MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE

This is my final contents page, i found making my contents page fairly easy because I already had things such as the colour scheme etc sorted since I had done my magazine cover. Because of that, it was just the simple case of making it look professional and bringing my magazine together as a complete project

FINAL MAGAZINE COVER

I am finally pleased with my final magazine cover. A lot changed throughout the process of making it as i was constantly unhappy with the text, layout image etc which meant I kept going back and changing things. To show how my magazine changed this is how it first appeared when I thought i was done and dusted:

Although the image remained the same, a lot of my taglines, colour scheme and the font style changed as I thought it didnt look very professional and seemed unfinished. I decided to be a bit more bold with my cover and go for a brighter color scheme which would really stand out. This is something I pointed out in my plan. When i first started making my cover I realised that I wasnt doing a lot of the things I had mentioned in my plan which is why i was always unhappy with it. Intsead, I decided to look for inspiration and look at magazines such as VOGUE and COLLEGE which both have magazines which are nicely done. Their magazines are very appealing to the eye in terms of how they grab your attention from the image all the way to to the text and so on. I'd like to think this is something I tried to do and hopefully achieved. Another thing which I made a change to was thew title, to begin with I tried to be quirky by calling it 'Ur' Future, however after looking at magazines for examples I found they only used one word which stood out, was easy to remember and quite catchy. This lead me to the direction of 'Generation'. Generation is a strong word which stands for diversity and a group people as a whole. In terms of my magazine, this is a young generation magazine which is for young people to turn to for advice on colleges but also on having fun and any tips and ideas they may need. This is represented through my cover lines, I picked "top 10 colleges in hampshire and they want you", " thank god its friday, hottest spots in the south", "what uni's want; top tips to success", "make money whilst studying; quick and easy","college couture, outfit ideas to impress" and "splat! lets go paintaballing". I personally think that these are effective cover lines as they tell the public what type of magazine Generation is and also have appealing qaulities to them which my target audience would appreciate. I made sure how they were layed out would also contribute in the design of my magazine and took into consideration all the colors being balanced and it not being too overpowering.

INITIAL IDEAS FOR A COLLEGE MAGAZINE

I will be designing a magazine based on college in order to inform/entertain young people who may be considering colleges to attend. Because of this, straight away my magazine is going to have an audience of young people, most likely between the ages of 16-18, as this is the age that a majority of people attend college therefore, I will need to make something that is appealing to them as much as possible. I’m going to focus on informing my audience about colleges in the local area, what they have to offer, positives and negatives and ultimately the college experience as whole. Because my magazine will focus on more than one college, I’ll need to make sure that it equally judges each of the colleges and it isn’t biased in anyway otherwise my magazine could potentially come across as subjective. In terms of what will feature on my magazine, I will need to take into context things such as the title of the magazine, cover lines and tag lines. Ideas for my cover lines will be lines such as “the ultimate guide to sucess” “Top 5 colleges” and “Ofsted’s vital opinion”. These are all cover lines that will grasp my audience’s attention as they make college choices sound extremely exciting. It is important that I engage my audience as a magazine with a genre like my mine can easily become boring compared to a gossip magazine like “HEAT”. I will take strengths from a wide range of magazines in order to apply them to mine and make it as effective as possible. Additionally, I have had to consider possible titles for my magazine. I need to pick a title that will instantly grip people and make them want to purchase it. something like "college magazine" or "education" has no originality to it which is why i chose 'UR'FUTURE. it stands out and directly appeals to the public and makes the message being put across much more personal. The font of my text was the next thing for me to take into consideration, i wanted something modern and fresh rather than style of texts such as This or this. Those style of texts are quite dated and are not common in 21'st century magazines which means they wouldnt be a great choice to use.

The presentation of my magazine is vital as things such as the front cover image, colors and dimensions all contribute in making it visually appealing. Because my magazine is going to appeal to a broad audience, I cant just have pink throughout as this will obviously be partial to girls. It needs to be something that appeals to both sexes therefore an image of a group of people or a boy and girl together will be quite effective. In terms of where it will be taken, either in a college enviroment or a blank white canvas will work quite work. I particularlly think a white canvas as a background will be the best option as it allows the coverlines of the cover to stand out and it allows you to edit the image and be more creative with it.

