Questionnaire Results

I gave my questionnaire to several people between the ages f 18-21, here are the results I obtained:

Audience Resaerch: Questionnaire

I put together a series of questions to form a questionnaire to find out what my audience, 18 - 21 year-olds, wanted in their music magazine. Here is the questionnaire I made.

My Reader Profile

A reader profile outlines your ideal reader; this could be based on yourself or someone else that you have made up. It will help you to decide how your magazine will be.

Gender: Female

Age: Late teens 18 - 21

Genre of music: Mixture of mainstream pop, R&B and general music. However, no heavy metal or rock.

Likes: To know about celebrity lives, to know what new music there is, gig dates and info (mixture of information about the artists and the music).

Dislikes: Major stories on the lives of celebrities being hyped up! Magazines that aren’t clear on their purpose.

Outlook on life: Fun, out going, not too serious about social life, likes to be with friends and family. Likes to be themselves and have fun in their spare time. However, serious about work and what they want to do in life.

Interests: Being with friends and family, having a laugh with the people closest to them, reaching their goals in life.

To summarise my ideal reader would be someone who can look at life from a serious perspective and see the fun side of life as well. Someone who can go out and enjoy themselves in their spare time however, when they have work to do they can be serious about it and be focused. They would be someone who is focused on where they’re going in life but still see the silly side of things such as celebrity lifestyles.

The kind of magazine they would read would be light-hearted in some aspects but also get down to the nitty-gritty.

Textual Analysis of Double Page Spreads

Kerrang Magazine

• The colour scheme used on the double age spread coincides with the colours of the clothing that the lead singer of the band is wearing. This makes the text easier to read and the colours used don't contrast each other.
• There is slightly more text than there is images however, at first glance it looks equal so the reader isn't overwhelmed by text.
• The text is in columns and is very orderly so it also makes it easier to read. The colours used on the text indicate when a question is being asked, who is answering, etc. This makes it structured and easy for the reader to find what they're looking for.
• The smaller black and white images around the main image give you a better perspective of who they are individually rather than as a group. There is a red outline around each of the smaller images to define each one so they don't 'blend' in together.
• The pull quote of "I was tripping balls!" suggests something that they shouldn't being doing which implies more secrets are hidden within the text. This makes you want to reader the interview more to find out why they were "tripping balls!".

ATM

• The first of the double page spreads is a poster-like image of Dizzee Rascal maintaining his 'bad boy' image and, suggesting that he hasn't let the fame influence him as the location he is in isn't glamorous. They are street locations which have a direct link to the nature of Dizzee's Hip Hop genre.
• Within the four pages used for this article, 3 of them are dominated by images. However, there is a lot of text on the one page that is does dominate. It is written in conventional paragraphs which generally take up less space which means there can be more of them.
• The text is in two neat and tidy columns which follow the style of the magazine and, suggests that it is a serious, easy-to-read article. The audience of the magazine may be into the music so, they have focused on the music rather than making the page look pretty.
• The main headline ‘Dizzee Heights’ also uses a pull quote "for me there's no grime with drum and bass". By using 'Dizzee Heights' as a title they are introducing the artist but, they are also suggesting that he has come so far in the music industry and rose so high that he doesn't actually realise the influence that he has on some people.
• They have made the image black and white to highlight the green headline and to make the image look more serious so it supports his 'bad boy' image.
• The green colour scheme then continues on to the other double page spread on his t-shirt and hat. As they have only used a colour scheme of black, white and green it suggests that this is a feature colour for him.

MixMag

• The editors on this double page spread have used the colour scheme of pink, yellow and black. They have used these colours to convey a party atmosphere as they are vibrant and, they have used the black so they stand out even more. This will encourage the readers to read this article as MixMag is a dance magazine.
• Each section is clear as they all have sub-headings which make it easier for the reader to fins the section they want to read.
• The images do not dominate the page as there is a roughly equal image to text ratio. Also, i think the images are suitable as they support the stories on the page.
• The images also help the readers to relate to the stories as they give you a feeling of the atmosphere int heir location. The audience are also going to be party goers so it will help them to decide whether they think it looks fun or not.

Textual Analysis of Contents Pages

For our main task we are also making a contents page for our magazine choice.
I have been researching some contents pages, just as I did with the front covers, to gain an understanding and to get some ideas of what are the conventions of putting together a contents page and, to see if I would like to use any of the techniques presented to me. I have put together a summary of what I think makes a good contents page and what I would like to use for my contents page.

What I think makes a good contents page:

• Clear headings at the top of the page and either the name of the magazine or the logo.
• Some images to support the sub-headings for the articles. This can help the reader get some idea of what the article may be about; a visual elements is always extra help.
• Clear page numbers and a clear layout for the articles. It would be better if they were in a column rather than scattered randomly over the page.
• I believe that a note from the editor always helps to make the reader feel as if they are being specifically catered for and, it helps to encourage the reader to get involved with the magazine.
• There needs to be a clear genre presented for the magazine.
• The layout needs to be clear as it is a contents page so it should fulfil its purpose. However, you also need to welcome the reader so it can't be too plain.

