Early Drafts

These are early drafts of my contents page and cover. I experimented with using the blue font rather than the red on the contents page to create more cohesion between the two pages. In the end I decided that I would introduce the red element to the cover, allowing me to have a red contents page, which not only follows music magazine convention but also, in my opinion, is more aesthetically pleasing.

Orignal Images - Final Product

6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The main programme I used to construct my magazine was Photoshop CS5. I found it quite difficult to use at first, as I had no previous experience with it. However my preliminary task taught me a lot of the pitfalls, for example the care needed whilst using the quick section tool and the rectangle tool, so when it came time to do my main task I was aware of what I needed to improve.


I used Blogger (www.blogger.com) to publish my work. This was an easy way to display my images and text, whilst also allowing me to edit and modify my posts.


I used Flickr (www.flickr.com) as a device to evaluate my images, using the “note” tool to annotate my work. I did encounter some problems however, for example setting up a yahoo account and setting the images to public view.



I used TDK Trans-it 4GB memory stick to transport my work from college to home. There was one worrying moment when I misplaced my memory stick and did not have the file on a computer, but I located it and from then on kept a copy of the work both on the stick and on a hard drive.


I used a Sony Cybershot camera to take my images with. It is an all-round performance camera, so I had to think carefully about lighting and letting the image focus before I took it in order to achieve a high quality image, especially in the distance shots. I was really pleased how this image turned out, with the animal tracks apparently leading toward my models feet and the clouds forming mountains in the background, however because the building is visible I could not use this image in the magazine.

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation of the cover (or click the image to view it in flickr):

Attracting My Audience: Cover
Originally uploaded by Victoria Maitland

The ethereal gaze of my cover model would attract my audience as it would appeal to their love of fashion photography and the traditional beauty shot. This image also is the only fashion reference on the page, so for that reason I made sure the imager was one that would be more traditionally found on a cover of a fashion magazine rather than the usually controversial, intimidating and aggressive images usually found on a music magazine.

I have placed the most high-profile articles on the cover as my cover lines to attract my audience. The musicians I have chosen have a folk based political or lyrical style which fits well with the musical identity of my audience as well as the ambiance of my magazine.

My sparse use of colour is a strong feature of my magazine as my audience would not like the loud, bright coloured format of many other music magazines. It also reflects the kind of music my audience will listen to, which is lighter and less shouty or synthesised than the mainstream norm.

I have used alliteration on my cover to make my article stand out and therefore attract my audience. These linguistic methods would appeal to my audience who have been able to afford higher education.

Evaluation of the contents page (or click the image to view it in flickr):

Attracting My Audience: Contents
Originally uploaded by Victoria Maitland

I kept my layout very minimalistic, with minimal colours and areas of whitespace, which would appeal to my audience who live a structured, metropolitan life. It is because of this that I have kept my page free of adverts.

I have used less well known musicians to attract my audience, who would always be on the lookout for the latest trend and the next big thing. In contrast I have used well known fashion and political features as these will be comforting to my audience and will address their need to be up to the minute on their favourite issues.

The mix of images with models looking both directly at and away from the camera would attract my audience as they would appreciate the composition of the image as much as they would the people in them.

The evaluation of the double page spread (or click the image to view it in flickr):

Attracting My Audience: DPS
Originally uploaded by Victoria Maitland

I used a mixture of elevated lexis and colloquial language to speak in the voice of my audience, who would be educated but also everyday people. They would not be intimated by some of the more elevated language because their social situation has meant they would have been able to afford higher education. This mixture of chatty and high register would be familiar to them at it is the same tone as would be used in the broadsheets they would be likely to read, for example “The Guardian”.

Once again my use of colour is minimal. This establishes a strong house style which would appeal to my audience.

I included a note about the model's clothing because I understand that my audience are interested in fashion so knowing this would appeal to them. I have addressed this interest in the main body of the article too, commenting on the fictional artists clothing choice with insight into the fashion trends.

The fact that my model is looking away from the camera would appeal to my audience as they would appreciate the composition of the piece. As she is looking over the page it also subconsciously suggests that the reader should turn the page to discover more.

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I chose the image of Agyness Deyn from the cover of the June 2007 edition of Vogue, as like my image the models eyes are the main draw of the image. The image also bears a similarity with the basic colours, instead of being pink; my image uses blue as its feature colour. Both images have plain white backgrounds, with a close up shot of the head and shoulders, rather than the conventional mid-shot. However Deyn has her arms in the photo and is holding props, whereas my image is much more minimalist which fits well with the house style of my magazine.

Both images would appeal to my target audience as both are fashion shots, and rather than displaying a particular attitude, both are intended to sell a product. This is cohesive with the view of my target audience, which are very consumerist, especially given their ABC1 social demographic. However their psychographic profile dictates that they would like to believe that they are eco-friendly, so the sale element has to be in a subtle, unassuming manner. Combining it with an aspect of their psychographic that features heavily in their lives, fashion and fashion photography, makes it more acceptable and therefore more accessible.

Both models are fair skinned with blue eyes, connoting innocence. This fits well with the title of my magazine “Ingenue” which means innocent or naïve.
As my target audience is female, I chose to go against convention and have woman on the cover of my music magazine, where 70% of music magazine have a male cover model. My model looks between the 21 – 40 age range my magazine would appeal to so my audience would not feel threatened by her presence on the cover.


I also took inspiration for the shot from the image of Celia Ammerman. The high fashion edge to what is essentially a beauty shot would appeal greatly to my audience. I decided that to make my product more accessible to a wider audience psychographic, who would buy my magazine for the music or politics over the fashion aspect, I would remove some of the high fashion element, however keeping the white mascara and blue lips ensured that the contemporary look remained. My camera angle was front on, rather than the slightly lower angle of the Ammerman image. This makes my image look a lot less imposing, once again connoting innocence and creating cohesion with the title. Ammerman’s gaze is very knowing, and this would appeal to my audience’s intelligence.

All my images display white, middle class women who would fit into my psychographic profile. The images tap into the sub-culture of wealthy women who have multiple interests and share the desire to appear unique, environmentally friendly and fashionable. They want to be up to date and before the trend, and I believe the images I have chosen depict the exclusive, cool and knowledgeable lifestyle my audience crave. The images portray a stereotypical fashion style pose: alluring, arresting gaze with the slightly parted lips, or in other words a serious, slightly superior image rather than a smiling one.