I would like to create a cover that challenged music magazine conventions, as I think todays music magazines have an ugly visual style, as in, they are very cluttered and hard to digest. An example is the 19 August 06 issue of NME. The first thing I noticed about it is that there is nothing noticeable about it at a first glance. Nothing catches a potential viewers eye, as the way it is designed makes it look as though everything is the most important part of the magazine - as if each article, headline and photo were all competing over which to catch a buyer's eye. In short I think it looks cluttered, and slightly undistinguishable from other music magazines. The March 11 2006 issue of Kerrang! music magazine I think also looks cluttered, and you cannot actually read the title of the magazine.
I think design magazines, partly because they have to, use very unique, stylized, original designs on their front covers. I would prefer to use these same techniques to design my front cover. I would make sure it was clear it was a music magazine, but look, in a way, slightly more like an art piece than todays mainstream music magazines.
Saturday, 1 January 2777
Monday, 1 January 2666
Reader/Audience Profile
READER PROFILE
Alex is a 16 year old boy. He lives in London and has a girlfriend. He occasionally reads the newspaper, and watches a little TV, but gets most of his information from his computer via the internet, on which he spends an average of an hour a day, listening to music, and browsing websites. He plays an instrument and is in a band with some of his friends, and has an iPod, so is greatly interested in music, new and old, because of the nature of his music lessons and accessibility of music from the internet. Most of his friends live within half an hour of him, and his school is a local state school. He lives in a semi-detached house and is of middle class economic and social background. He is studying for his GCSEs, but plans to do A levels and go to university. He reads a music magazine once every few months, and goes to gigs/clubs once every few months. Sometimes he performs at 'open mic' gigs, with some of his friends.
ANALYSIS
He is a 16 year old boy, so this may limit some of the types of music he is interested in. However, there will still be many genres he is interested in. He lives in a city, London, and many music events are accessible from there, so if musical events are advertised in 'Genre', my audience wouldn't have a problem reaching them. He reads the newspaper and watches TV, so a unique idea would be to have 'Genre' magazine advertised on the TV, a medium other music magazines have not properly attempted. However, my audience spends more time on the internet than those two put together, so this would be a better place to advertise. However, some of the articles could link in with the internet. Because music is so accessible via the internet, if there was a 'top 3 songs' in each genre section per issue, my audience could then listen to/download them. Music videos on Youtube.com could also be mentioned in the magazine, so readers could become pro-active by watching them.
He is in a band, so not only normal gig listings but 'open-mic' nights would be advertised, as these are becoming very popular at the moment and a good way for up coming bands to get their name spread and take their music to the next level, while not being too serious.
My magazine relies on my audience being interested in many genres of music, which I think is the case (and I have talked about in a previous post), but this means having an interest in old and new music. This will effect what articles are in the magazine, and maybe each 'genre section' could be semi-structured into old and new articles, depending on the genre. It will also mean that old articles and news previously published in old music magazines could be re-written about, as it will be for a new audience who have not read about them before.
He is of middle class economic background, so the monthly £2.50 would be easily affordable, however this would be the case no matter what background my reader was from. The price has to suit all backgrounds, because the music covers all genres, therefore all backgrounds. However, in reality, a large editorial team would be needed, with journalists for each genre, so the price would possibly, in reality, need to be higher.
The problem is, my audience is does not read music magazines too often and the same for goes for gigs. However, because of the extremely easy to navigate, accessible layout of my magazine, it might be easier to read about gigs, and therefore more people might want to read it more. Part of the problem with gigs is that they are quite expensive, so discounts as freebies or competitions with ticket prizes could be offered.
Now the main problem: my audience doesn't read music magazines that often. So, my magazine has to focus and zoom in more. My magazine will not only have to be entertaining, but furthermore useful, for finding out many different things and even organizing events.
Also, because my magazine is rather unconventional in its layout and design, it may offer a new refreshing way of reading music magazines, and attract new and old audiences.
Alex is a 16 year old boy. He lives in London and has a girlfriend. He occasionally reads the newspaper, and watches a little TV, but gets most of his information from his computer via the internet, on which he spends an average of an hour a day, listening to music, and browsing websites. He plays an instrument and is in a band with some of his friends, and has an iPod, so is greatly interested in music, new and old, because of the nature of his music lessons and accessibility of music from the internet. Most of his friends live within half an hour of him, and his school is a local state school. He lives in a semi-detached house and is of middle class economic and social background. He is studying for his GCSEs, but plans to do A levels and go to university. He reads a music magazine once every few months, and goes to gigs/clubs once every few months. Sometimes he performs at 'open mic' gigs, with some of his friends.
