I would like to be able to apply that much detail within my blog posts so that I could achieve a high grade like her. Her final product was professional looking and fitted her chosen genre, although I believe her Front Cover did look slightly simple. Furthermore, I personally though the image she used within her Double Page Spread was highly professional looking and completely made the article and brought it together. The use of lighting and positioning of the model as well as the layout of the article created a product that you would generally expect to see in a magazine. I would like my final Double Page Spread to look as professional as this.

Finally, I observed Alysha Stirling's coursework(http://alyshastirlingmedia.blogspot.co.uk/). I loved the relationship between her magazine theme and the theme of her blog; the colours fit perfectly and also completely suited her magazine's genre and I really like the images she chose for her magazine. When looking a her final product, I do believe that her Front Cover could have been Photoshopped to a better quality due to some of the areas of the page appearing to be blurred and pixelated. Moreover, I found that she used various media throughout her blog, making it exciting and moving it away from the boring and constant text filled blog that is so frequently seen. Her posts fully put across her skills and understanding of media and that practical production of the media. I think Alysha's may have been my favourite out of all blogs that I observed.

November Reflection

I am happy that I decided to begin using my free time on Wednesdays in order to fit in a higher amount of blog posts. I am really pleased with my time management this month and completed all of my planned posts.

I am going to use more of my free Wednesdays next month in order to complete a higher number of posts and ensure that my research and planning is fully completed and ready to be marked.

Magazine Proposal

Magazine Proposal from Olivia Wallace

Website Flat Plans

Home Page:

Colour Usage: Within the colour of my website, I will continue with my chosen colour scheme to create a consistent and professional feel across my texts.

Image Usage: The main image on my website home page will be the an image from the main shoot surround the November issue of my magazine. This will create a familiar feel and puts my 'best foot forward' in terms of the article I'm featuring. The image of my model is one taken from the shoot that is also featured on my billboard, so if, for example, one had seen my billboard and researched into the web address that is printed largely on the billboard, they will become familiar with the same model as was on the billboard. I feel like using just the one main image on my home page maintains a simple and easy to navigate appearance, and also prevents the page from appearing too crowded. I don't feel that it is the correct time to add various images for each article on the right hand side as this is a 'home page' and not a page based on just the articles. I will consider using more images for each article on a page that is centralised more around my magazine's articles. Other than the main image, I am considering using smaller social media icons in the top right corner to draw attention to the text and communicate my magazine's online/social media platform.

Texts Usage: Text is a major aspect of my website. It will be used predominantly on my home page, for example within the navigation bar. The navigation bar is a major convention within my website, allowing ease for my audience and a pleasant online experience, meaning they are more likely to come back. The masthead and the sell line will be included at the top of the page as this is the first place that the audience are more likely to look, and will create a consistent feel across my products. I have included the titles of my main and various other articles that will be featured from my magazine in efforts to give my audience a taster and cause then to want to buy the magazine. I felt that including contact and 'about us' elements tot the bottom of the magazine will be beneficial for when my audience would like to know more or would like to suggest ideas/be involved, creating a personal feel. Aside from this, I have also included an area providing information on subscription, which I feel will benefit both my audience and my magazine. My audience will be provided with an easy way of obtaining each monthly copy of my magazine without having to think about it, whilst my magazine will generate a guaranteed income and a more positive readership.

Layout and Font: In terms of the layout of my magazine I feel that everything has been set out in a rather simple nature as I felt this would be more easily navigated by my audience and reduce the risk of it appearing crowded and difficult to look at. It is more or less a very symmetrical page which I believe looks visually pleasing, creating a positive visiting experience for my audience. In terms of font, I plan on making more important words larger or bolder. Other than this, the text will remain the same font type and size as the rest of my products.








First Hyperlinked Page:

Colour Usage: Within the colour of my website, I will continue with my chosen colour scheme to create a consistent and professional feel.

Image Usage: Like the home page, I have used the one main image from my main article shoot and the icons from my social media links. I thought that the use of the one main image made it evident that this is the main and most important article on the website and in the current issue.

