Evaluation

Radio advertisement

Drafting and planning

I have started using the programme audacity to import my music for my radio advertisement.

However, I actually cut out the first five seconds of the music so that the music would only start when the bass kicked in.

I then cut the music down to thirty seconds as I am aware my radio advertisement shouldn't be any longer, as I found out in my post on 15.03.16.

I now have to import the dialogue, then I can do the editing.

Final billboard

This is my final billboard:

Organisation

Now that I have decided on which track to use for my radio advertisement, I can start to use the programme audacity, to import the music and to record my advertisement itself.

I am going to do this tomorrow on 24/03/16.

Target audience

As I asked in my blog post on 18/03/16, a member of my target audience commented on the post asserting their opinion on which track they liked the most for the backing music in my radio advertisement.

Here is the evidence of this:

Coincidentally, the Velella Velella track was my favourite too. I like this as it will not over power the speech in the advertisement yet it still sounds quite bouncy, lively and energetic which connects to my magazine.

I am going to use the Velella Velella track as the background music for my radio advertisement.

Target Audience

Velella Velella - This Bread As Hard As Crackers

This Bread As Hard As Crackers

Velella Velella - 3 to the 6 to the 0

3 to the 6 to the 0

Blue Dot Sessions - Rafter

Rafter

This is a list of background music I have found on FMA. 

I just need help deciding which music to use for the background music in my radio advertisement.

Please comment below which one would be most effective in a radio advert.

Research into similar products

I have been looking at different radio advertisements on YouTube.

It is clear that all radio advertisements must have some sort of background noise, in mine there will be upbeat, but smooth music in the background to emphasise that my magazine is full of life and interesting.

On YouTube I found different advertisements for places like McDonalds, Nando's etc.:


They have given me confidence in the script for my radio advertisement, I will now have to start looking for background music to add a professional touch to the advert.

Drafting and planning

After looking at a length of time for my radio advertisement I then had to work out how long it needed to be.

This is how I have narrowed my radio advertisement down:

I am going to start with a rhetorical question: "would you like a greater insight into what's going on in Birmingham?" because this will immediately grab the listeners attention.

I then introduce my magazine by saying "pick up a copy of hashtag insight magazine for the inside gossip and hottest news in Britain's second biggest city" this gives a short and concise intro for the product and also emphasises the greatness of Birmingham in one sentence.

Followed by a short summary of what's inside the magazine "with an exclusive focus on fashion, beauty, news, sport, nightlife, entertainment, arts and culture, hashtag insight covers all aspects of city life" this makes the magazine appear full to the brim with info and news which reiterates the point in the second sentence of "latest gossip and hottest news".

The advert goes on to say "for a greater insight (an answer to the rhetorical question at the start) into the dynamic city, get the third edition of hashtag insight at just £3.75 now" another compliment is paid to the city and really makes it sound appealing to listeners.

The last sentence in the advertisement says "hashtag insight, your best guide to the best time in Brum" which coincidentally is my selling line for the magazine. Therefore I have created synergy and the repetition of the word best establishes that the city and the magazine are both fantastic!



All in all the advertisement will go like this:

"Would you like a greater insight into what's going on in Birmingham?"
"Pick up a copy of hashtag insight magazine for the inside gossip and the hottest news in Britain's second biggest city"
"With an exclusive focus on fashion, beauty, nightlife, entertainment, news, sport, arts and culture, hashtag insight covers all aspects of city life"
"So, for a greater insight into the dynamic city, get the third edition of hashtag insight for just £3.75 now"
pause... "hashtag insight, the best guide to the best time in Brum"



Whilst the advertisement may look short on here, when recorded with the correct pauses, it does last for thirty seconds.

Drafting and planning

I have been looking at different lengths of radio advertisements and why you should choose these lengths, to fit my magazine I had to research into these different time lengths.

I found a website of FAQ's, RAB why radio?

Which contained information on 60 seconds, 30 seconds and 15 seconds advertisement.

