Evaluation

The name of my magazine is ‘Wyke College’ with the slogan being ‘The Fun Starts Here’. Featured on the front of my magazine are a group of people enjoying themselves and having fun. This relates back to the slogan (‘The Fun Starts Here’) and shows that college isn’t all about work and can be fun too. This also shows that no where else will provide you with the same level and amount of entertainment as this college and magazine will. Shown in the picture are three girls and one boy smiling and enjoying themselves which connotates that college is for everyone and that everyone can be friends together no matter what their gender.

The cover line to link with the picture and main feature is ‘Children of the Revolution’ and features an article about the views of first year students and their thoughts about their first half term in the college. ‘Children of the Revolution’ connotates that despite the stereotype, the youth of today is not all drugs and violence and the majority of teenagers are friendly and not looking for trouble which is what I have shown on my front cover. This cover line title is also a song which will relate to the target audience, college students, as most are majorly interested in music and bands. As the front cover and image is the first thing buyers will see, it will give the readers a clear indication that Wyke College is full of outgoing people who are always up for a laugh. I have placed my main cover line at the top of the page as it will be the first thing people look at, whereas if it was at the bottom it wouldn’t be noticed as much, and contributes further to the idea that the college is filled with welcoming people. Other cover lines include Chlamydia and EMA related one’s titled ‘Sexually Active?’ and ‘Do YOU get EMA?’. As both cover lines are questions this makes the reader stop and think, drawing them in and possibly urging them to read on and find out what the articles are about. The cover lines also relate to the target audience (students of the college) as most are sexually active and will benefit from a Chlamydia screening and most also get EMA so the article about helping make sure the students never miss a payment is sure to make them want to read on more and purchase the magazine. The fourth cover line I used was titled ‘BOO!’, in relation to the Halloween party approaching. This relates to students as a main aspect in their lives at the moment, along side music, are parties and socialising. As the title is short, upper case and uses an exclamation point this automatically draws the reader in, despite being at the bottom of the page.

Contributing further to help draw in the readers is the use of capital letters to emphasise who the article is aiming at. The use of ‘you’ in capitals, used in the cover line ‘Do YOU get EMA?’, makes the reader feel singled out and important as though the magazine has been written for them only.

The text used on my magazine is bright and bold, the font being clear to read and also matching the colour scheme of the college logo and title. The only cover line which does not match to this is the halloween related one, as it is orange, which, because is placed at the bottom of the page, helps it stand out more and gives the students recognition of the cover line despite it's position.

The Selling line ‘The North East’s most successful college magazine’ is used to make the reader feel urged to buy it as they will feel that most people have already purchased it and enjoyed it. This will make the reader feel obliged to purchase it as students hate to feel left out and love to be on top of everything going on and up-to-date with the current trends and interests.

Also featured on my magazine front cover are typical college magazine conventions; the price, issue date, the college’s website and a barcode. The website is included to help the students get more information about the college and the magazine if needed.

Overall I believe my magazine, completed on DTP (desktop publisher) turned out well, targeting the audience successfully and portraying a realistic stereotype of the youth of today without giving the connotation of college being boring and consisting of work only.
However, if i were to produce my magazine again, i would possibly change the magazine name to something other than the name of the college and ensure that i timed myself more productively as some tasks were rushed due to the lack of time and therefore i do not feel as though some of the planning was up to the correct standard. Still, despite the lack of time i believe all tasks carried out where completed to an acceptable standard and therefore I am satisfied with the final production. Therefore for the music magazine and main task i will ensure that all work and planning is completed before the final due date to make sure i am completly satisfied with the final product and all planning work.
The production of the magazine cover was simple and therefore i felt comftable producing the final product, other than if I has completed it in another way, Adobe Photoshop, for example.