Text Usage: Like on my home page, I have use masthead, sell line, navigation bar and subscription info. I did not want the subscription information to take up as much space as it had on the previous page, therefore I will create a side tab that moves onto the screen when a user hovers over it in order to keep this information whilst also maintaining extra space. The text is also in major use again within the article aspect on the page. Like the home page I have included the main and other articles, however on this page I plan on going that step further and adding extra information or the beginning of each article in the 'other article' section. In the main article are, I plan on including the name and some information about the main article. I also plan on using a title-like tool at the right have side of the page above the articles to inform the audience which are of the website they are currently on.

Layout and Font: In terms of layout and font, everything is considerably similar in order to create that consistent and professional house theme. However, this page is less symmetrical than the home page due to the major focus on the main article.

Main Article Page:

Colour Usage: Within the colour of my website, I will continue with my chosen colour scheme to create a consistent and professional feel.

Image Usage: The main image from the article should match that of the magazine on this page due to the text being taken directly from the magazine's main article. I also am using the same social media icons as in previous pages. However I also may decide to add an image of the article writer in the byline of the magazine in order to give credit and associate a name with a face. This creates a familiar and personal feel, and may also give the opportunity to add some contact or social media info in order for the magazine writers to interact with the audience, therefore allowing them to give opinions/ideas etc.

Text Usage: In relation to the text of this page, it is predominantly used within the article element of this page. I wanted to follow the generic conventions of an article and therefore used a caption, main text, lead paragraph, headline and byline. I believe this will make this page and article appear professional. Other than the article, I have used similar aspects of texts to my other pages, creating a consistent feel.

Layout and Font: In terms of layout and font, everything is considerably similar in order to create that consistent and professional house theme. However, this page follows the general layout of an online article. I will be placing the headline, for example in a much larger, bolder font.

Costume Ideas

My photoshoot is an extremely important aspect of my magazine. Therefore it needs to be perfect and suitable to my product. The outfit's suitability is vital in relation to the makeup look of the shoot. It needs to stand out, but at the same time be considerably subtle in order to enhance the colours of the makeup look, allowing it to stand out and grab the audience's best attention. To explore some potential outfit choices, I have created an online mindmap using www.app.mindmup.com.

Conclusively, I believe the most suitable outfit choice is outfit 2. The use of the black easily links in with my colour scheme and is the perfect canvas to bring out the prominent colours that I desire my makeup look to have. 

Magazine Flat Plans

Front Cover:

Colour Usage: Within my front cover, I will be following the colour scheme that I have chosen after careful consideration and help from my target audience. The use of neutrals and red, allow for both a subtle theme as well as a pop of colour throughout. The masthead will maintain a continuous colour and will be quite a prominent lead to the magazine. The use of the masthead as a logo will always use the same colour due to its recognisable feel and brand identity. The cover lines will also exercise this theme of colour in order to link in with the masthead and create a continuous feel and house theme. The image itself will maintain a neutral theme, however within the make-up of the model, a more dramatic feel will be evident. I feel that this will draw attention to the make-up and communicate to the audience what my magazine cover in terms of genre.

Image Usage: From my target audience research, I gathered that my audience would prefer a cover that maintained one image only. I also believed that this would be a good idea and was glad that my target audience interviewee preferred this factor within a magazine. My main image will take up the whole of the front cover with no blank spaces, as this will leave the cover looking sparse and dull, I will not be using more than one image to prevent crowding and to fit my target audience. This image will be my main model who will also be the featured model that will be used in my double page spread. There will be no props included within my image, due to a use of props causing a crowding feel. The camera will be at eye level with the model in order for the audience to feel at level with the model. This portrays a feeling of equality and suggests that my magazine is breaking the barrier between gender stereotypes as well as the barrier between people who are deemed as good and bad with make-up.

Text Usage: For use of text within my magazine cover, I have decided on obvious aspects of text such as the name of the magazine in the masthead and cover lines down the left and right third of the page. Cover lines will feature am omniscient narrative. Within the cover lines, I will be printing some of the more important words in a separate, more eye-catching font, in order to draw the readers attention to the important and exciting words. The main cover line will be focused on the main artist that has designed the model's make up on the front cover. The masthead will also be a use of text within the cover, being one of the key points of the magazine due to it informing the audience of what magazine this is. The masthead will also be used as the logo for the magazine, creating a recognizability surrounding the magazine.