The next thing is the publishing of my magazine. I would publish it termly so that it can be updated with any new information from colleges. Publishing it weekly would be pointless as its not the same as a gossip magazine which constantly has new stories to talk about. It will also need to to be up to date with seasonal changes and any events that take place, this will help in keeping my magazine relevant and utlimately keep my readers interested.

This is my inital flat plan of how I would like my magazine to look like. I have analysed it outlinign the main points that I am pleased with and how/why I think they work effectively.

SKILLS AUDIT

IPC MEDIA

With more than 60 iconic media brands, IPC creates content for multiple platforms, across print, online, mobile, tablets and events.  As the UK's leading consumer magazine publisher they engage with 26m UK adults - almost two thirds of UK women and 42% of UK men. Their award winning portfolio of websites reaches over 25 million users globally every month.

PC Connect is IPC Media's mass market women's division with a range of brands that provide powerful reach. Connect's magazines are read by 9.4 million mass market women, which equates to 49% of all mass market women, while its digital brands reach over 5.3 million unique users and deliver 35 million page impressions every month. Connect's audience is highly valuable and responsive, responsible for the vast majority of UK purchasing decisions.

IPC Connect serves its consumers in the following key sectors: celebrity and fashion, lifestyle, traditional, TV and entertainment, real life and casual gaming. 

IPC Inspire is IPC's men's division. Its portfolio of 38 brands covers a huge spectrum of interests and includes famous names from Country Life and The Field to Nuts and NME.

IPC Southbank is the upmarket women's division, focusing on the three key markets of Fashion, Women's Lifestyle and Home Interest.  Southbank is home to some of the most iconic magazine brands in publishing including Marie Claire, woman&home, Look and Ideal Home.

Southbank has a magazine for every interest in a woman's life, from the fashion conscious to the homeowner to the woman looking for lifestyle inspiration. Its titles offer unrivalled content and reach a readership base of over ten million.

Because of how established and versatile IPC are, they would be able to appeal to its audiences and effictebly produce a music magazine which will be appealing to a range of people. It deals with everything from mens magazines to womens and also runs the popular magazine NME, This means that it has backgroud understanding of the characteristics that a succesful music magazine should have. In terms of the genres/music types that it would be likely to publish, i think it would look to sell music which is currently very popular in order to be current and sell more. The more modern they are, the more relevant they will be and they're more likely to have a bigger audience. Specifically I would say pop music is very popular at the moment as big artists such a rihanna, katy perry and lady gaga all sing that genre of music. 

An alternative publisher for a new music magazine could be Bauer. Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group consisting of many companies collected around two main divisions – Magazines and Radio - widely recognised and rewarded as being industry innovators.

It has a lot more experience with the music industry as it currently runs 7 music based television channels which are very successful. Because of this, it is more likely that they would have a bttter knowledge of running the magazine

TEEN MAGAZINES

To what extent should magazines be held responsible for the social ramification of the representations they offer?

 

Magazines have a very strong influence on their readers, in terms of persuading them to have a particular opinion or influencing to buy a pair of shoes they would've never thought off. This is because the media are a part of our daily routine and surround us constantly, therefore, it's only natural that the public will consume information that it is fed. One of the most influential magazines is teen magazines. Many young people aspire to be stunning and successful singers or actresses, therefore, magazines know they can use this vulnerability to influence young readers into anything. A controversial topic which has been brought up is whether or not magazines are sexualising young people these days. From looking at the magazine on the right hand side, you can clearly see there is not an obvious sexy theme to the magazine but rather, beauty and innocence. The colours of the magazine are soft, girly and fresh to show off a sense of youthfulness which shows how the magazine is trying to appeal to young people.