College Magaine Front Cover

Print Draft

After completing my first sketch draft i realised that i wasn't happy with the final product and therefore changed and added some of the features. The masthead, selling line, logo and main image remained as it previously was, however i moved the barcode, price and date from the top, down to the bottom of the page. This way there is no chance of it drawing any attention away from the main focus, as it is not an important feature of the magazine and only there to give the reader information about what they're buying and can be easily noticed after the main splash features have been taken into consideration. However, i moved the website directly under the masthead, this way the reader is getting to know where they can find any extra information if needed, but because the font will be small, it takes away any distraction the text may have cause.

I also moved the main cover line front across the top of the image across to the top left hand side of the image. This way, despite being further up, the cover line is still noticed first as it is above and more large than any following cover lines. The main image has also been streched so it covers the whole width of the magazine, other than having a plain white border around it. This way the image is more noticed as it is larger and therefore more likely to catch the readers attention.

A slogan has also been added, 'the fun starts here', which will be placed below the masthead as though it is a follow on from the magazine name and indicating that at Wyke College and throughout the magazine is where the fun will start.

Sketch Draft

My sketch draft of my magazine contains two students, a male and female, standing outside the main entrance of the college with books and folders in their hands. The masthead (wyke college) is placed at the top of the page so people are able to notice it more easily and it is the first thing their eyes are drawn to when they see the magazine. The college logo is also placed at the top of the page, in the opposite corner, as a recognisable sign of both the college and the magzine. I have chose to place three cover lines along side the main cover line that is placed at the top of the page, below the masthead and above the main image. I have chose to place it here at it will draw the eye as it is in the centre and therefore a focal point of the magazine and a main thing that will catch the readers eye. This is important as it is the magazine's monthy story and therefore a main spread throughout the magazine.

The selling line is placed in smaller font below the masthead so it is noticed without drawing too much information away from the main image and title.

The barcode, price, date and website are also placed at the top of the page, alongside the masthead so, like the selling line, are noticed without taking attention away from the main focus. I chose to include the barcode along with price, date and website to let the reader know where to go if they need any more information about either the college or the magazine (website), to let the reader know how much the magazine is (price) and also to let to reader know what magazine number this issue is (date). The barcode has been included for scanning purposes.

Contents Page

Here is a mock up of my contents page for my college magazine. I have chose to include images, the content listings and a note from the editor in my magazine including an image relating to the main image on the front cover.
I decided to include a note from the editor to let the readers know what has been going on throughout the past month and other information that may not be included in every issue of the magazine.
The image relating to the main cover story is placed at the top of the contents page as it is the most inportant feature of the month and therefore, with it being placed at the top, is one of the first things people will notice when they open the magazine and look through the contents page.
The second image i have chose to include will be one that relates to a story that has not been shown on the cover but is still included in the magazine. This will give the readers more of an insite into what the magazine includes without them having to scan through the whole thing.
Content listings and page numbers have been included as, other than them being typical magazine conventions, they are there to help the reader direct their way around the magazine and, alongside the second image, give the reader a clearer indication as to what the magazine will include.
'Contents' is shown clear at the top of the page, along with the wyke logo to to let the readers know what page of the magazine they are on. The logo is included as it is shows the name of the magazine, once again, therefore not letting the reader forget it, making it stick in their mind.

Mood Board

The mood board for my magazine includes a selection of images that could be used including the wyke logo and also a selection of own images that could appear as a main feature on the magazine front cover. These images all portray college students having fun while still being academic (shown by students carrying bags and folders).
My mood board also has ideas of the colours i will use on my magazine front cover and also slogans and cover line titles. I have also included possible fonts that could be used on the front cover.

College magazine analysis #2

'College' magazine's predominant feature is the model standing directly in the middle of the frame. Although both this magazine and 'Bounce' magazine are aimed at college students, the type of student differs. The target audience of 'College' are those who prefer more academic activities and students who prefer to study whereas the target audience of 'Bounce' magazine is those who prefer to socialise and go out with their friends in their spare time. We can see this as the model is wearing more formal clothes and is carrying text books for law and business, which are academic subjects as oppose to art or drama etc. The magazine also aims, predominantly, at males, as the colours are black and green, dark colours, which represent male stereotypes as appose to females.