Layout and Font: Within the font element of my final product, I will be using professional and understandable fonts that aren't gender specific. I believe non-gender specific fonts will fit better with my target audience. I, however, am considering using a completely different font for some of the more interesting words of the cover lines, in order to create a diverse feel and to make them stand out. This immediately highlights the key focal points within the text. The layout itself creates a professional style and assists readership within the way it doesn't appear sparse, whereas in is not too crowded. This means it is enjoyable to look at, whilst also being inviting, meaning the audience will happily be able to read the cover lines, which will hopefully strike their best interest, therefore encouraging them to read the magazine.




Contents:

Colour Usage: Within the colour of the contents page, I will continue with my chosen colour scheme to create a consistent and professional feel. I will also ensure that the images I used will be colourful, however I also want them to fit in with my colour scheme, therefore I will be choosing images with both neutral and red colours.

Image Usage: The main and largest image that will be featured on this page will be an image from the main article in order to give a short insight into the article itself. Other larger images I am going to use will include those of other articles in the magazine, in order to give a sneak preview, and also pushing the reader towards those pages, that I will have selected as the best pages of the magazine ('putting the best foot forward', striking best interest). I am also considering adding a small caption at the bottom right of the images in order to inform the audience of what page the image has been taken from. I believe that will provide a brief insight into these specific pages and will allow the audience to decide what articles they'd like to read, encouraging them to read the magazine. I have also chosen to place an image of the from the cover itself into the contents page. I believe this adds a personal feel and also makes the reader feel familiar with the magazine, providing a more comfortable feel, whilst creating a close bond with the audience. I also believe that if my magazine was a realistic, monthly magazine, this would create a regular feel due to the front cover being printed on the contents page of each issue. It would also create a consistent portrayal of the magazine itself. Another example of the images would be using the logos from several social media sites in order to create a social platform for my magazine and creating an environment that cognacs the readers to my magazine. It also makes it easy for the audience to receive more frequent updates due to the magazine being issued monthly, whilst also making it available for the audience to opt for notifications to their phones/emails etc. These logos may include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. I have taken this idea from other popular magazines. Alongside this image, I will also be placing the credits from the front cover in terms of image etc.

Text Usage: Within the text element of my contents page, the page will feature a large title/headline in order to inform the audience of what page they are viewing. The title will also employ the name of the issue (e.g. November 2016) so that the readers are aware of which issue they are in possession of. The contents articles will feature a title, a page number and a small insight as to what is in the article. In the bottom right corner, I will place social media links, email and website links to create an online platform and life for the magazine, allowing my audience to reach my magazine on the internet, where they are constantly discussing topics of make up.

Layout and Font: Like my front cover, I will be using professional and understandable fonts that aren't gender specific. however, in terms of layout, I would like to fit a considerable amount into my contents page, without it looking too crowded. Therefore, my articles in the contents will be fairly spaced out. I want the images to have a scrapbook-like effect to create a personal aspect, therefore I have placed them together in the centre as if to overlap each other.





Double Page Spread:

Colour Usage: Within the colour of the double page spread, I will continue with my chosen colour scheme to create a consistent and professional feel.

Image Usage: As there is only one image in the double page spread, it will cover the majority of the spread, or more specifically one full page, as preferred by my target audience. I will use the contact sheet tool on photoshop to decide between the image. The image will be of my model, as I want her to appear, fierce, bold, strong and classy, so to fit with the make up look and its connotation. I will also be using some sub-images of the make up brand that the article uses. This creates a familiarity and visual image surrounding some of the products used which will be beneficial to the audience if they would like to view/purchase the products.

Text Usage: The text is the main aspect of the double page spread, and will be used to print the whole article, as well as the title of the article. I will also be using text in the article and photo credits, page number/logo and issue as an informative element to the pages.

