Evaluation 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I believe that I have learned a lot about general design elements found in magazines, be them done to draw the readers interests or due to compensation for errors almost guaranteed in the printing process. While doing the preliminary task, I used what others had done before me and applied it in a manner that I deemed fit for purpose however, in the main task, I used relatively few, some even going against the trends set before by other magazines. Whereas in the preliminary task I tried to draw the attention of the reader by teasing them with various elements, a loud, bright colour scheme and text, my task made little use of colour, severely limited use of text and there was only one main element on the front cover, that being the main feature in an attempt to draw in an older user base that preferred a more focused approach to magazines.

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

I was required to make use of blogging software, in this case Blogger, in order to present my coursework. Aptly, it is where the majority of my blog resides. I also had to make frequent use of the screenshot feature built into the computer so as to take multiple "working of" shots of the task. Other software, such as PowerPoint and Excel were used to present the work done effectively, with PowerPoint being used for magazine cover analysis and Excel being used for graph making. In order to actually make the magazine, I had to both learn how to use Adobe's Photoshop software and apply the knowledge in order to actually make all the elements.

Evaluation 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

First, I identified my target audience so that I could better aim my product at them, which involved collecting information on what younger adults liked. The data that I received indicated that the general design should be straight to the point and simple. Easy to identify elements, such as computers and microphones were added so as to further narrow down the target audience. Simple colours were also utilized so as to keep the magazine looking expensive, another thing that was suggested; people would be more likely to buy the magazine if it did not appear to talk down to its audience, be it style wise or language wise, was also utilized in the form or simple, formal language. The logo and the font choice was also an important factor when considering how to draw my target audience's attention. I took a look at other electronic media, including other magazines, album art and video games and, after collecting a mood board, I designed two potential logos for the magazine. The first logo design was based around being bold and standing out from the rest of the magazines, with striking outlines and sharp edges a plenty, however, the inability to get the magazine to work around the styling of the magazine caused me to drop it in favor of the alternative one. The second logo design was based around being bold and having an industrial feel, including elements from albums and game covers alike, While this one was picked over the other one, the amount of blank space was considered a weakness in the design.

Evaluation 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?

Affluent tech-savvy gentlemen who at least have a passing interest in the electronic music genre, nightclubs and general night-life would be the target audience for the magazine. The price tag compliments the audience, as it is considerably more expensive than the average magazine found in a newsagent so as to deter those who do not have a vested interest in the special edition of the magazine. No faces are featured on or around the magazine to keep the focus clearly on both the tech and the music.

Evaluation 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Media Institutions from TravisTea

Bauer Media would probably be interested in the magazine as they do not seem to have any vested interest in any electronic magazine, yet they have an interest in rock and metal music with their magazine Kerrang! which is a fairly niche genre of music. Not only that, but they also have vested interests into other niche activities, including fishing, photography and pregnancy and birth; an electronic music magazine would allow them to expand into a more niche market.

Evaluation 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The target audience, being young affluent people, are presented as somewhat tech savvy and knowledgeable about the industry to some degree, knowing important names on both the tech side and on the music artist side. As opposed to traditional bright colours used in magazines aimed at a somewhat younger crowd of adult, I elected to subdue the use of bright colours and use a darker colour palette. In an attempt to attract a more industrial, technology focused set of individuals, I chose to remove "faces" from the magazine and instead replace them with the technology behind the music. The audience may not have someone to relate to on the front cover but they can clearly see their interest being represented on and within the magazine. The sparse use of colours and use of greyscale I picked because, not only do many computer parts share similar design elements, but it also adds to the general industrial theme present throughout the magazine. Simple language is used throughout the magazine so as to not completely alienate newer readers and keep things simple for older readers who would prefer if the articles got straight to the point. Staying away from informal language also helped steer the magazine away from a nightlife image and kept it more focused on the equipment and people. Social media buttons are also absent from the magazine to keep the magazine focused on the individual rather than the group and to keep the magazine focused on younger adults.

Evaluation 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms ans conventions of real media products?

Most of the media project is conventional & relies on past design elements, such as a mixture of fonts, both serif and sans-serif, bold fonts for titles and italics for quotes, headings, sub headings, etc. The way how my product challenges the norm is the absence of multiple features on the front cover; many magazines feature at least two featured elements on the front cover, however, my product only has one feature on the front, drawing all of the attention to the one feature as opposed to drawing attention to a main feature and distracting the viewer with other elements. This also extends to the contents page and to the double page spread, with only one picture being used in the templates. The use of multiple colour schemes is also unique; most magazines would usually stick to one colour scheme throughout the magazine, whereas mine has one colour scheme for the front cover (greyscale and orange) and another for the inside (red, white and black). Also, the contents page is the only place in which the two styles meet with each other, complimenting the exclusivity of the features they represent, with one representing the exclusive features and another representing the regular features. Also the industrial styling of the magazine comes into contrast with many popular magazines sold at newsagents, with subdued colours on the front colour and a more industrial styling, going so far as to integrate the barcode, something that is usually sidelined in favor of other elements, into the design of the front cover.