What I might use for my magazine:

• A clear layout so the readers finds it easy to use however, I want to welcome the reader so I may include some images or colour to the page.
• Make the genre of the magazine clear from the article sub-headings and the images I use.
• A letter from the editor to further welcome the reader and make them feel included.

Textual Analysis Main Task

I have been researching some music magazines and I have been looking at their front covers to gain some understanding and get some ideas of what makes a good front cover and what I would like to include on my front cover. I have looked at very contrasting magazines so I can get an idea of the different styles that have been used. After the research I have done I have made a summary of what I think makes a good magazine front cover, and what techniques I might use on my front cover.


What I think makes a good magazine front cover:

• The masthead needs to be predominant and clear on the page, it can't fade into the background or new readers wont be able to recognise the magazine.
• If I use a large image of the artists featuring in my magazine I think it should be direct address so it is like the artists is looking at them, this would make the reader feel including in whatever article it is presented on the front page. Also, the image can't be too overwhelming on the page or it will swallow all the other features on the front page.
• I think a good magazine front cover can use a variety of colours to make it stand out however, make the colours compliment each other rather then use a lot of contrasting colours.
• Using suggestive questions on the front page can make a reader want to go on to read the article which means they are more likely to buy the magazine. This can also be relevant to someone who has never read the magazine before.
• Rhyming on headlines can make them catchy and make the magazine seem fun as the editors aren't just plainly stating what is in the magazine. also, if the editors have used a play on words it may encourage the audience to read that article.
• Highlighting the main articles and making them bold can make it stand out on the page and, maybe putting a background colour behind it makes it obvious to the reader that it is the main article of the magazine.
• If there is a long list of things that you want to put on the front cover of your magazine, making every other line a different colour makes them stand out against each other but, you need to be careful that the colours don't contrast too much.

What I may use on my magazine front cover:

• A bold masthead
• I know I will be using images, it depends on what they will be like as to how I use them on the front page.
• I will try to stick to a colour scheme, once I have established what my magazine will be I will then be able to put together a colour scheme and stick to it so I am not using too many colours.
• Depending on the background colours of my main image, I may use background colours on the text to make it stand out against the image.

Evaluation

I am pleased with my front cover as it has met the aims that I set for myself, I also think it looks quite appealing for a school magazine front cover. To improve it I would use more colours on the front page but, the colours on the background image contrasted with the colours I tried. This is why I used the white boxes behind the red writing; so it stood out from the background colours. However, I don't think it looks too bad on the front cover.
For the contents page I just made a layout of where I would place the different aspects of the page. I think the contents page is effective as it would let the readers know where different articles are in the magazine and it isn't informal or formal. If I were to do it again I would maybe fill in the white spaces left on the page but, in general I think it fits its purpose and looks good for a school magazine.
I am fairly confident when using DTP software but i need to improve my skills on photo editing programmes as I am not familiar with them at all.

Front Cover

This is the front cover for my magazine.

I chose to set out my magazine in this way as it is the conventional way of laying out a front page. However, I also thought it looked informal and was a useful way of getting lots of tag lines on the front page. I liked the idea of the banner at the bottom of the page, I added a competition in there as it stood out and it could change each week or month; it could change to a freebie or an exclusive interview. The masthead stands out against the background well and I used this font as I thought it looked young and conveyed the young audience. I put the white boxes behind the red writing to make it stand out against the background because there were a lot of colours on the image used.

Planning of School Magazine

I have yet to compse the front cover of the school magazine I am producing but, I have composed the plan for my contents page.

I chose to do my contents page in this style and layout because I didn't want it to look too cluttered. As it was for a school magazine I wanted the students to be able to look at it and find exactly want they wanted straight away. However, I didn't want it to be too formal as I wanted the students to feel confortable whilst reading the magazine so, I added some images and an editorial piece to make it slightly informal and more chatty.
I wanted the masthead to be a large image on the page just to reinforce the name of the magazine and, I added the competition at the bottom of the page so it would remind the readers and maybe make them more interested in it.

Evaluation of Results

I have decided on some things for my magazine but, some things i am still considering.
I have made my final decisions on:

• Audience - My audience is going to be students who are going into sixth form and will be in the first year of sixth form. I'm not doing it for year 13 as well as they have other things to be thinking about such as university, also they have been in sixthform for a year so they should know the system pretty well.
• What will be included in the magazine - 1. A section for sixthformers to have their own letters, experiences or articles in the magazine. 2. A 'What's new' section for all new aspects to the school can be written in the magazine or, new oppotunities for the students can be put in the magazine. 3. A list of term dates as sixthformers don't reciece a homework diary with all the term dates in it.
• The infomration that the students would most like to see in the magazine are - 1. The amount of work expected from you in sixth form. I thought that this could be done by either a student explaining their experience or, interview with teachers to see what they expect of you. 2. How subjects differ from GCSE's. This could be done by maybe including some course content or, an article from a student. 3. General advice on being in sixth form. This could come in many forms such as, a check list to make sure they're doing everything they can. Or, some advice on how to keep on top of the amount of work, etc. 4. The benefits of sixthform.
• To introduce a new student to the sixthform some pupils suggested having information on the variety of subjects, variety of techers (could have some profiles of the head of each department) and extracirricular activities.
• I have chosen to make my magazine a mixture of academic and informal, the majority of the students who answered the questionnaire agreed with it being a bit of both. I think this would be best as it is a school magazine so, it should include some information about school. There are plenty of magazine that students can buy out of school that provide them with a wider variety of information.
• In the questionnaire, the majority of students said they would like a magazine every month. I thought this would be ideal however, after i thought about it, i thought that two weeks would be better for updating students on events. But, as the majority of students didn't want to pay for the magazine i think monthly would be suitable for porduction time. If students were willing to pay it might be different as they would getting money to produce it.

Questionnaire Results

The dealine for responding to my questionnaire was today, I sent out 170 questionnaires to the whole of year 11 at my school. However, I was very disappointed to only receive 13 back and find out that all the questions hadn't been answered on some of the questionnaires. As a result of this my results aren't particularly valid but, I will work with what I have.

Question	Responses
Would the students be interested in a school magazine?	Yes - 9 No - 4
3 things the students would like to see in the magazine…	Amount of work expected form you – 6 Dress code – 2 Time managemnt – 2 How subjects differ from GCSE – 6 Benefits – 3 Work experience opportunities – 2 General advice – 4 Fun stuff (latest scandals) – 3 Reviews from students - 1
Would the students like to see a list of term dates in the magazine?	Yes – 13 No – 0
3 things the students considered to be interesting about fsg that may appeal to a new student…	Variety in subjects – 5 Friendliness of school – 1 Variety in teachers – 8 Extracirricular activities – 5 Canteen – 2 Rewards – 2 Chnages to the school – 1 Facilities within the school – 1
What style do the students want the magazine to be academic, informal or, a bit of both?	Academic – 0 Informal – 4 Both – 9
3 aspects that draw the students into other magazines…	Images – 10 Bold masthead – 7 Interesting plugs – 8 Price – 1 style of front cover – 1 amount of text - 1
Would the students prefer to see more text or images?	Text – 0 Images – 3 Equal amounts – 10
How often do the students want to receive a magazine?	Weekly – 4 Every two weeks – 2 Monthly – 7
Are the students willing to pay?	Yes – 4 No – 9
If so, how much would they be willing to pay? (The only students who said they would be willing to pay for it said that only if a percentage of the money went to charity)	50p – 3 £1 – 1 £1.50 – 0 £2 - 0

The results I managed to get are ok to work with as it is a preliminary exercise but, they wouldn't be sufficient if this was for my music magazine.

I have taken into consideration that sending emails to the audience I am targeting isn't going to get the number of responses i need so, I will need to think of a better method than emailing my questionnaires. Also, I need to stress the importance of the questionnaire and that it must be as accurate as possible, as I believe that some of the students didn't bother to answer some of the question as they didn't think it was important.

Textual Analysis

I have been looking at past magazines of other students and some American magazines to see what I think makes a good front cover and what makes a not so good front cover. I have been doing this so I can learn what not to do on my front cover and to get some ideas of how to put a front cover of a magazine together.
What I think makes a good front cover:

• Large, clear image.
• Big and bright masthead.
• Title that represents the magazine's genre.
• Catchy headings.
• Bright colours, but need to compliment each other.
• Variety.
• Clearly presented headings (can be clearly understood and can be seen on the page).
• Must fill the whole page.
• Relevant mise-en-scene.

What I think makes a bad front cover:

• A lot of the image being covered by text.
• Masthead being too small or style of font not being relevant to the magazine.
• Boring headings, need to grab your audiences attention and make them want to read the article straight away.
• Garish colours that don't compliment each other, the colours used on a front page need to compliment whist providing a contrast but they can sometimes contrast too much.
• Too much or the same sort of thing i.e. similar articles in the magazine, images that concentrate on the same thing or, the same colours all over the page.
• a cluttered page; the front page needs to fill the whole page so it doesn't have any white spaces however, you don't want to overload the page with too many different things otherwise it will overwhelm the reader.

First stages of research

For the preliminary exercise I am designing the front cover of a magazine for my school. It is going to be for year 11 students, existing or new to the school, who are going into sixth form next year and want to know some information about it, it will then carry on into the rest of the year to give them information about the school. I have created a questionnaire and sent it out to all year 11 students to gain some research so I can start designing my magazine to their wants and needs. I am giving them two weeks to reply as I know some people dont check their emails regularly, I did think about it before emailing them but, I thought that printing off hard copies and handing it out to them would result in me not getting all of them back as I wouldn't be able to track them all down. Hopefully I will get some results back sooner than the deadline of the 28th September so I cant start thinking of some ideas and drawing out some plans.