Layout and Font: The article text will maintain a traditional column layout. I believe this looks very classy and is visually pleasing, as well as easy to navigate. The image to text ratio is around 50/50, with the image covering one page like the target audience prefer. The font will be easy to read within the actual article, however the drop letter and numbers within the article will be considerably larger. The title of the article will also be in a decorative font, connoting ideas about the decorative area of the make up look.

Make-Up Ideas

In order to determine how my model will wear her makeup for the photoshoot, I have explored a range of festive makeup looks, in order to gain an idea on what type of look I should include within my magazine.

1.) Christmas Inspired Tutorial
I like this make up look as I felt despite it's Christmas inspiration, it was an all round look that could be worn whenever. However, due to my magazine being a November issue, I couldn't decide if this was definitely the time to include Christmas inspired looks, therefore, I wasn't sure about this kind of look.



2.) Fall/Autumn Inspired Tutorial
I loved this make up look as I felt it was perfect for the Autumn/Winter period. Despite it's dark and grunge feel I felt that it was completely different and may be out of many people comfort zones. This is what I'd like to target within my magazine. I want to teach my audience new styles and looks so that they can build and develop their skills, so a look like this would be perfect for my magazine.



3.) Bombshell, Christmas Holiday Theme Tutorial
Again, I really liked this look and found it was wearable even when it isn't the holidays. I loved the use of the glitter and the statement lip and would really like to consider adding these aspects into the feature look of my magazine. I feel like a red lip and use of glitter is really popular with those who love make up and therefore my target audience, so I will consider using these elememts.



Overall, I really enjoyed looking at these make up tutorials and also observing how they guide their audience step-by-step through the look. Conclusively, I feel like the best type of look for my magazine will include a smoky eye, involving some glitter, as well as a suitable and wearable lip.

Billboard Flat Plan

Colour Usage: The colours I will use within my billboard will continue with the colour scheme I have chosen for my products as I feel that this will create a professional and consistent look. I also believe that this will add an element of brand identity and familiarity surrounding my products.

Image Usage: In terms of image, I am using the same type of image as is used within my magazine and website. This image also creates a link between all of my products and directly links to the cover of the issue, creating a familiar and consistent feel. There is only one main image used on the billboard so I will be making this considerably large and, therefore, eye-catching. However, it is likely that alongside my social media links I will use small images of the social media icons in order to communicate my magazine's online presence.

Text Usage: The main areas of text within my billboard are predominantly my Masthead and Sell Line. I have chosen these as the masthead creates a recognisable logo, which therefore creates a brand identity. This will be recognisable to the audience and will hopefully connect my billboard directly to my product. The sell line is also an important aspect of the text in my billboard. The sell line will also relate my billboard to the magazine and given the audience a reason to go out and buy the magazine. This may be, for example, 'your make-up. your Newcastle,' or, 'making the city sparkle.' These sell lines relate to my target audience and will hopefully convince them to look into buying the magazine. Finally, the use of website and social media links are utterly important within the billboard as they connect my magazine to it's website, which allows the billboard to promote website and magazine together. The use of web link and social media accounts also communicates to my audience that my magazine has a strong online presence, which I found they preferred through my target audience research. This will please my audience's preferences and hopefully make them want to buy my magazine, and connect with it online.

Layout and Font: The layout of my billboard is considerably simple, which is what I wanted through the fact that it is an advertisement that is viewed as people are going about their daily lives. If someone is in a rush, they do not have time to stop and look at too much text and various images, therefore I have simplified the product and made it easy to observe. The image is not taking up the full page, but is considerably large in order to be noticeable to the audience. The text takes up the majority of the product as it is the more informative area. The text will follow the same style as in my magazine. Obviously, the masthead will remain in the same font as usual creating a logo, an element of brand identity and familiarity within the text. It will be larger than the rest of the text so that attention is drawn to it. The rest of the text will remain an easily readable font that is used throughout my magazine and will be of an appropriate size for visibility.

Target Audience Interview Feedback

In my previous post, I interviewed two girls of my specific target audience on various aspects of a regional magazine to gather information on what they would like to see in a regional magazine and what qualities would convince them to buy a regional magazine etc. Within the videos, a two-shot was used throughout the handheld footage. I used this type of shot as I believed it would suit an interview's purpose best. It gave a clear view of the interviewer and interviewee whilst involving the audience in the full communicational exchange between the two subjects. This means that facial expressions, reactions and movement is clear to the audience when viewing this video of both subjects, accompanying the dialogue of the video.