By reading this information:

60 ADS

• For complex messages to avoid leaving doubts and questions
• To include specific details to help persuade - more believable than generalities
• For a business category that’s new and not easily understood - to create realization of need before selling your solution
• For highly entertaining ads geared to inspire consumers to "like you better" - effective for generic businesses and commodities

30 ADS

• To make an easy-to-understand offer for a product or service that is clearly understood
• To make a single point in an ad

15 ADS

• To convey an incredibly powerful, simple message
• To reinforce simple name recognition to make customers think of your name when your are the sole advertiser in your business category

After reading this information I have decided that a thirty second advertisement will work best in convergence with my products.

This is because it sure is an "easy to understand product" and I don't need to make any huge points about it either. I can demonstrate its simplicity through a thirty second ad. 

Target audience

I received one comment from a member of my target audience offering advice for me to change the colour of the font of the social networking addresses on my billboard. They said that it was difficult to see them when studying the billboard, let alone if it was up high and you were driving past.

I am going to change the colour of the font, or outline the font on PagePlus now.

Drafting and planning/Target audience

After taking the advice on board,

I edited the billboard in PagePlus so that I could move the font around and change the colours.

Therefore, I have moved "Birmingham" up, yet I haven't changed the colour because #Insight is the only text that I would like to have real dominance and be the focal point of the billboard, yet when "Birmingham" is edited to this colour, it doesn't give it any real power.

I have resized the selling line "The best guide to the best time in Brum" (enlarged it) and left "Brum" a line on it's own. This will make it really stand out and metaphorically and physically help it to be the central word for my billboard.

Then I made the social networking and website at the bottom of the billboard in bold to make it stand out to the reader and in actual fact make it easier to see as the lightness of it in the first draft of the billboard actually made it hard to see.

Then I imported the whole image into Paint.Net to feather it and smooth out the edges, especially on the model,

I am very happy with this version of my billboard.

I am now going to personally message members of my target audience to ask them how I could improve on my billboard, I will use their comments to make differences so I can come closer to my final version.

Drafting and planning

I have received feedback from my peers about how best to improve my billboard:

The comments I received in order to improve this are:

• Move the title "Birmingham" a little higher to make the selling line the focus point.
• See what "Birmingham" looks like in the same colour and tone as "#Insight".
• Try to put the digital versions at the bottom in a darker or more prominent colour. 
• Attempt to feather the model more.

I am now going to use PagePlus to make these changes, yet import the model into Paint.Net to make changes to the image.

I will then post these changes on my blog.

Drafting and planning

After looking into my billboard more, and finding out that there needs to be one prominent image and as few words as possible, I started to create my first draft of my billboard.

In connection to my blog post on Monday 29th February, I have used the software Paint.Net to play around with multiple images to create a busy background for my bill board.

Firstly I imported the image of my cover star:

One I did this, I used the magic wand to deselect the black background behind her. Then I used the eraser tool to get rid of anything else that the magic wand couldn't. Next, I used the feather option to soften out the edges, so we could more or less only see the hairline of the model.

Then I imported an image of Brindley Place:

I positioned it behind the model. This is because I want the model to become the prominent picture. I left this image nice and bold, it was to work as a base image. I chose this as it presents the city as beautiful, varied and traditional.

Then I imported a picture of Selfridges:

Also positioned behind the model. This is one of Birmingham's important landmarks because of the unique architecture of the building. I then selected the opacity option to make the image more transparent so that the Brindley Place image could shine through.

After that I imported a picture of Central Library:

I used the same method as before. Seeing this part of the process made me realise I needed a picture of the Bull Ring, to add a prominent figure. 

I imported a picture of the Bull outside the Bull Ring:

I thought that this actually looked quite effective. Yet the image as a whole all together seemed pretty dull. I remembered I had taken a picture of the canal and lights at night, so thought it was best to see what colour it could bring to the billboard.

