Here are a few things I've learned by looking back at my preliminary task: - Planning and research are crucial. Spending time researching conventions of real magazines helped me design my magazine in a more realistic way. - Simple, clear layouts are most effective. My preliminary magazine layout was a bit cluttered. For the main task I focused on large images and clear hierarchies. - Developing a style guide is important. Defining elements like fonts, colors and layout ensured consistency throughout my magazine. - Getting feedback early helps improvement. Comments on my preliminary work pointed out areas to strengthen, which I was able to address for the full magazine. - Understanding the audience is key. My preliminary task didn't

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
EYEBROWS
Is it not conventional to
have eye brows on the
magazine cover as
STAND FIRST
some magazines have
eyebrows and some
It is conventional for the stand
don’t have eye brows.
first to be bold and big. Hip-
Hop magazines put the main
image picture on top of the
stand first. This makes the
model the main focus of the
magazine.
COVER LINES
It is conventional for the
cover lines to be either
side of the model as
shown VIBE magazine.
Their conventional in
order to show the
audience what genre the MAIN IMAGE
magazine is.
It is conventional for male models to be cut of
above the waist of the magazine. Showing BAR CODES
how the models are not used to attract the
audience in a sexual way. However female
models are cut off above the legs I saw this Bar codes are conventional in music
on most magazines because they attract the magazines as they tell the price of the
audience for sexual reasons. Most of the magazines. Some magazines use the q
females models have sexual poses. It is codes for smartphones as they are
conventional for the models to be looking at becoming more popular.
the audience .

3. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
All the magazine that I researched had
the stand first in capitals. This meant
that it is conventional to have the stand
first in capitals, as the name of the
The eyebrows are not magazine stands out Magazines such
conventional all magazines how as Q and Vibe had the stand first with a
ever I included an eyebrow in my left align. This influenced me to have
magazine. Included it because it mine with a left align as it was
draws attention to the audience conventional. Most popular ship-hop
having looked at other magazines shows the main image on
magazines. top of the stand first however my
influence of the stand first was Q
Cover lines are a conventional when magazine. As the main image not
producing a music magazine this is covering the stand first as shown in
because they enable the audience to THE SOURCE magazine.
know what is in the magazine.
However it is not conventional for
cover lines to be placed a certain way
on magazines. For example on The
Source magazine there's cover lines
on the left and right of the magazine.
This is not conventional of every Hip-
Hip magazine. DA VIBE main cover
lines are on the left of the magazine.
The main image is conventional for
I included a barcode for
all music magazines. However after
smartphones because smart
doing research the models pose is
phones such as Blackberry's
adapted in every magazine so that Barcodes are conventional for every
are more popular with my target
it matches the genre. I used the music magazine because they tell
audience which is 16-25. This
bling so that it matches the Hip-Hop the price of every magazine. The
means that more of my target
genre. The Source’s and Da Vibe way it is placed on every magazine
audience can get more out of
magazines pose also represents is different for example DA VIDE is
the online website.
the hip-Hop culture as I used the vertical but still on the bottom of the
same body language. page. THE SOURCE is on the left
but DA VIBE is on the right .

4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media products?
Stand first
Stand first’s are
conventional to music
magazines because they Type Face
allow the audience to
know that it is the It is conventional for the
contents page. Most contents page to use
magazines show the similar type face as the
stand first to be bold and magazine cover. This
in capitals which draws make it consistent
more attention to it. through out the
magazine. It also makes
the magazine look
simple.
The main image
House style
It is conventional for the main image of
the magazine to be looking directly at It is conventional for magazine
the audience. However putting one contents to show a definite house
picture is not conventional . Magazines style. This enables the magazine
such as Q and Kerrung! Rarely use one to be showing consistent colours
image. However many Hip Hop through out the magazine.
magazine such as Vibe and The Source
use one image

5. I have included pictures of music magazines to show their conventions and where I got the
inspiration for my magazine contents?
The house style of the magazine is clearly
The stand first stands out in the shown. It is conventional for magazines to
VIBE’s contents. The Image is have a house style. Many magazines that I
in front on the stand first like the research have a house style. Q magazine
front cover. However on my and Vibe magazine have a definite house
contents page the main image is style with is shown through out the contents
not covering the stand first. I page.
got this idea from the Q
Magazine contents. My stand
first design for my magazine is
influenced by VIBE
Magazine’s contents because I
wanted to have a stand first that
would appeal to my audience.
It’s conventional to have
page numbers on the
magazine contents. This
makes it easier for the
reader to find the pages. It
Vibe magazine use one main image also helps save time if a
for their magazine contents. I two used reader saw the cover story
models in my contents however this is on the cover.
not conventional of every magazine.
The main image for VIBE magazine
matches the house style as it is made
grey like the page. I got my inspiration
to keep the image its original colour
from Q and other magazines as I
preferred it.
It is conventional to have the
models face the audience.
However my first model is not
looking at the audience how ever
he is pointing at the features. This
draws more attention at the
features instead of the images.

6. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
A standfirst is
conventional so that the A pull quote is
audience know what convectional in most
artist is being double page spreads a
interviewed or the pull quote was used to
article is about. It is stand out from the text.
normally bold so that This attracts more of the
fans of the artist read audience as it is more
the article and to catch highlighted by being
the readers eye. bigger.
It is conventional for
the type face to be
justified so its aligned
from left and right
margins .
It is conventional for a house style
To be shown on double page spreads. The main image is
Hip Hop Connection show a house conventional as the artist
style of black red and white. is shown so that the
audience can identify the.
Most magazines used full
bleed images like hip-hop
connection

7. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
I made the standfirst
I made the image full the bold so that the
bleed because after audience can tell who
researching other the artist is. The stand
double page spreads first has the same
I found the full bleed colour as the magazine
images more cover. The double page
appealing. spread resembles
colours to the cover
, this shows how' I have
continued the house
style.
I justified my text so that it looks
more appealing to the audience. I
thought this was conventional as in
I included a main image in most double page spreads the text
my double page spread as it was aligned this way.
is conventional for a double
page spread to have an
image. My model is holding
their fists. I made the model
pose in this way to show the
power they have which
suggests that they are going I used a pull quote on the image so
to be come a superstar. This that it can draw my readers
image is appealing to both attention. I put it on the image not in
males and females as most the text because the image is what
males aspire to have the audience will see when they turn
muscles and females can the page to the double page spread.
find it appealing as the model
is facing the audience.

8. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine “MUS!Q” challenges the stereotypical teenager and young
adults. Teenagers are shown to be careless, violent and associated with
underage drinking and drugs. However my magazine MUSIQ doesn’t
portray that image of teenagers as it as it shows young people with
aspirations.
The stereo typical My magazine shows
teenager and young teenagers to be
adult is portrayed as aspiring. My model
being a thug or violent. is wearing
Their shown the be fashionable trends
wearing hoodies and and it shows him
tracksuits. Teenagers are smiling. This takes
shown to be out of out the negative
control as this image connotations
shows a teenager out at associated with
night. This is the teenagers as not all
stereotype for all teenagers are like
teenagers. the “stereotypical
teenager”

9. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The first picture shows the connotations
surrounding teenage girls, however my magazine
challenges the connotations by presenting the
female model to look decent and powerful. This
also shows that my magazine is not aimed at
“chavs”. It also makes female readers want to
aspire to be like the female model.

10. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Representation
Social Economic Class
Materialists – my audience are materialists as
they do not pay for anything, most of my target
audience live with their parents so they want
the latest fashion and music trends. This shows
how they have a live now pay later attitude and
live in the present
Hedonists – this is because they are ”living life
to the fullest” they also are not that serious
because they go out a lot with friends.
Post Modernist – to be ,to have ,to play . This My magazine shows the representation on a non-
allows them to enjoy their youth before they violent teenager as my model. The model is not
have to get jobs and start being independent. shown to be the “stereotypical” unlike Hip Hop
magazine The Source's cover of The Game shows a
I represented the target audience which is 16- lot of violence. This is shown as the model is holding
25 as they are materialists. This meant that I a gun. This magazine is associating Hip Hop with
could get high fashion or gadgets to advertise violence. However my model is shown to be into
in my magazine . For example I included an high fashion like teenagers as well as representing
advert of VANS in my magazine this means that Hip-Hop with the bling on his neck
I can relate to the audience as most of them
wear vans.

11. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Bauer Media Group is a very success full media group they have different
forms of media such as , magazines, radio stations and television channels.
They have 99 iconic brands
Bauer Media Group would publish my magazine because they have a gap in
the market. All of their music magazines are made for males. The don’t have
any Hip-Hop magazines aimed at young adults and teenagers. For example
their magazine Q’s median age is 27. By targeting a much younger
audience they can get a bigger profit as the price of my magazine is a low
price this would mean that more young people can afford to purchase the
magazine.

12. Who would be the audience for your media product?
My Media product is aimed around the age of 16-25. I feel that
the connotations around my media product are suited to people
in the age group. The fonts that I used and the images would
stereotypically attract people in this category. I used this age
group because most of the magazines are aimed at a much older
generation. My magazine features interest of the younger
generations by including adverts one Beats By Dre as their
becoming popular in the younger generations.
My audience definition is that
 They watch music channels
 Own the latest trends and trainers
 Listen to new and upcoming artist on YouTube
 Be interested in Hip-Hop and urban music . They must
recognise the artists on the front cover.