The first question I asked was, 'How much would you be willing to pay for a professional regional magazine?'
Both of my interviewees commented that they would pay in the region of £3-£4 for a professional regional magazine. I believe for a high quality, professional magazine, this is an adequate price to maintain the business of the magazine, whilst also remaining affordable for my audience. Therefore, I will consider placing the magazine at around this price.

The second questions I enquired was, 'What encourages you to buy a magazine?'
My first interviewee, Layla, commented that she would prefer a strong connection to where she is from, as she believes it gives her more interesting content than national and international magazines. As a member of my target audience, it is positive that Layla would like the magazine to maintain strong regional elements, therefore I will certainly be ensuring that my magazine places itself within the heart of Newcastle.
My second interviewee, Holly, stated that she likes a magazine to have a strong online presence in order or her to follow them on social media and keep up to date. I would really like my magazine to obtain several social media accounts, as well as a website in order to maintain a close relationship with my audience. This ensures that my magazine is loyal to it's readers, communicating with them daily in order to cater towards what they want, whilst also keeping the magazine active for the audience between the monthly issues. Therefore, I will be creating a website and several social media accounts for my magazine.

Next, I asked, 'Do you prefer a text or image led double-page spread?'
Layla firstly commented that she really likes when a double-page spread has a striking image, however she also likes the spread to have an interesting article to support this image. Therefore, Layla generally prefers both and I will consider this when designing my double-page spread.
Then, Holly agreed she prefers a 'halfy-half- approach', portraying to me that my target audience may be those who are able to appreciate both. This may be due to the exploration of art that my target audience members are drawn towards in areas of photographical art and creative writing through the double-page spread. Therefore, I will ensure that both image and text are strong and are given equal spotlight within the spread.

Furthermore, I went on to enquire, 'Would you prefer a question and answer (interview) style in your double-page spread, or would you like a story?'
Layla believes that Question and Answer/Interview styled articles are easy to read as they allow you to skip to the parts that you are particularly interested in, however she also believes that its good to read a good story.
Holly felt that stories engage her more in relation to double-page spreads. This informs me that both members of my target audience find stories engaging in a double-page spread, however question/answer may be more convenient. From this, I believe that my double-page spread will most likely be a story.

I then asked, 'Do prefer several images or one main image?'
Layla preferred one main image, however she believed that having several sub-images around this was more effective. In pages such as the contents page, I believe this will be predominantly useful, as I will have the ability to place images from various articles of the magazine to cause the audience to want to read on.
Holly stated that she preferred one main image as she believes that too many images may take the attention away from the rest of the magazine. From this I have decided I will employ one main image, and use several sub-images. I will not use too many sub-images so that the contents of the magazine are crowded.

Moreover I questioned, 'What colors are you most attracted to?'
Layla generally goes for more neutral colours, for example pinks and nudes, however she also really likes a pop of colour for example, red.
Holly, however, takes a more dark and dramatics approach and appreciates, burgundy, burnt orange, reds and golds. The use of red appears to be a favourable colour for my magazine's colour scheme. The use of gold always compliments this shade. I will consider using these particular types of colour within my magazine.

I followed this question up by asking, 'Do you like these particular colours within your make up?'
Firstly, Layla stated that she prefers gold and copper shades, making these an ideal basis for make up looks within the magazine.
Holly agreed when asked if she preferred reds, golds, oranges and purples within her own make up. The frequent reoccurrence of red and gold are perfect shades in any make up look. These also reflect not the fact that my magazine will be the winter/Christmas issue, complimenting the use of red and gold and warmer colours within the magazine.