I imported a picture of the Canal lighting:

After doing so, I made sure that it was beneath the layer of the Bull Ring to provide the Bull with a better stance. I think the reflection of the lights work well here, not only because they make the city seem vibrant and welcoming but because the orange tones could potentially work well with the colour scheme exhibited within the magazine.

I then saved my image as one and imported it into PagePlus:

I took the masthead from my magazine and the selling line from my magazine and imported them on top of the image. I think this looks quite effective. The use of multiple images shows that the billboard promotes a magazine that is full of life and different elements of the region. Not only that but the colours work really well and compliment one another. I included the social networking logo's on the billboard to show that the magazine and info about it can be found on different platforms. 

I am very happy with my first official draft of my billboard:

Final magazine:

This is my regional magazine:

Drafting and planning

I have redone my interview for my DPS.

It is as follows:

How did you find out about Pop World?

I’ve always loved going out since I was 18. I saw this ancient looking building on Broad Street, and noticed the name. As Pop is my favourite genre of music I thought it was worth a try. All of the promoters were really friendly and had good things to say about it. I couldn’t resist. Turns out it would become my favourite club on Broad Street.

What made you want to get involved?

It’s such a great atmosphere in there, it’s fun yet relaxed. Usually when you go into a club you immediately feel intimidated, but Pop World gave me nothing but good vibes. I thought it was necessary for me to tell everyone I could about it! If you like going out, you will LOVE Pop World. Not only is there a nice atmosphere but the DJ’s play every genre, don’t let the name fool you. I just had such a good time in there, the DJ’s are friendly, the staff are helpful, especially when trying to understand your drinks order with the loud music. Everyone in there just looks ready for a good time.

What sort of age range would you tend to find in Pop World?

Well, we usually attract a twenties to thirties clientele most of the time, especially on week nights. But the weekend, you could find anyone from 18-50 in there. It has such a broad clientele and that’s what makes it so great. It’s good for all ages, that’s because you can hear anything from the Spice 

Girls to Peter Andre to Rihanna. Whether you are 18 or 50, what’s not to like?

Is it open every night?

Yes, Pop World is open from 9pm-3:30am Monday to Sunday. From Monday to Wednesday we have student nights, so entry is only £2, and drinks are two for one all night. That way we can attract the younger clientele, have a busier club and still bring in the money we would on a Saturday night. Thursday night we have 90’s night, so as you can imagine, everyone loves the old classics so that’s a really good night to visit. Then Friday, Saturday and Sunday are our busiest nights of the week. We can hold up to 200 people just on our ground floor; we open our top floor too. We offer VIP booths and hold different parties, including cocktail making on a Saturday especially.

Where do you find your DJ’s?

As Pop World has many different venues in the UK, we tend to share our DJ’s. On a Monday Manchester’s Pop World could have DJ Nathan Dawe playing a set, then on Wednesday we may have the pleasure to present him. We seem to attract the hottest DJ’s because of the image of Pop World. By DJ’s playing in our club, they can actually build their fan base. We always welcome new, progressing DJ’s too. We do have our contracted DJ’s such as DJ 247 who will play a set for us at any time. There’s almost a waiting list for DJ’s who want to play in Pop World.

Would you label Pop World as a cheap night out?

Well, it depends what you mean by cheap. In terms of money, of course! Who could say no to two for one drinks and free entry on a student night, and only £2 entry and £3 cocktails on a Friday and Saturday? It’s definitely good value for money. But in terms of representation, I think Pop World over the years has blossomed into a really classy night club. It’s got a relaxed vibe, and is accepting of all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or ability. It’s definitely the place to be when you want to save money but still have a rather decent evening.

Are there any specific dates that our readers should keep in their diaries?