ANALYSIS
He is a 16 year old boy, so this may limit some of the types of music he is interested in. However, there will still be many genres he is interested in. He lives in a city, London, and many music events are accessible from there, so if musical events are advertised in 'Genre', my audience wouldn't have a problem reaching them. He reads the newspaper and watches TV, so a unique idea would be to have 'Genre' magazine advertised on the TV, a medium other music magazines have not properly attempted. However, my audience spends more time on the internet than those two put together, so this would be a better place to advertise. However, some of the articles could link in with the internet. Because music is so accessible via the internet, if there was a 'top 3 songs' in each genre section per issue, my audience could then listen to/download them. Music videos on Youtube.com could also be mentioned in the magazine, so readers could become pro-active by watching them.
He is in a band, so not only normal gig listings but 'open-mic' nights would be advertised, as these are becoming very popular at the moment and a good way for up coming bands to get their name spread and take their music to the next level, while not being too serious.
My magazine relies on my audience being interested in many genres of music, which I think is the case (and I have talked about in a previous post), but this means having an interest in old and new music. This will effect what articles are in the magazine, and maybe each 'genre section' could be semi-structured into old and new articles, depending on the genre. It will also mean that old articles and news previously published in old music magazines could be re-written about, as it will be for a new audience who have not read about them before.
He is of middle class economic background, so the monthly £2.50 would be easily affordable, however this would be the case no matter what background my reader was from. The price has to suit all backgrounds, because the music covers all genres, therefore all backgrounds. However, in reality, a large editorial team would be needed, with journalists for each genre, so the price would possibly, in reality, need to be higher.
The problem is, my audience is does not read music magazines too often and the same for goes for gigs. However, because of the extremely easy to navigate, accessible layout of my magazine, it might be easier to read about gigs, and therefore more people might want to read it more. Part of the problem with gigs is that they are quite expensive, so discounts as freebies or competitions with ticket prizes could be offered.
Now the main problem: my audience doesn't read music magazines that often. So, my magazine has to focus and zoom in more. My magazine will not only have to be entertaining, but furthermore useful, for finding out many different things and even organizing events.
Also, because my magazine is rather unconventional in its layout and design, it may offer a new refreshing way of reading music magazines, and attract new and old audiences.
Wednesday, 1 January 2555
Front Cover planning
I now have a design style for my music magazine. Because the magazine would focus on so many different types of genres, it needs to have a style to tie the sections of the magazine together, so it does not look like many different magazines strung together. The style is quite modern, the same style as many modern design magazines that I talked about earlier. The colours are bright, and the magazine front cover and contents set out with stripes. I repeat the use of the colour white in the magazine, along with the title/logo, which are both very neutral and don't suggest a specific genre. This is important as to put a preference over one genre would ruin the purpose of 'Genre' magazine.
On my front cover I'll have one sell line that references to the picture. I don't want to over crowd my front cover and have discussed why earlier. However it will also encourage potential buyers to open and read the music magazine.
Here are my notes concerning my magazine.
On my front cover I'll have one sell line that references to the picture. I don't want to over crowd my front cover and have discussed why earlier. However it will also encourage potential buyers to open and read the music magazine.
Here are my notes concerning my magazine.
Friday, 1 January 2444
Front Cover
This is my final front cover I have decided on. As you can see, I went with my 'stripes' idea over my 'box', as my sketches of potential 'colour box' designs showed me that there was too much white showing, and it didn't make the front cover look very good. It is purposefully simple, so it doesn't conform to normal magazine front cover stereotypes, as I found these looked cluttered. The cover story is written on the pink line, and in pink, to show that the main story for this week is 'pop' music. Previously my magazine was called 'Genre', as opposed to 'Music Genre'. I thought that the designs flaw was that it didn't show my magazine was a music magazine, so I changed the name. Also, I made sure my picture showed an instrument, to further show how it was a music magazine. The name 'Genre' was not good enough simply on its own, as although it gave connotations of different genres of music, it is not specific to music.
The art editor of 'Mojo' music magazine commented that the magazine had too many colours. I tried one or two changes to the picture to reduce the number of colours.
Here is one where the picture has been changed to black and white. It makes the picture look more dynamic, but audience feedback said that there was too much of a contrast between the colourful background, and the black and white photo. The emphasis was changed from the photo to the background.
I instead changed the picture to have a pink wash over the picture. The picture is then made up of different shades of pink. I chose the colour pink again to show how the magazines main story was a 'pop' story. However, I felt it put too much emphasis on the magazine being a pop magazine rather than a magazine about all genres, which meant potential buyers could get confused, or I could attract the wrong audience.
