Evaluation of my student magazine “The Edition"
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I believe I have done this as the front cover contains all of the key ingredients of a student magazine. The magazine name stands out above all else and so grabs attention straight away. I have used a specific colour scheme of green, black, red and white which not only livens up the front cover but is continued throughout the magazine and looks very professional and nice. I have used pictures mainly to show what to expect in the magazine rather than a lot of text because students would rather look at what’s inside than read lots of text. The pictures are also very attention grabbing and help to liven up the front cover. The front cover as a whole looks fun, entertaining as well as informative and informal. I think if I were to change any aspect of the front cover it may be the colour or style of the magazine name. Although it does stand out well black is not as vibrant a colour as red or green and people may think that it looks a bit dull and the style a bit too formal for a student magazine.
The contents page needs to be informative but at the same time lively and informal- much like the front cover. Because it is a contents page it needs to have more text than the front cover but still needs to keep to a minimum because it can be dull and boring. I included some pictures on my contents page along with the text so the readers can tell what’s inside through both the text and the pictures. I have continued the colour scheme of red, white, black and green, the same as the front cover, to liven up the page and to also help the reader in reading the text. I have kept text to a minimum but at the same time have kept it informative. I feel that a page number and the title of the page is plenty. I have also added a background colour instead of just a boring wash of white. One thing I would change though is the pictures. I would perhaps add some more or change the size.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In my magazine I have represented teenagers and students. One of the ways I have done this is by the use of pictures. To attract students and teenagers to looking at my magazine I have made the pictures big, colourful and also informative as they tell the reader of what to expect inside the magazine. I have kept text to a minimum as the teenager social group doesn’t like to read through a lot of text. The text is also informal but at the same time informative.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Institutes that are likely to distribute my magazine are colleges and universities because they will appeal to the students at the institution. I feel that a company would want to distribute my magazine because it is honest, fresh, gives a chance for the student to be heard, focuses on many issues big or small, is entertaining, written by students and above all- fun. It also gives the student a chance to be involved in something that many people will be interested in and it is a good place for university advertisements ect. I also think that my magazine is unique because unlike others it is aimed not only at college students but also pupils of secondary schools looking to go to college the next year. I feel that this magazine will be of great help to them because they get a valuable insight into what college life is actually like and were it can lead to.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The general target audience for my magazine would be students still at college and pupils still at secondary school looking to continue their education and go to a college. The age range therefore would be between the ages of 15-20. The magazine is really for everyone of those ages as it has something for all.
How did you attract/address your audience?
My magazine addressed people as a fun, lively and above all entertaining magazine mainly for teenagers and students. Many people who commented on my magazine front cover and contents page said that the use of pictures assisted by small amounts of informative text was appealing and gave a good insight as to what to expect inside. Other people I spoke to also said how the colour scheme attracted them as it stood out and looked quite attractive to them. One criticism I did receive however, was that the magazine name, although a good name for the magazine, was styled to formally for a student magazine and could potentially cause some confusion as to what sort of magazine it could be.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
In making this magazine I have used many programs and new websites and so I have gained new skills and knowledge in how to use them to my advantage. One of the programs I had never used or even heard of before was gimp- 2.6. I used this to change a photo I had taken for my student magazine font cover. In this case I learnt how to develop a photo to what I wanted using a variety of tools and then how to add it to the magazine front cover and then upload the finished front cover to my blog.
By Jack Purkis