Yes! Keep your Easter Weekend and Easter Sunday night free especially. David Guetta the world famous electro DJ is coming to Pop World. Of course there are tickets but you should keep an eye on my Pop World blog to find out how to get your hands on them. And DJ EZ and DJ Russkee are playing in Pop World alternating each Saturday in July. It is going to go off! If you’re into dance music you’ll be set for a good time in Pop World this summer. We have VIP guests coming to our club to such as Scotty Timlin this June to promote for us. Keep an eye on the Pop World blog, the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages to find out when to pay us a visit.

So why has Pop World had such a major effect on you? Why do you enjoy your evenings there so much?

Well, there is nothing not to like. It is just relaxed, yet atmospheric simultaneously.

Could you summarise the club in just three words?

Fun, epic and exciting! It’s well worth coming to visit us.

I will now put this into my DPS which is on PagePlus.

Drafting and planning/Target audience

I have taken one image which has really stood out to me that I am going to use on my billboard:

What I find most effective about this image is the fact that her facial expression expresses her happiness, she looks excited about something and this will intrigue people who are passing by. 

Nonetheless, the fact she slightly tilts her head backwards shows that she's quite proud, representing her as a strong independent female figure, which will allow other women to relate to her and be inspired by her dominance in the picture. This will capture the attention of not only the female demographic but the mysteriousness of the head tilt will engage the male demographic too. 

This image is similar to the ones on my front page and double page spread, therefore there's a connection through my different products. Her pink lipstick contrasts with the black background, pale skin and brown hair. So I am also happy with the elements of colour.

One thing I would like to display in my magazine is more than one image, I am attracted to the idea of a fade, for example: using one image of the city which can fade into the image of Leona Foster.

I could use any of the images I took way back in September i.e.:

I am now going to play around with the Paint.Net software and see where it leads me.

Drafting and planning

I've also discovered that my article on my DPS is far too chatty and far too interested in the life of Leona Foster, rather than the club itself.

I need to form a new interview, asking questions that are more specific to the club itself...

Here are the questions I have derived:

How did you find out about Pop World?

What made you want to get involved?

What sort of age range would you tend to find in Pop World?

Is it open every night, and which DJ's should we watch out for?

Where do you find your DJ's?

Would you label Pop World as a cheap night out?

Are there any specific dates that the readers should keep in their diaries?

Are you going to be hosting any big events in Pop World this summer?

What makes Pop World so intriguing to you? Why do you continue to blog about it after all this time?

Could you summaries the club in just three words?


I will be asking my real-life blogger Leona Foster these questions on Saturday 27/02/16 and add the answers to my blog.

Drafting and planning

After I looked more closely at my images from my first draft, I noticed that from using my schools drama studio, there are actually uneven tones of black from the walls shining through in the images.

Therefore, to stray away from this problem I used the software Paint.Net to smooth out the background behind my model.

I started off by importing the picture of the model, selecting her, smoothing out the edges, then playing with the different contrasts around her. I did this using the select tool, the magic wand and then the different effects. By working in different layers, I found it much easier to come to the final result. It was an efficient way to edit the image.

These are the different steps:

I repeated the same process for the image for the double page spread.

You can now see that with both the front page and double page spread the images look a lot smoother. This makes them look more professional and real images you'd see in a magazine.

Drafting and planning / First draft analysis

This is my first official draft of my double page spread:

I have displayed the model on the left hand side so that when the reader turns the page onto this article, they will immediately engage with the model. They will be intrigued because of her happy, youthful look and direct mode of address which my target audience pointed out in my post on 06/02/16. She provides an exciting feel to the DPS. The other images I have used are of the model and the model among friends in Pop World itself, this emphasises that Pop World is busy and exciting and that there's a large element of personality within the article.

I have used a quote from the model "I just love the atmosphere in Pop World" to be the title of my article. I think this will help the magazine connect with the reader on a personal level, making them feel at ease. This was followed by a short summary of what to expect in the interview/article. You find that this is quite common in all DPS', just like the one outlined in my post on 27/01/16.