Next, I asked, 'Would you prefer a hard copy of a magazine or would you refer to read it on something like a tablet?'
Layla prefers to have a hard copy each month, but she also enjoys catching up online and likes that she can keep up to date if she doesn't have time to pick up a copy. From this, I know my target audience would prefer to have both elements of the magazine. Layla's comment about being on the go and unable to purchase a copy also opens the magazine up to monthly delivered subscriptions in order to ensure that my audience have access to each issue.
Similarly, Holly likes a hard copy, but in reference to her preference of online presence, she also likes the ease of keeping up to date online. This backs up the idea that my target audience should have access to social media accounts and a website,

Lastly, I asked, 'What sorts of contents and articles would you like to see in the magazine?'
Layla would like to see articles about art in her area, but would also prefer to be informed of new make-up trends etc. I find that my monthly issue would be the perfect product to feature art and, for example, feature a particular event/location within the area. Whereas, new make up trends are always emerging and changing, therefore, the website and social media accounts would be a more suitable place for these kinds of features.
Holly would like to see something really artistic in reference to make up. She would like to see a change in perspective on make up. My audience predominantly are those who paint their face everyday with the stereotypical make up looks. Therefore, I will include some more contemporary looks and incorporations of art into make up, in order to bring something refreshing and new to my audience, which hopefully leaves them wanting to purchase future issues.

WIX Research

As I have never came across WIX before, I found it preferable that I carry out some research on the software before I made use of it. Upon opening the website, I signed up for an account and filled out the questionnaire through which the website theme would determine what suited my magazine best, and therefore creating a specific styled website, based around my magazine.

I created a presentation through PowerPoint and SlideShare to display my theme exploration.

WIX Website Research from Olivia Wallace

Target Audience Interview Questions

How much would you be willing to pay for a professional regional magazine?

What encourages you to buy a magazine?

Do you prefer a text or image led double-page spread?

Would you prefer a question and answer (interview) style in your double-page spread, or would you like a story?

Do prefer several images or one main image?

What colors are you most attracted to?

Would you like these particular colours within your make up? [follow up]

Would you prefer a hard copy of a magazine or would you refer to read it online?

What sorts of contents and articles would you like to see in the magazine?

Target Audience Interviews

Institution Research

Conventions of a Billboard

To produce a professional looking billboard, there are certain features and conventions that I must maintain knowledge of and apply to my final product. I have made a note of these conventions below and have also included an example billboard that I have labelled to provide an example of each convention:

Conventions of a Website

Logos are typically placed on the upper left of the page, as that is the first place that the audience direct their eyes, in a similar way to how we read. When there are multiple windows open on a user’s computer or a user is browsing through various pages on a website, consistently having the logo on the top left lets them know that they are on that particular website. Having the logo where the user expects to find it will help keep all the different windows in order. It also creates a sense of brand identity, following a house theme that directly links to the magazine itself, and a sense of familiarity with the audience. I will certainly be using a constant logo throughout all of my products in order to create familiarity and brand identity.

The Main Navigation should appear in a bar across the top of a website. If broken it may frustrate users. If navigation is too difficult or not there at all, users will become discouraged and leave the website. The navigation bar is simply there to make the audience's visit to the website easier and therefore, more enjoyable, encouraging them to revisit. I will definitely be using a navigation bar on my website in order to create easy access and navigation for my audience, encouraging them to revisit.

The Sub-Navigation Bar is a linked navigation bar that appears directly below/beside the main navigation bar. This sub-navigation can also often be found in drop boxes below particular sections of the main navigation bar and may link directly to the section of the navigation bar that you have selected/are hovering the mouse over. I will consider using a sub-navigation bar as it may be convenient for the audience's navigation.

Hyperlinks are pertinent to internet users. Therefore, these clickable links must be identifiable to users in order to prevent confusion, which may lead to them leaving the site.  A classic link appears as underlined text. Text in a different colour and underlined text can also signify links. This means I should not underline words that aren’t links, and avoid using different coloured texts for non-links. I will be using hyperlinks on my page and am considering using the colour blue and the underlining tool to make the hyperlinks clear to my audience. I will avoid using this style with any other text to prevent confusion.

Buttons are also a great feature on websites due to their 3D appearance and colour. This makes it evident to users that they are clickable, and therefore ensures that the website is easily navigated. A button that doesn’t cause anything to happen will be confusing to users. I will consider using buttons, especially next to the search bar, for example, 'Go' or 'Search.'