However, if you take a closer look at the typography, phrases such as "hot pants" and "short dresses" are written which in a way contradict the image that we are first presented with. This is what mainly causes a debate between people as the idea of magazines luring young people then negatively influencing them seems to be done a lot. Other arguments raised are that teen magazines expose young people to topics that are not appropriate for young ages. An example of this is April's Sugar magazine, with readers aged 14 on average, featured a spread entitled "Is it a crush or are you gay?" And this month's Top of the Pops Magazine, with readers aged 11 to 15, is sold with a set of "Kiss Me!" stickers. Most people believe that this is information that children, let alone teens, should not be exposed to as they are not mature enough to understand or talk about them. Additionally, Celebrities play a huge part in how young people conceive things. Iconic people such as Lady Gaga appear on magazines constantly as they know that she has a huge fan base who admire

her and the things she has achieved. Therefore by using her on front covers of magazines, specifically teens, they are more likely to be responsive to the information featured on it. However on the other hand, others suggest that these types of magazines are educational and teach the younger generation topics that most teachers and parents shy away from. They are not completely negative as they do deal with everyday issues that some people may not be comfortable enough to ask someone such as their parent. It also teaches young people to be familiar with things which take place rather than isolating them from reality. 
Now taking a closer look at the design of magazines, there seems to be similarity between their designs and how a 'spread' is presented. The first thing is colours; a colour scheme is not only important in terms of the magazine flowing and coming as one, but it sets the mood and in most cases determines its audience. For example with the Mary-Kate and Ashley Cosmo Girl magazine, the colour pink is used a lot to emphasise 

femininity and how the magazine is trying to appeal to women. It is also plays with stereotypes in terms of the blond 'bombshell' being associated with the colour pink which is a very common image conceived by society. Many magazines play on stereotypes and in some way use it to their advantage as certain stereotypes are more appealing than others. The next thing is typography, this how the actual context of the text and how it is written in order to grasp the attention of its readers. Typography such as "irresistible" and "shocking" all contribute into making a magazine interesting. Looking at the front cover of a magazine is what gives the public their first impressions, therefore, its very important to capture them as much as possible in a short time. The next thing is things such as the mast head and main image. This tends to be similar throughout magazines in terms of the mast head being in front of the main image or in some cases behind. The masthead also tends to change colour depending on the colour scheme of the magazine. The main image however has to be one the most important aspects as it the first things the public are likely to look at. This means featuring someone who is popular in the public eye and styling them in the most captivating way. This is what brings the magazine together and gives it its edge.
The last argument is who should take the blame for how magazines are being portrayed by society. Should it be the responsibility of the publishers or is it down to the public who chose to read the magazines in the first place. Many people have suggested that magazines are to blame as they use the powerful influence they have on readers to convey a certain image, however, I personally believe it's a individuals decision to pick and choose the types of magazines they read. If I had to change anything about them, it would be their content in terms of how they create stereotypes and manipulate people into believing certain things are 'ok' in society and others are not. They don't emphasise originality enough but rather make people desire to be something their not. No one in the world is perfect and young people grow up thinking there is such a thing as 'perfection' which is what kills their minds and self esteem. Personally, I would show real life people and real life situations in my magazine to prove to young audiences that they are just as good as someone like a celebrity.

MAGAZINES & AUDIENCES

                        

W magazine is an american monthly magazine which is popular for its outtake on latest trends, celebrity gossip and controversial stories. The magazine clearly aims itself to young woman from the clear fact it always features female celebrities. the age range for this particular magazine would for young people but not too young (17-25) as it deals with mature stories and mentions a lot about latest trends which is something a young person probably wouldn't be able to afforod. because it is a monthly magazine, it is going to be considerably more expensive compared to weekly magazine which probably wont contain as much content. in terms of the magazines W produce, they are always very gripping and interest readers lot. for the 2011 winter edition, they used Kristen Stewart who is a young star that has been well known over the years for appearing in moves such as the global phenomenon 'Twilight'. One of the main reasons they would've used Kristen Stewart is because she has a high profile, therefore, by associating themselves with someone who is very popular, it builds the magazines reputation and ultimately attracts a new audience that they may have not had before. 