The interview is actually displayed in columns, this is a typical convention of double page spreads and I wanted to go along with this. I have used orange to feature the questions and white to feature the answers and this is inkeeping with my house colour scheme for the magazine. They provide a nice contrast to the black background. Personal quotes from the model once again give the reader an understanding of her personality.

I am very happy with my first draft, I will converse with my target audience and ask them how best to improve on my DPS, to appeal to them. I will do this through personal conversation, or comments on my posts.

Drafting and planning / First draft analysis

This is my first formal draft of my front page! IGNORE contents page:

For the front page:

Starting with my masthead, I specifically chose a white font, firstly because it complimented the darker background, and secondly because of the things it connotes: perfection and cleanliness - the perfect magazine that enlightens you about Birmingham. I issued the masthead with an orange outline as orange connotes warmth, friendliness and happiness, it's an exciting colour and these form the rest of my magazine. I included the word Birmingham as part of the masthead because it gives the reader an ultimate and immediate knowledge that the magazine is based on the city.

Moving on to the main image, I chose to feature just one image, a medium close up on my front page because it gives the cover star a sense of power and dominance, it draws all of the attention to her. Her facial expression (direct mode of address) invites the reader, she is trying to communicate with them through eye contact and a smile. Her hair is down because I wanted to give off the vibe that she has metaphorically and physically let her hair down, making her seem easy going. The hoop earrings suggest youth, and the bright pink lipsticks suggests that she's a stereotypical "girly girl", issuing her with an image of lots of personality.

The main cover line is a pun, Leona Foster (cover star) is a promoter for Pop World, one of the biggest clubs in Birmingham, so I've referred to her as the "queen of pop", I've included a quote from her on the front page, which will help readers to understand there's an exclusive interview with her inside the magazine. Once again I used white for the font making it seem clean cut, with a black outline helping it to stand out, yet for the word pop, the varied use of orange, pink and blue gives it a real sense of popping out or standing out to the reader. I used these colours in a clever way because the actual logo for pop world is:

And the three different colours are displayed once again. 

Moving on to the other cover lines, I've only issued the reader with snippets of what to find inside the magazine, not giving too much away. These cover lines range from genres within the magazine from arts and culture, to entertainment and nightlife. The plus sign looks quite edgy, and you tend to find this element on other magazines:

 Of course, I have included the other generic conventions on my front page too such as the dateline, social networks, a bar code etc.

At the moment, I am happy with my front page but I am aware there are areas I could improve on. I could come up with a better selling line to give my magazine a sense of branding, I will also bring my cover star in front of the masthead, I will ask members of my target audience this week on how best to improve on my front page.

Research into similar products

I have been researching into billboard advertisements from Google

I have found that most billboard advertisements advertise generic products like food, skincare etc.

Here are two examples:

You can immediately regard these as roadside advertisements, they are landscape.

I think that a roadside advertisement could work quite well for me because I can include the masthead from my magazine as the title, and two images, one of my cover star merged in with one of the city. I think if done well this could look quite edgy. I am going to include one of the city because it will give my magazine a sense of branding, it will allow readers to know that it's a regional magazine. But the cover star featuring on the billboard gives you personal insights into the inhabitants lives i.e. Leona Foster.

I know that from my post on 08/02/16, my billboard must "convey its message in seconds" because it is there for people passing by whether they're driving or walking. "Roadside posters need to be simple, with clear images and as few words as possible" this is the look I am going for. On my billboard, I'll have the two images, the masthead and selling line which will keep my billboard straight to the point.

I like the use of colour in these billboards and I am going to keep mine the same as the house colours within my magazine, so that I can create a real connection with all of my products, that is black, orange and white. 

Research into similar products

I think it is time to start looking at the ancillary products I will be creating in more depth.

I have found a website named: Marketing Donut

It has been really insightful as before now I was not aware of the different strands of billboard advertising.

