Question 5:

How did you attract/address your audience?

I sent out a questionnaire with various different questions that I tallied and analysed so that when I was creating my magazine I could incorporate the feedback to make it as good as possible. One way I did this, for further analysis of my magazine, I created a focus group on a social networking site called Facebook. This is where I uploaded my magazine and asked a series of questions:

• What is your general view on my front cover/contents/introductory double page/ double page spread?• Do you think my magazine has a clear colour theme?• Is there any improvements that need to be made?• Is the photography effective?

I then received a few responses back for each of the elements (front cover, contents, intro/double page spread). Overall all the responses were minor details that needed to be fixed, such as the drop caps, spelling mistakes and resizing text. The answers I received were all from an audience of 16-35 and, therefore my magazines proved to have an effect on this age group which is my target audience.

Market Research

For my front cover I received a comment from a person called Liz Smith who pointed out that my barcode is too close to the edge and to move the price with it and put it in a smaller font. I took this into consideration and moved the barcode and price accordingly and added another cover-line at the bottom to fill the space.

Front Cover

Another person commented on my contents stating that I could list saying cover article or key issue next t josh’s name. However, I felt that this wasn’t necessary due to the fact that it would overlap the image behind it too much. I also removed the area at the top of the page located in the strong fallow area which would have been the authors picture and statement. This was due to the fact that I felt it over crowded the page a little and I feel that without it it creates a better reading gravity than before.

Contents

I received another comment from a person called Lara Dobson who pointed out that the use of drop caps “may have been used slightly too much”. I then removed some of the drop caps and limited them to one a paragraph s that it still “draw[s] in peoples attention.”

Another person also commented on my introductory double page and pointed out some spelling mistakes and some areas where I could resize my text so that it is consistent throughout. I took this into account and edited it.

Introductory Double Page Spread and Main Double Page Spread

I also created a group message on the same social networking site, Facebook, to send my survey I created on survey monkey. I then based my magazine off the results of the survey by making my magazine focus on a variety of different genres instead of one, much like Q magazine. One questions that was answered was ‘ Why do you read a magazine?’ The results I received was that 40% read a magazine for the artists/celebrities and interviews featured in the magazine. From this information I made sure that I had plenty of artists, other than the main artists which was the selling point for the magazine.

I also found that when I asked the question of ‘What music do you listen to?” over 40% answered pop, and just under 20% answered dance, rock, RnB and Alternative Rock. From these results I decided to focus my magazine on a range of genres like NME and Q due to the fact that there was a similarity in the amount of people who listened to the different genres. I also focused my magazine on various genres due to the fact that the age group of female was 80% and male 20%. Therefore, instead of limiting it to gender specific I wanted to focus on the audiences’ age group instead as I found this is what magazines like Q and NME focus on.

I asked the question of ‘What is your age?’ to get a better understanding of who I am asking to see whether it would effect the music they listen to. Although I don’t know for sure I believe that the younger audience (16-26) liked genres such as rock, RnB and Dance due to the stereotypical views of younger people going to clubs and festivals. Whereas as the audience got older they also liked genres such as pop and dance due to the age group still being young (27-37). Therefore I targeted my audience around these age ranges at 16-36.

Front cover Guttenberg PrincipleMy front cover design is laid out following the Guttenberg principle so that the audience can read it clearly. I made sure that the most important information was featured either in the primary optical are, strong fallow area or in the path of the reading gravity- The masthead is located in at the top of the page occupying the primary optical area and the strong fallow area due to the fact that it is the logo of my magazine. The word “MUSO” is a colloquialism for someone who is obsessed with music and therefore attracts a younger audience who knows about this ‘slang’ term. I placed the cover lines on the left hand side of the page due to the fact that the natural reading gravity is from left to right. This gradually increases in size and finishes with the main cover line of “JOSH TAYLOR”. This is so that the audience can depict this from the rest of the content and understand that this is the main feature..Photography

I included a range of photographs on the front cover so that it attracts the audience into further reading. I tried to accomplish a range of genres through the photography with the use of props and costume. The image of the two girls and two boys establish that they are a group but they are both from two different genres- the two boys represent the rock genre which I have tried to emphasise through the use of guitars. Where as the image of the two girls establish a pop band due to the bright colours and proximity. I have purposely done this to establish to the audience that there is a range content within my magazine therefore attracting a wide range of audiences with different interests in music.

Photography

For the main image of the front cover I have used a close-up of the subjects face. The use of lighting, colour and costume indicates that the subject is representing the indie genre, based off the artist Noel Gallagher. I wanted to make the subject appear moody and look like he has attitude, like the band Oasis, so I used the technique of side lighting to create a shadow. This gives it a contrast in dark and light and adheres to the house style of the magazine. It connotes aggressiveness which attracts an audience of this genre.

House style

I have used the colour theme of red and black to connote aggressiveness of the main image and to represent the indie/ alternative rock genre, like Oasis. I used white to balance out the black and red, and also because the use of the lighting on the main image is split black and white. Therefore I used white to show this contrast further, along with the use of black text.

House style continued:

I laid out the front cover in this way to adhere to the main image so that It frames it. This allows there to be a natural field of view towards the main cover line which is the viewpoint within the text. I placed the barcode on the right side of the page due to the fact this is seen within a lot other magazines.