For this particular magazine,the colors used are very powerful as all the elements of it are used to make Kristen Stewart look more stunning and captivating. As a result, it makes the public want to buy the magazine. E.g the color white represents her purity and the pink compliments the white tone to emphasize her femininity.The hair and makeup done also plays a massive part as the dark colors used on her eyes make her look more striking and portray a sense of mystery and darkness which contradicts the other softer colors. In terms of the actual image, the magazine have made sure its the main focal point as the camera angle used is a close up and the image bleeds which creates the idea of readers being close to Kristen Stewart and feeling a sort of connection. This idea is conveyed with the cover line "opens up".Additionally,typography used makes the magazine effective. The use of thin text creates the idea of having a slender physique. This idea is used a lot throughout females magazines as it makes the audience envy celebrities' figure. another form of typography used is plug lines, they contribute in influencing the public to buy the magazine as phrases such as “most seductive”, “to die for” and “last you a lifetime” all make the magazine much more alluring. Instead of just using text to make the magazine effective ,Symbols such as “+” and “&” create the idea of  the magazine offering the public a lot. By also listing things which will feature in the magazine such as fall looks and hottest celebrities, it creates the idea that by buying the magazine, the reader will receive a lot of information. The magazine as a whole in terms of its structure is set out very well as the text helps to entice readers whilst not taking attention way from Kristen. A very popular technique used by magazines is putting the main image behind cover lines in order for the typography to grip readers and influence us into purchasing magazines. It also creates the idea of the person featured on the magazine, (usually a celebrity), is trapped behind all the stories and headlines about them which creates a sense of vulnerability, 

MAGAZINE TERMINOLOGY

Bleed: the portion of an image that extends beyond the trim area of a page.

Masthead: this is the title block for the magazine, this is usually the most eye-cathcing convention on a page and has to be distinct. 

Pugs: to catch the reader’s eye they are well placed. a pug is the top left hand and right hand corner of a magazine. the prices, logo, position are placed here.

Spread: a story that covers more than one page.

Caption: text underneath a image explaining it.

Kicker: this is a story designed to stand out from the rest of the page by the use of a different font (typeface) and layout. 

Stand first: sentence after a headline and before an article begins that 'sells' a feature to a reader.

Lure: could be used as a marketing device, its usually a word or phrase that makes the reader read the inside articles.

Lead story: usually a splash, it’s the main story.

Credits: in the form a beeline the author is usually credited, some photographs may have the name of the photographer below it.

Crosshead: a subheading that shows in the body of the text and is centered above the column of text. if it is se to one side then it is called a side-head.

Tag: categorizing the reader’s interest in a story by using a word or phrase to engage them e.g. sensational, new, exclusive. tip-on-affixed to the publication is a promotional item such as an magnet or game piece.

Colour Themes: there is always a colour theme on a magazine and this oftenmatches the magazine genre (for example, a rock magazine such as kerrang mightuse black white and red, where as a pop magazine such as top of the pops mightuse pink, yellow and white

Barcode: this is often on the front cover of music magazines because advertsusually cover the back coverIssue date and price

Positioning Statement: this is also known as a slogan and is something that is used tomake it stand out from other magazines, and often this is used to make it seem betterthan any other magazine (Britain’s best music magazine).

GETTING TO KNOW BLOGGER

Things you can do with blogger:

- customize your design

- publish your voice easy and free

- easy access to interface

- free website

- add photos and videos

- earn money through advertisement

- post on the go

- group blogging

How I think blogger will be useful:

I personally know that blogger is a useful, easy to use website because I have used it before. because of this, I know it will make my work easier and efficient as I can post anytime on the go.  I am also familiar with all the settings etc which means I can complete work faster as I am familiar with how it works. blogger is a very good website because of its simplicity and how it allows you to create a good blog. It also gives you plenty of information on how to customize your blog and make it that little bit more special, tutorials on design and a website which can answer almost any question you have about blogger.

In terms of the tools I think will be useful to do my work, I believe that their easy to use posting services are great for using even if you are not at home as they have created an app version allowing people to use it on their phones. It also makes the layout simple for people to understand if their first time users. One of the main great things about blogger is how it allows you to 'edit html' which us basically changing the settings of your blog to customize its appearance and accessibility, because of this you can create something original and different because the settings are completely customized.