I have learnt that:

"One of the key considerations for any outdoor advertising campaign is the length of time the audience will have to view the ad. A roadside billboard has to convey its message in seconds, while other sites, such as station platforms, buses and taxis, may be studied for longer. Distance is also a factor. Roadside posters need to be simple, with clear images and as few words as possible.

Advertisements that will be seen for longer allow you to convey more information. Details of a specific promotion, a call to action and contact details can be included. However, a simple message and a clear identity are always essential. Colours should be bold and the ad should be easily visible from a distance. Humour, strong images and wordplay will make an impact and make your message more memorable."

I am very happy that I found this website because it has allowed me to make my decision.

The most common billboard advertisement is a roadside advertisement, I see many of these on my day to day journeys to sixth-form and work etc. 

I feel that from my experience of seeing these billboards regularly, designing a roadside billboard is at my advantage. 

Target audience

I asked two members of my target audience to comment on my post from 02/02/16:

They were able to guide me on which image to choose for my DPS.

Coincidentally, they both chose the third image. The third image was my favourite too:

What struck me was that their reasoning behind their choices were similar to mine.

Megan liked her facial expression in the image, as did Paige, they both think it will fit in nicely with the whole Pop World theme as she looks "youthful", presenting Pop World as "fun".

Megan also picked up on the fact that the model is positioned on the left hand side, noticing that readers would immediately see her when they turn the page, so all attention would be on her.

Her body language according to Paige is relaxed and happy, and this will appeal to readers, as the model appears down to earth.

I am very happy that my target audience chose image number three, as this was my initial choice too. This way, I know that when my DPS is complete, my target audience on a wider scale will appreciate my choice of image.

Organisation

I am going to ask members of my target audience to comment on my post, so that I have their opinion on which image is best for a DPS.

By doing so, I'm able to appeal to my demographic successfully.

I will share their opinions and analyse them in a later post.

Drafting and planning

I am going to analyse the potential pictures for my double page spread and decide which image would look best.

1)

I like this one due to her facial expression. She looks happy and full of life, the way she has tilted her head back insinuates she is confident and proud. Her hoop earrings make her seem chic and up to the minute. She is positioned to one side of the picture, making it easy for me to put text around her. 

2)

I also like this one because the hand on hip and body language once again makes her seem confident, and dominant in the shot. But yet again, her facial expression is beaming with excitement, and her khaki green outfit displayed more clearly here works as a nice contrast in the rest of the shot. The way I have issued her hair behind her shoulders makes her facial expression and outfit more the focal point.

3)

I think this image is very effective. Her facial expression seems so natural, she looks as though she's relaxed, happy and likable. The readers will feel at ease with this image because she seems down to earth yet full of life. I like the way she is positioned more so on the left hand side of this image because when the readers turn the page they will see her ultimately straight away and be intrigued due to her excitement.

My favourite image for use in a double page spread is image number three, this is because of the above. I think the readers will feel less intimidated by this image and she will truly seem like a rational, normal person they'd want to know more about. The image looks realistic, rather than number two where she looks as I've asked her to pose for a picture and hand on hip is the immediate response. Number three will work better over number on as number three is in mid-laugh and she is making direct mode of address with the readers, whereas in image number one she has her head tilted back which might intimidate some readers, as she looks quite prestige and stuck up.

Research into similar products

In order to improve on my current DPS, I have analysed a DPS from Q magazine, even though it is a music magazine rather than a music magazine, I am going to find it quite helpful as it contains an interview as and has elements that are within my current DPS.

I have picked up on the basic conventions such as the main image, the mise-en-scene of the image, the vocabulary, the colour scheme and font, the use of drop capital and the precision and position of all conventions.

My main image will also be displayed on the left hand side of the page, this is more effective than on the right as when the reader flips the page the initial thing they will see is the picture, and this can immediately engage them. I will not put any sort of colour scale on my image, I think the brightness of it already looks quite edgy.

