To get feedback from by target audience I decided to create a questionnaire, using an opportunity sample, with a sample of 10 students from my Media Studies class. When creating my actual magazine I will use a larger sample that will give me information that is actually representative of my target audience. My media class sample is just one set of students in my 1 class in 1 year group. I should of asked students in each year and each class to fill in my questionnaire to get valid feedback, but just for my preliminary task I shall use the opportunity sample as it is quick and easy to do, and leaves more time to concentrate on my actual magazine. I wrote down a few questions and possible answers and then wrote up my questionnaire on the computer using these questions. I used around 10 questions in my questionnaire and handed out 10 of them to my Media Class. The results were as follows:
1. If the school were to release a free magazine would you read it? 9 people said yes and 1 person said no
2. what would you prefer the name to be? 9 people said Wor Monkey and 1 person said Pyramid
3. How many cover lines would you like to see? 2 people said 3 and under, 7 people said 4, nobody said 5 and 1 person said 6.
4. The front image will be of a student. would you prefer the student to be holding something or not? 8 people said holding something and 2 people said not.
5. The front image will be of a student. would you prefer the student to be in school uniform or not? 7 people said in school uniform and 3 people said not.
6. What sort of information would you like to see on the cover (select 3)? 7 people said new building information, 5 people said new uniform information, 5 people said agony aunt headlines, 7. people said 6th form help/tips, 6 people said school events and nobody said other.
8. Would you prefer the colour scheme to be: 3 people said bright, nobody said dark, nobody said plain and 7 people said a mixture.
I will take into account all of these responses when i am developing my cover further.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Preliminary Task - Rough Drafts
Before I created my actual school magazine front cover I needed to have a rough idea of what I was going to do. So I created 3 mock up covers whilst I was in my lessons, and came up with 3 rough layouts of what I could try out on my magazine cover and see what worked well, and what didn't.
For my first draft had the mast head along the top, and some cover lines and small images scattered down the right hand side, with the main image on the left, and the bar code, issue number and date on the bottom left. I decided I liked the idea of the main image to one side, because it looks neat and set out well. I also like the idea of the bar code being in a bottom corner, like other magazines so it is recognisable. I don't like the idea of scattered small images and cover lines, as I feel it would make my magazine cover look trashy and thrown together.
My second draft had the mast head down the left of the page with the main image on the right, some cove lines across the bottom of the page, and the bar code on the bottom right. I liked the idea of the mast head going down the side of the page, as it is quite different to it going in the top corner or across the top of the page. I think having all the cover lines across the bottom of the page would make it look squashed and so decided not to use this idea.
My third draft had the mast head across the top of the page, the main image in the centre, and the cover lines all around the image, with the bar codes at the bottom left. I didn't like this draft at all. i thought having the cover lines all around the image made it look cramped and squashed therefore decided not to use this.
My drafts gave me a vague idea of what i wanted to do for my actual magazine cover. I wanted to put the mast head down the left or right of the page, with the image on the opposite side, and the cover lines to wither the left or the right of the image, and layering it slightly.
For my first draft had the mast head along the top, and some cover lines and small images scattered down the right hand side, with the main image on the left, and the bar code, issue number and date on the bottom left. I decided I liked the idea of the main image to one side, because it looks neat and set out well. I also like the idea of the bar code being in a bottom corner, like other magazines so it is recognisable. I don't like the idea of scattered small images and cover lines, as I feel it would make my magazine cover look trashy and thrown together.
My second draft had the mast head down the left of the page with the main image on the right, some cove lines across the bottom of the page, and the bar code on the bottom right. I liked the idea of the mast head going down the side of the page, as it is quite different to it going in the top corner or across the top of the page. I think having all the cover lines across the bottom of the page would make it look squashed and so decided not to use this idea.
