Who do you intend to target with your school magazine? Why?

With my school magazine, I intend to target children/teenagers aged from 12 – 16. The reason for this is because my magazine is about a school sports day and the main audience for this sort of magazine I felt would be students aged from 12 – 16 going through they’re school years. Also, I chose this audience because I believe that they the magazine will take the most effect on them and they would show the most interest towards this subject of schools sports day as they can relate to it as they take part in one with they’re schools.  

What techniques are used to encourage teenage readers?

To encourage teenage readers, a wide variety of different language/slang is used, for example, they may put a few ‘street slang’ phrases. Also, they usually will make sure that they mention what’s hot on the streets and what’s not i.e. what’s the latest equipment that’s out (depending on the content of the magazine and who the target audience is). Also, they sometimes will conduct an interview with someone who is well known to attract the eyes of the target audience and make them want to look at it and read it and get them to show interest. Also, there are big, bold images to catch the audience’s eye and a wide range of colours are used.

What are the conventions of Magazine front covers: layout; text; images; graphics; colours; etc.

The conventions of a magazine are: Big bold main image; and the effect of this are to attract the eye of the target audience you’re aiming your magazine at. Colours; the aim of this is to also attract the target audiences eye and also for example if you add text is talking about sun, you may add sunny colours emphasise to the audience that you are talking about the sun. Layout; this is important with catching the target audiences eye and to maybe get them to stop and want to take a read of the magazine. Text; the text is important because it plays a vital role in persuading the target audience to want to read the magazine for example you need a good use of language and persuasive words and eye catching phrases.

How did you have to adapt to complete your research? What else did you look at - Why?

Whilst I was doing my research, I looked at my schools magazine and found a little bit of information about this but I needed to find more. So I went onto Google and looked for different magazine relating to the content of my magazine to find out a bit more on how to attract my target audience and make them want to read my magazine. I also looked at how to attract my target audience by the codes and conventions. The reason I researched this was so I could gather a bit more background information on the type of magazine I wanted and how to attract the audience and this information would effectively help me to create a successful front cover for the magazine.

What did you decide to do first? Why? Did it help?

At first, I decided to go onto Google and search up for what makes a good magazine. The reason I decided to do this task first was because I planned to search up on the main factors of what makes a good magazine in text and then I planned to look at a few magazines and pick out these factors and I felt that this would help my knowledge grow on the topic and would help me to make a magazine that has most of these factors and would attract my target audience successfully. I felt that it helped me because I now know a lot more than I did about attracting the target audience from the codes and conventions added to the magazine and the and how I can make the front cover catch people eyes and how to highlight the key factors.

What reaction did you have to this task? What did you think about it?

At first, for the time we was given for the task, I thought that I could complete this easily as I thought the task could be completed within 20 minutes. I thought that this task was extremely helpful overall. The reason I thought this was because it helped me in getting me to understand the codes and conventions of a good magazine and what about it makes the reader stop and think and what different techniques the publishers of the magazines use.

Summarise what you have to do for the Preliminary exercise

For the preliminary exercise, I needed to do some research about how to catch my target audience’s eye and what codes and conventions can help me complete this successfully. Whilst doing the research, it would have been best to make sure that I also look at a few front covers as well to help me and after researching about what catches peoples eyes and codes and conventions in text, I figured that it would help if I looked at a few images to try and identify these. I done this because I thought that when it comes to the main task it would make it easier for me to use a wider range of techniques to gather my target audience’s attention and with the content of my magazine I would like to have made the reader want to read on and maybe get the next copy and become attached to it.

Research finished

I have finished my research and have finalised my ideas for the target audience and design ideas to make it look nice and catchy with relevant information and ear pieces to attract my target audience