The title is very small on this magazine, and because my main image does not take up the whole of an A4 side, it is acceptable for my to display a bigger title, with a wider range of fonts, this will take up a considerable amount more than the title for this article. I will use the same colours for the title, as I have used to introduce my star on my front page meaning my DPS has a link to the rest of the magazine.

I am using a drop capital at the start of the article rather than in the middle, but after seeing this DPS, I have been influenced to think about using a hashtag behind the article, I think this may look quite cool as my magazine is named #Insight, but also because my star is a blogger, meaning she uses the internet and hashtags frequently, giving her a sense of personality before the reader gets to the nitty gritty in the article itself.

I am going to use the same colour scheme in my DPS as I have used on the FP to express my artists image. Orange, black and white with a hint of blue and pink for the word  "pop".

I am very happy I have found this DPS and think it can go a long way to help me with its professional tones.

Drafting and planning

In connection with my post on 1st December 2015, I have been further investigating elements of double page spreads.

I have used this double page spread almost completely to influence my decision making so far..

I have been influenced by the positioning of the star, I like the way she is positioned on the left hand side, so when the reader turns the page they will immediately become engaged with the star, and the pose (direct mode of address) wondering what she wants them to read.

I like the use of a quote on top of the picture too, the readers can connect with the star on a personal level as they begin to learn her personality through this quote. 

Nonetheless, the bigger size in font saying "Wild Child" reflects her personality once again, and gives the reader some knowledge as to what the article/interview is going to be about. Also, short the summary of the star and what she's about is portrayed underneath the main title, something I have thought about doing in my own magazine. 

The interview is positioned on the right hand side, and questions and answers are issued in different coloured fonts which makes the article easily accessible for everyone and easily to navigate around.

This is a copy of my first draft at a double page spread...

As you can see there are some similarities between my DPS and the Wild Child one.

I have used a bigger font for the main title, yet I've used the same colours as the front page and contents page too because it creates a level of symbiosis. I used the same positioning of photograph as well, on the LHS because my star can engage with the readers just like this one does. My model also uses direct mode of address, connecting on a personal level. I used a quote over the picture as it gives a sense of personality before the reader gets on to the article, and a short summary underneath the title. I once again, like the Wild Child article positioned my interview on the RHS because after the reader has got to know the artist through the image and the quote, they can get to the article to understand what this is all about. Additionally, I used a secondary image as I think it allows the stars personality to shine through more, giving the readers a taste of her lifestyle. 

I am happy with my work so far but there is definitely room for improvement, I will try and target my audience through asking them what's good and what to improve on on this double page spread. 

Drafting and planning

Here is my current draft of my contents page of #Insight:

I have tried to create a consistency between the front page and the contents page.

I have carried through the orange and the white, also the black background.

I think this looks effective because there's a link and symbiosis.

I have tried to include all elements of fashion and beauty, ranging from the opening of stores to hair and makeup tutorials. I think this is effective because I have catered to the needs of men and women (JD and MAC),

For nightlife and entertainment I have covered elements such as a new cinema, and festival news and club news. These will appeal to all of my target audience for all of the ages.

For news and sport, I have ranged my articles from football, to the junior doctors striking etc. This will interest people of all ages as they are true topics that are in the news, making my magazine a reality.

For arts and culture, I have touched on parades such as St Patricks Day, Birmingham Art Gallery, the Pitcher and the piano. You'd be able to find something in this magazine through arts and culture that interests you.

I have included a range of pictures that are my original photography. There's a picture of Selfridges, to work alongisde the fashion and beauty section, a picture of Brindley Place at night to work alongside the arts and culture section and pictures of my main cover star Eilish, that compliment the nightlife and entertainment section.

Through using the page numbers on the pictures, I have been influenced by other magazines such as Time Out and What's On. The numbers make the magazine easier to navigate.

I will now ask members of my media class, as they are within my target audience, to comment on this post, telling me what's good, what to improve on etc.

On collecting their responses, I can adjust my magazine to suit their preferences.