My third draft had the mast head across the top of the page, the main image in the centre, and the cover lines all around the image, with the bar codes at the bottom left. I didn't like this draft at all. i thought having the cover lines all around the image made it look cramped and squashed therefore decided not to use this.
My drafts gave me a vague idea of what i wanted to do for my actual magazine cover. I wanted to put the mast head down the left or right of the page, with the image on the opposite side, and the cover lines to wither the left or the right of the image, and layering it slightly.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Preliminary Task - Planning the Cover
After summing up popular ideas from my research, i had a general idea of what i was going to include in my cover. So in class I created a thought shower of main ideas i could possibly use for my cover. My main branches were Name, Cover lines, Photograph, and Colour Schemes.
For the name of my magazine I decided to link it to the school in some way, by using links to the school name (Monkseaton High School) or links to the teachers, or popular aspects of the school. I thought of The Pyramid, because the glass pyramid is probably the most known aspect of the school. I also thought about using the name Space School Mag, because of the spaced learning our school has been developing. My personal favourite name was Wor Monkey. I used this as it links to our Geordie background by using the word 'wor' and the school by shortening Monkseaton to monkey. I thought this would be quite a popular original idea for the magazine, and I would use this and the Pyramid in my questionnaire to let the target audience decide on the final name.
My colour scheme ideas came from the current school logo, black and purple. So i decided to try out a style with black, and different shades of purple to see what worked the best. I decided to use a variety of shades of purple, so that the writing could be seen in parts where my image was slightly darker, or lighter where the writing would possibly be less visible. I decided that the background would be bright, so this would mean finding a bright place to shoot my photo, so the background could tie in with the colour scheme.
For my cover lines i decided to focus on the changes to the school, like the new building being built, and a new school uniform being introduced etc. I also decided to focus on some 'regulars' like the upcoming events in the school. I toyed with the idea of using a cover line for something unrelated to school, yet appealing to students, like fashion, or music, but decided against this idea and decided to stick to the school and to use cover lines related to the school in general. To make sure my target audience liked these ideas i will include this in my questionnaire and use the results to create my cover lines.
I had decided my name by now (wor monkey) therefore decided to design by picture around that name, by using a small stuffed monkey, and a model dressed as a student perhaps holding the monkey. The image will be in medium close up, and possible poses could be smiling, so it welcomes the reader or something along those lines.
For the name of my magazine I decided to link it to the school in some way, by using links to the school name (Monkseaton High School) or links to the teachers, or popular aspects of the school. I thought of The Pyramid, because the glass pyramid is probably the most known aspect of the school. I also thought about using the name Space School Mag, because of the spaced learning our school has been developing. My personal favourite name was Wor Monkey. I used this as it links to our Geordie background by using the word 'wor' and the school by shortening Monkseaton to monkey. I thought this would be quite a popular original idea for the magazine, and I would use this and the Pyramid in my questionnaire to let the target audience decide on the final name.
My colour scheme ideas came from the current school logo, black and purple. So i decided to try out a style with black, and different shades of purple to see what worked the best. I decided to use a variety of shades of purple, so that the writing could be seen in parts where my image was slightly darker, or lighter where the writing would possibly be less visible. I decided that the background would be bright, so this would mean finding a bright place to shoot my photo, so the background could tie in with the colour scheme.
For my cover lines i decided to focus on the changes to the school, like the new building being built, and a new school uniform being introduced etc. I also decided to focus on some 'regulars' like the upcoming events in the school. I toyed with the idea of using a cover line for something unrelated to school, yet appealing to students, like fashion, or music, but decided against this idea and decided to stick to the school and to use cover lines related to the school in general. To make sure my target audience liked these ideas i will include this in my questionnaire and use the results to create my cover lines.
I had decided my name by now (wor monkey) therefore decided to design by picture around that name, by using a small stuffed monkey, and a model dressed as a student perhaps holding the monkey. The image will be in medium close up, and possible poses could be smiling, so it welcomes the reader or something along those lines.
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