13. How did you attract/address your audience?
The connotations of my magazine means that
its aimed at Radical aspirers.
The audience think that they are individuals
and they have individual taste.
They also want to achieve more , I used the
front cover with the bling to show a richer side
of hip-hop so that the audience can aspire to
that.
My target audience would be on the D to E on
the Jicnar Scale .
D to E means the audience is semi or unskilled
workers and unemployed people. Also people
in low income jobs.
This is because their in full time education of in
low income jobs.

14. How did you attract/address your audience?
I used language that would
appeal to my audience. I used
this to attract my audience as the
language relates to them.
I included the barcode because
smartphones are popular within
teenagers. This makes it easier to
access the website on their
phones.
I used eyebrows to appeal to my I used my house style so it’s not
audience as they reviewed more associated with stereotypical
artists that are in the magazine. male and female colours. This
This is more appealing to the represents the music magazine is
audience as they can identify their unisex.
favourite artists and purchase the
magazine.
I used a drop shadow behind the
image this creates an effect as it
looks more professional therefore
it can attract both genders to my
magazine.

15. Audience responses
This magazine is great. I feel it really
speaks out to it’s target audience and
appeals to those who like the genre of
music that is displayed in it. However, I do
feel it is overpriced and teenagers might
not be willing to spent that much money
on a magazine.
If this magazine was real I would
I love the way you have
indeed buy it! It has great
contrasted everything together
artists, the layout brings out this
but I would by your magazine
importance of the magazine and
because it’s not very female
the front cover is eye-catching.
orientated and it’s not the type of
Also, the people “featured” in the
music I like, it’s a good magazine
magazine are to my taste. I do think
though!
that think I’d be willing to pay the
£2.99 for a monthly subscription.

16. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this
product?
I have gained some InDesign skills from the first time I used
InDesign for my preliminary exercise. I have used InDesign when be
siding what type face to use for my stand first also when making my
double page spread. I have found InDesign very useful and it was
easily accessible, this made it easier for me to do a don’t of my work
on it. I took some getting used to then it became simple to use.
I have gained some Photoshop skills . This allowed me to edit pictures, cut
the picture out of the background. I found photo shop very helpful in
making my magazine as I was able to make the magazine how I wanted to
make it . I found photo shop very difficult to use however after a couple
weeks of using it I became familiar with the software which gave me great
result which my magazine cover.
I used a Nikon camera to take my pictures. This mean I could use top
quality images in my magazine. I also took the pictures portrait. So that I
can get more out of the image. It was very accessible to use and I found
that the camera produced good pictures.

17. I have learnt how to construct my interviews well, and it was
easily accessible as I had this software at home, therefore
making it easier for me to work from many places.
I found using Microsoft PowerPoint easier than using
Microsoft word document as it is easier to label and
annotate my work. It uses a range of different techniques
which result in making pictures and titles stand out thus
attracting people to the magazine.

18. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it
to the full product?
I used this flat plan for my contents page. However I had to alter
some pages because I felt that they were in the wrong place. I
showed this using my contents page. I have learnt that I can make
some changes when planning the pages in my magazine contents.
I changed the layout out of my magazine cover and layout
after researching more Hip-Hop and urban music
magazines. I felt that my magazine wouldn’t appeal to my
target audience. It was important that I chose a contents
page layout that would attract more readers and appeal to
them. I think I have made a progression in understanding
how other magazines layout the cover and contents page. I
also felt that I have grasped a better understanding of my
audience as I was able to identify what would appeal to
them and what wouldn’t.

19. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression
from it to the full product?
The main image for my preliminary
exercise is not every professional. The
main image is also not looking at the
audience this is shown as in my final
magazine cover the model is not looking
directly to the audience.
The masthead in my
preliminary front cover’s
house style is not shown on
the masthead as it has a lot I included eyebrows
of different colours on to emphasise what if
them. going to be in my
magazine. However
my preliminary
doesn’t have
eyebrows showing
how I have
progressed to know
the importance of
eyebrows.
Since the preliminary exercise I have learnt
some more skills in using photo shop. After
researching magazine covers I have
designed my magazine cover so that it looks
like existing ones . The first magazine that I
designed the typeface is not clear enough for
the reader to read.

20. There's a more defined house
style in my magazine, however
in my preliminary magazine My final stand first
cover there's too many colours stand out more than
which is a bit too much. my preliminary stand
first. This makes it
more visible that it is a
contents page.
My magazine picture is not at high
quality as the model is facing the left
which shows how she’s not associated
with the magazine. However although On my preliminary exercise the magazine contents looks empty
my model is facing right and not at the however on my final contents page I included two pictures
audience he's pointing at the text so which makes it more professional and appealing but my
the reader follows his arm and reads preliminary exercise looks unfinished.
the text.