Drafting and planning

Here is my current draft of my front page of #Insight:

I have ignored the left third rule of the masthead, dateline selling etc. By breaking these conventions, I have given my magazine a unique image, and it will link to magazines like Washingtonian and SCENE, rather than stereotypical Time Out or What's On, magazines that have influenced my other decisions. I felt it necessary to include the name of the city within my masthead as the readers will instantly know what they're reading about. I have used an orange outline on the word #Insight as it will create a connection with the other vibrant shades of orange on the front page of my magazine. I used orange because it connotes to enthusiasm, happiness and creativity.

Here are the further connotations of the colour orange:

I found this on Colour Wheel Pro

My main image was chosen by a member of my target audience. I personally like the way the cover star is making direct mode of address, she really engages with the reader. The big smile creates symbiosis with the colours of orange on the page, it makes her seem excited, wise and prestigious. The hoop earrings give her a young, edgy look making her seem quite cool, almost like a breath of fresh air,someone you'd like to hang out with. I purposely chose the colour khaki green for her to wear in this image, I think it contrasts well with the white and orange, and brings the focus more to her facial expression, which is what the focal point must be! Yet, the necklace. and slight tan make her look sophisticated.

I chose to use minimal cover lines, so rather than jotting them around the front page, I simply used the different genres found in my magazine towards the left hand side. I chose to put them in white because they're honest, enlightening and interesting. I used the font "Agency FB" as I thought it looked quite sophisticated, and was a strong differentiation from the use of "Fava" in my masthead. I think that by simply using the genres, rather than cover lines will make the readers intrigued as to what they can find inside, it provides a sense of mystery, and longing to open up the magazine.

My use of minimal cover lines and positioning of text was influenced by Time Out Mumbai:

However, now I am having a closer look, I might have a further investigation as to how it would look if I included real cover lines...

My cover story, or anchorage text was a slight pun. My cover star, Eilish, is the promoter for the club Pop World. I felt it necessary to use a cheesy pun, to reflect the cheesy club. "Queen of Pop World" seemed fitting. I once again used the font "Fava" to write "Queen", "of" and "world" but used "bubblebody" for the word "pop". I think this looks effective, and makes the word really stand out, regardless of it being in a different colour, it really gives the word a popping effect. This cover line gives the star a sense of personality, which has already been reflected in her facial expression and the colours of font on the page.

I used a selling line, which is the typical convention of a magazine. "The best guide for the best time in Brum". People will automatically be attracted to this quote, as anyone would want to know how to enjoy themselves best, and to know what's out there in such a big city. Usually this is found alongside the masthead and I have inversed this convention, making my magazine my own.

Finally, I have used a dateline, the most important convention of the magazine, letting the readers know it's the latest issue.

I will now ask members of my media class, as they are within my target audience, to comment on this post, telling me what's good, what to improve on etc.

On collecting their responses, I can adjust my magazine to suit their preferences.

Organisation / Drafting and planning

On Thursday 21st January,

I will be uploading my current front page and contents page, with analysis of how and why I have made decisions.

Through being analytical, I can then decide on what path to go down to improve my work.

I will ask members of my target audience to comment on my blog post on Thursday 21st January, so that I can see where to go from there.

Target audience

I have been using the social networking site of Facebook, to find out what my target audience like. I have been doing this through Facebook Messenger.

I asked a 20 year old, (who's within my TA) which image they liked the most?

She answered:

Image NUMBER ONE:

(The image I, myself actually preferred)

This qualitative research will help me to design my front page in the best way to appeal to the preferences of my TA. 

Drafting and planning

For my front page, I have decided that rather than using a different font and colour for the masthead and the main cover line, I am going to see how effective it looks using the same.

Looking at the example of clash magazine, also found in my post on 31st December, 

I have decided that I would like to give off this edgy, cool vibe in my own magazine.

I like the way the same font colour and style have been used because it creates symbiosis. I think we can all agree that the colour consistency is more favourable, then a bright red? This was the colour I was going for initially...