Icons are particularly useful because they provide a clear explanation without words. An envelope icon signifies email and social media icons signify social sharing. But icons only work if they are common enough that no explanation is necessary. Therefore, to use social media icons, I must ensure that the sites are popular with my target audience in order for them to be identifiable. As my audience is a considerably wide age range, there is a probability that some of my audience will use social media, therefore I will be using popular social media icons to link to my magazine's social media accounts.

The use of a search bar is frequent within magazine due to the ease it provides to the audience. The ability to directly search for a particular article/subject allows the audience to quickly find exactly what they are looking for and saves them time and effort. This creates a more enjoyable and relaxed visit to the website and also prevents them from leaving the website if they were required to search the entire site themselves.

The option to subscribe to the magazine is a feature often used by magazines, in order to maintain their readership, and ensure that the magazine keeps money coming into the company so that it can continue to produce further issues. This also provides great deals and often gifts for their readers and saves them having to repeatedly buy each issue due to their subscription allowing them delivery. I will be using the subscription option within my website, in order to maintain magazine readership.

The labelled example provides the use of a free gift with the subscription. This gift is tailored towards the targeted audience of the magazine, therefore guaranteeing that the audience will desire the gift, and often buy the subscription solely for the gift. It is also considerably frequent that the free gift will be worth a price higher than the subscription, causing the audience to see this as great value for money and encouraging them to buy the subscription, maintaining readership and flow of money into the magazine. If I were to use a free gift within my magazine/website, it would most likely be something that relates to my magazine, or it's particular issue. For example, I could provide a voucher for a discount at a make-up store featured within the issue, or even a free make-up gift, inspired by the current issue.

In relation to a magazine website, the feature of the current issue main article is frequently found on the home page. This provides insight to the main issue and often allows the audience to read a snippet of the article to a point where they must buy the issue to read on. This causes the audience to read and then buy the issue in order to read the article. I will consider doing this with my magazine, selecting alternate images to my magazine product. I will definitely be featuring this on my website in order to encourage users to purchase and read the magazine.

November Plan

This month, I am planning on using my free time on Wednesdays to complete extra posts as I feel like I need to work at a quicker pace with approaching deadlines. Planning is becoming a major factor within my posts as I am beginning to create flat plans and rationales for my products. These are the documents that I will mould my product around. Within the rationales I plan on exploring usage of colour, images, text, layout and font. In order to make it easier when it comes to creating my product, I need to make my plans and rationales extremely detailed. 

I personally think I am giving myself a big target this month, but am confident that I will make my best efforts to complete as many of them as I can to the best of my ability. 

October Incompletion To-Do List

• Update Billboard Deconstruction 
• Website Deconstructions
• Improve Contents Deconstructions

October Reflection

After struggling this month to reach deadlines due to my impending coursework in other subjects, I am moderately happy with my progress on getting myself up to date and managing my time appropriately.

I still have an incomplete post and several that need updating and improving, therefore, I will be making another incompletion to-do list.

Nevertheless, I am considerably happy with how I am managing my time and workload despite the stress and panic.

Inspirational Texts

In order to explore the type of texts I am going to be creating, I thought I would research into them on the internet and find several from each that I enjoyed looking at. These texts inspired me and gave me ideas which I found I could emulate within my own products.

Inspirational Texts from Olivia Wallace

Looking at professional products gave me a more developed idea of how these texts appear in the media industry and using inspiration from these will hopefully improve my basis knowledge on each text and allow me to create my own professional and realistic product.

Website Deconstructions

Website Deconstructions from Olivia Wallace

Magazine Deconstructions: Double-Page Spread

Magazine Deconstruction: Contents

October Update

Due to my September plan proving successful in keeping myself up to date, I decided to use the same lesson time technique within my October Plan. I am currently half way into this plan and am struggling to keep fully up to date with this month.

Besides my A Level Media Studies course, I also study two other A Levels. Both of these other subjects require 20% coursework each, which I am currently completing. Completing coursework in 3 different A Levels at one time is proving considerably difficult and is causing me to fall behind in my plan. 