Sunday, 1 January 2333
Editorial
Planning my editorial. It needs to:
-explain the layout and idea of the magazine.
-Be written in the neutral text my magazine uses - myriad pro. (help tie magazine together and not suggest one particular genre).
-Use the correct mode of address for my target audience (not patronising, not boring).
-Explain magazine as first issue.
-explain the layout and idea of the magazine.
-Be written in the neutral text my magazine uses - myriad pro. (help tie magazine together and not suggest one particular genre).
-Use the correct mode of address for my target audience (not patronising, not boring).
-Explain magazine as first issue.
Tuesday, 1 January 2222
Contents Page
This was my initial idea for my contents page, based on my notes and sketches. I tried to imitate the stripes idea used on the front cover, to tie the music magazine together, but they ended up looking like boxes. Furthermore, I didn't have a photo for 'Hip-Hop', which I'd planned to get but hadn't. I also had more information than could fit on the page, and had left no space for an editor's note, so I decided to change the format to A3.
This was my first draft for my A3 contents page with photos. The colours representing each genre had also been given a title with a representitive font. I had still tried to go back to the original stripes design idea. However, I felt it looked too crowded. So I decided to make the fonts smaller, to leave more space and make the contents page look less crowded.
On this final draft of my contents page, the fonts have all been made smaller, so it looks much less crowded.
Thursday, 1 January 2111
Planning my feature
Now there is a fresh problem - what genre should my feature be about? It may depend on what upcoming gigs there are - I could do a gig review of one of the genres, possibly reggae or dance. However, there are also a few bands around that I could do interviews with or band profiles of. However, the things I am certain will be in my feature are:
-Song/top 3 songs of the month (per genre)
-Gig listings (for each genre)
-A band profile (each genre)
-Article (each genre)
Another thing is that I might use a genre that uses a mix of old and new music, to make the layout of the feature more interesting and show how the writing of old music mixed with new music will work. Reggae is a possible idea, as old reggae is popular at the moment, hence there is much new reggae being made.
I have pictures for 2 potential features: jazz or pop.
Feature
Jazz or pop? I have better pictures for Jazz, but Jazz is not a mainstream genre, and so maybe not a good genre to start with. However I have to justify the journalism of less mainstream genres during the course of the magazine, (justify the use of many genres). So how could I make a jazz section that would appeal to my audience? There is a need to show how it would work. (I know very little about Jazz, possibly not enough to write a successful article) If I was to write a Jazz feature, it would need to be technical to appeal to jazz musicians, but explanatory and accessible to appeal to my audience who don't know anything about Jazz. To further appeal to my younger market, it would have to not be written like a 'jazz snob'. However, again it would not be a good idea to write a feature about a genre I don't know enough about. 'Pop' is a much broader genre, and leading my magazine with a main story about 'Jazz' may not be attractive to my audience. I also have more access to 'pop' musicians. So I will write my feature on 'pop' music.
The magazine should be accesible: introduce people to new genres of music, but also give people information and articles on genres of music they already like - the whole 'club' idea.
-Song/top 3 songs of the month (per genre)
-Gig listings (for each genre)
-A band profile (each genre)
-Article (each genre)
Another thing is that I might use a genre that uses a mix of old and new music, to make the layout of the feature more interesting and show how the writing of old music mixed with new music will work. Reggae is a possible idea, as old reggae is popular at the moment, hence there is much new reggae being made.
I have pictures for 2 potential features: jazz or pop.
Feature
Jazz or pop? I have better pictures for Jazz, but Jazz is not a mainstream genre, and so maybe not a good genre to start with. However I have to justify the journalism of less mainstream genres during the course of the magazine, (justify the use of many genres). So how could I make a jazz section that would appeal to my audience? There is a need to show how it would work. (I know very little about Jazz, possibly not enough to write a successful article) If I was to write a Jazz feature, it would need to be technical to appeal to jazz musicians, but explanatory and accessible to appeal to my audience who don't know anything about Jazz. To further appeal to my younger market, it would have to not be written like a 'jazz snob'. However, again it would not be a good idea to write a feature about a genre I don't know enough about. 'Pop' is a much broader genre, and leading my magazine with a main story about 'Jazz' may not be attractive to my audience. I also have more access to 'pop' musicians. So I will write my feature on 'pop' music.
The magazine should be accesible: introduce people to new genres of music, but also give people information and articles on genres of music they already like - the whole 'club' idea.
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