The masthead of the magazine is bold and stands out due to the bold, bright colours. The masthead, although large, doesn't draw attention away from the model as he is partly covering it. If the model was not covering the masthead he would be overpowered by the magazine title and therefore not be the centre focus as he should be. 

The language used is modern and is advertising modern activities and things, therefore relating to the target audience, college students, and, in turn, making them feel more involved with the magazine. 'Make Money On Campus' relates to students as it is difficult for them to find a job easily, therefore this cover line stands out to the students and makes them want to purchase the magazine and read on. This represents individuality; people who are going out to make their own money are willing to be on their own.

Despite predominantly aiming towards students who prefer more academic subjects, 'College' also has features that appeal to those who prefer the more social side of things. 'College Couture' and 'Thank God It's Friday' instantly draw people in as 'Couture' represents clothes and fashion and 'Thank God It's Friday' represents parties and having fun and relaxing over the weekend. This, once again, draw people in and encourages them to buy the magazine and find out how to achieve the things the cover lines are promoting. 

As featured on the cover of 'Bounce' magazine the model is not white. This beats any form of racism and shows that this magazine is for everyone and different ethnicities are seen everywhere. 

The model also makes eye-contact with the camera, connecting with the reader and making them feel more involved with the magazine and the student lifestyle.

College magazine analysis

'Bounce' magazine is dominated by a party theme. We can tell this by the multi-coloured light in the background and also the pose of the model; she is posed as if she was dancing. This relates to the target audience, college students, as parties are a main aspect in students lives and this, therefore, makes the students buy the magazine as they feel more included in the lifestyle the magazine is referring to.

The masthead of the magazine is bold and stands out without drawing too much attention away from the main focus of the cover; the model. The masthead is also in quite a modern font, once again relating to the target audience and making them feel more engaged in the magazine, urging them to purchase it.

The model featured is of different ethnicity to white British highlighting that this magazine is not only for people of all ethnic backgrounds but also that college is for people of all ethnic backgrounds and that no one should feel the minority. The model on the cover is also making eye contact with the audience making them feel more involved with the magazine and the lifestyle.

The cover lines are producing a bias opinion towards students, such as, 'we are the new breed!' highlighting a new type of teenagers/students, oppose to the violent, drug abusing stereotype we are used to. The use of 'we' also engages the audience more as it includes and involves them in the lifestyle, whereas the use of 'I' would make the reader feel more of an outsider and less likely to buy the magazine as they don't feel part of the student group. Another cover line 'culture on the rise' refers to how the student majority is not purely white and that more cultures and backgrounds are being introduced to todays society.

This magazine is aimed, predominantly, towards students who are less interested in extra curiculum activites and more interested in, when they finish college and go home, either just relaxing or going out with their friends. The magazine also aims towards females as the colour scheme is bright, soft and girly with colours such as purple, pink and red being used.

Magazine cover key ingredients

There are nine key ingredients used to make a magazine successful:

Masthead: The name of the magazine displayed in the typeface in which it is designed. This is the visual branding of the title and is usually done in a unique typeface so it is recognisable.

Dateline: Month and year of publication, often with the price. Note that a monthly magazine usually hits the news-stands the month before the cover date.

Main Image: In most cases on magazines covers the images are used in a classic way, the face of the model being big enough to make an impact on the news-stand with the model making full eye contact.

Model Credit: It is unusual for such a credit to appear on the cover.

Coverlines: Most magazines uses a lot of cover lines, which are distributed around the main image without detracting from it too much.

Main Cover Line: This is very large - taking up about a quarter of the cover area - and comes in three layers, each with a different colour. They are ususally positioned against a section of the model's body so it stands out more clearly.

Left Third: The left third of the cover is vital for selling the issue in shops where the magazine is not shown full-frontage. The title must be easily recognisable in a display of dozens of competitors. The start of the masthead is important here.

Bar Code: Standard barcode used by retailers.

Selling Line: Short, sharp description of the title's main marketing point, for example, 'The world's number 1 magazine for young women', or perhaps setting out it's editorial philosophy.

Splash: Every different feature on the magazine cover when finished.