I am currently quite worried about this, however I am doing my best to use my spare time wisely and try to split it evenly so that I can complete all of my coursework areas to the best standard and in a good amount of time. Fortunately, the half-term holidays are also approaching, so I have a week to use my free time and hopefully work on getting my media coursework up to date. 

Billboard Deconstructions

Magazine Deconstruction: Front Cover

October Plan

This month I have decided to centralise my posts around my lesson time, as I feel that this means I can spend my lessons focused on one particular post and any free time ensuring everything is updated and to the best standard. This month majorly involved deconstructing products in order to gain a better insight to what I like/dislike and would like to include in a product. Therefore, this month's post are very analysis and text heavy. To break up this amount of text I plan on using a variety of media in order to prevent the text from appearing dull or boring, and to make my blog media rich.

September Incompletion To-Do List

• Make National VS Regional Magazine post more tailored to regional to support research of this area
• Create one more audience profile and comment on why you have made them
• Complete billboard inspirations within Inspirational Texts post
• Complete survey to decide on Colour Scheme

September Reflection

In order to increase the chance of my posts being up to date, I placed each post on a Monday or Friday. These are the days in which I have my media studies lessons, which are fully dedicated to completing coursework. Therefore, I had my frees during the week to complete any unfinished posts or drafts in order to ensure that I was prepared for the tasks I had set myself next lesson.

I really liked the way I planned this month as I felt so much more up to date and positive surrounding my posts. Some posts still need improvements in my opinion, so I will dedicate some of my free time and make a to do like like last month in order to ensure that all of my planned posts are completed to the highest standards.

Next month I plan on using the same days to schedule my posts in order to create the same outcome.

Colour Schemes

I order for my magazine to maintain a constant house theme, I will employ a colour scheme that will run throughout the magazine. This will enhance the professionalism of my magazine, allowing my product to emulate a real magazine and creating an element of verisimilitude.

To explore a range of colour schemes, I have used a website called www.coolors.co. This website offers an online colour scheme generator, in which you can simply press the space bar and view random schemes of 5 colours. You are also given the ability to lock in any colour(s) you like within the random scheme and continue to press the space bar to explore other colours in relation to your locked colours. This provides you with the perfect way to find your desired colour scheme.

I used this website to produce 3 colour schemes which I particularly liked. I will paste these themes below.

Colour Scheme 1: 

I love the colours in this scheme. I feel like they particularly suit the time of year that my magazine surrounds (autumn/winter/Christmas), appealing to my audience who will be directing their attention to more festive art.
I believe that the use of black is a pertinent colour in my magazine as it enhances the other colours, juxtaposing brighter shades such as yellow/golds and red shades. This allows them to stand out and creates a more eye-catching effect. I believe this would be a very suitable colour scheme for my magazine.


Colour Scheme 2:

This colour scheme is very subtle. It maintains the shade of black that I'd like to enhance lighter shades, creating a more eye-catching effect to gain the audience's best interest. The berry shades towards the centre relate directly in with autumn and the berry tones that are favourite through lipstick and eye shades within make-up artistry. However, one aspect I dislike about this scheme is the stereotypical shades that are used within make-up and how they are directed towards femininity. As my magazine is directed at both genders, I don't want the colour scheme to portray my magazine as solely for females, due to my magazine aiming to encourage all gender to explore makeup artistry.


Colour Scheme 3:

This colour is similar to colour scheme 2 in terms of it being subtle and moderately feminine. This colour scheme does not maintain any black shade, however, it employs a dark purple. I also feel as though despite the attractiveness of the shades, they are of a more pastel tone and therefore may not grab attention in comparison to the other colour schemes.


My Target Audience's Opinion:

I also created a poll for my target audience, in order to gain knowledge on what they would prefer. I then posted this link to social media, appealing to those of my targeted age range, who voted. I will insert the results of this poll below.

It is evident that my target audience prefers the first scheme, and I agree. The colour scheme completely suits the dark and wintery tones that I'd like my magazine to have, channelling the festive spirit and also preventing it from being gender specific. Therefore, I will be using the first colour scheme for my product.