ContentsGuttenberg Principle

I have based the contents on the layout of the Guttenberg principle by the contents occupying the primary optical area as this is the first thing the reader is going to see. I then placed my images on the left side of the page which is located in the primary optical area and slightly into the strong fallow area. I also placed the images there due to the fact that every magazine I have looked at places a big image or a couple images in this area. For the main feature of my magazine I have placed it underneath the images in the weak fallow area. I wanted to use a big area for this do to the fact that it is the selling point to the magazine and gives the reader an insight into the interview on the introductory double page and double page spread. I placed the content of the magazine down the right hand side of the magazine. This is because the it is at the end of the path of the reading gravity, so after looking at the images they are taken towards the features, albums, news, events and every month.Photography: Main Image

I have used a wide range of photographs for my contents so the audience have an idea of what is featuring within the magazine. Like the main image on my front cover I have used a large picture of the main subject within the primary optical area so that audience know that this is the main feature. I have used a mid-shot of the subject to establish the indie genre further through the use of costume. Here the audience gets a sense of his character through his physicality and use of lighting to portray a moody character like the band members of oasis. I have also used a screenshot of the front cover at the bottom of the page to further emphasise his importance to the magazine.

Photography: other images

For the images of the other artists featuring I placed them next to the main image on the page being the same size as they are equally important. The lighting I have used In the image of the female subjects is side lighting due to the fact that I wanted to give them an edge as they represented the pop genre. Within the image of the male subjects I also used side lighting but with the use of a soft box close up to them. This was because I wanted to create a slightly over exposed side to their face and then a dark shadow on the other side to emphasise their genre of Rock to the audience.

House style:

I have kept the house style of the front cover to add a sense of professionalism and the idea that it is associated with the main subject- Josh Taylor. This is because red and black have connotations of aggressiveness and therefore emphasise the genre Josh Taylor is representing. I laid out the contents this way so that it establishes the sense of a professional contents page, like NME, and that the style the way the photography is laid out and the content on the side of the page is a clear layout for the audience. There is no two font size that are the same which I have used to establish to the audience what’s important content.

Introductory Double PageGuttenberg Principle

The use of the Guttenberg Principle isn’t as apparent as on the front cover and contents page, however I have placed the title of the page within the primary optical area and strong fallow area , which is the top half of the page, so that the audience can see it clearly and know exactly what It is about. I placed the text of the interview at the bottom half of the page in the weak fallow area and terminal area, due to the fact that it isn’t as important as the title as there needs to be something to draw the audiences attention towards the article. I also tried to establish the effect of the reading gravity by placing the drop caps in a diagonal, starting at the left and ending to the right. I originally had a drop cap on each paragraph but when I received feedback from the focus group on Facebook one person said that “the use of the larger fonts to start paragraphs may have been used slightly too much but it does draw in peoples attention.” Therefore I limited the drop caps to only one column. As for the right page I dedicated this to just a close-up of the subject to establish to the audience that the interview Is on this person. I didn’t use the Guttenberg principle for this page but I have placed the masthead, number of the page and date the magazine was created within the weak fallow area (left page) and terminal area (right page). This was because within all the magazines I have looked at they use this technique either at the bottom or at the top. Also within magazine like Q or they have a main image occupying a full page.

Photography:

On the left page I have used a close-up of the subject to show the audience that the article is of this subject. I have also used the effect of side lighting again as I feel that this gives the subject personality which is apparent to audience through this image emphasised by the physicality and facial features- his head bent slightly to one side and scowling indicates an attitude commonly associate with the indie genre. The costume adheres to the colour theme of the magazine- black, red and white. Black and red connotes violence and rage where as white has connotations of goodness.

House style: The colour theme of this page is apparent in the text and the photography, which it consistent throughout each of the pages. I have used a sans serif font due to the fact I am attracting a younger audience of 16-35 year olds. This is because this font style is usually seen on magazines like NME and KERRANG! Due to this reason. Serf style font is associated with an older audience like in magazines like Q. I used this particular house style so that it is clear and easy for the audience to find things.

Double page spread Guttenberg Principle

Within this double page spread I started the left page with a drop in the primary optical area so that the audience is instantly drawn towards the text. I then placed a column of images within the middle of the page in the path of the reading gravity so that the audience is reminded that the interview is of this subject. As for the right page on the double page spread I also started it off with text so that the article flows and is easy to find by the audience. I placed a large image of the subject at the bottom half the page within the weak fallow area and terminal area along with a pull quote so that the audience end with this image and pull quote due to the fact that it is in the line of the reading gravity. When looking at the double page as a whole I took the feedback of my introductory double page spread and main double spread about the drop caps into consideration and limited them to only one each column. I have placed them purposely in a diagonal line so that the audience reading gravity flows and they naturally fall to the images at the bottom of the page.

Photography

Due to the fact I took two shoots of the subject wearing different clothes so that I could establish to the audience that he represents the indie genre, I placed them evenly across the two pages. Within each image the costume includes the colours black, white and red so that the colour theme of the magazine is clear. I also used the side lighting with the soft box so that it gives a gradual light to dark shadow from one side to the other. This was to emphasise his aggressiveness and moodiness through this and also his physicality, much like an indie band/ artist. I have included a range of close-up’s and mid-shots to give a wide range of images for the audience to look at and establish his character.

House Style:

The house style is placed accordingly to the images I have used so that it adheres to a neat layout for the audience to look at easily. I have also used a sans serif font so that it doesn’t look formal as I am attracting a young audience of 16-35. I used the black, white and red colour theme so that the audience knows that it is associated with the subject. I have also used it so that the audience know instantly that it is still content from MUSO. I placed two large images on the right page so that it fills in the black spaces due to the article being short on this side. I included a column of images to give it diversity and so isn’t just a page of text.