In what ways does my media product, use conventions

A magazine design which I took

into account when designing my

own magazine was ‘Q’ a highbrow

general music magazine which

mainly follows the conventions of a

magazine. It does this by placing the

one letter title at the top left corner

of the page, the side which is often

exposed to buyers on newsstands.

This is conventional to magazines as it

draws in the eyes of the buyer. This

particular magazine also presents the

main feature of the issue to the left

quarter of the page, again on show

when being sold. Other professional

methods include the use of light colours on a dark background, used by

this magazine to enable all writing is visible on the page, as well as the use of different

weight fonts to distinguish the features and their descriptions. A final feature, conventional

to many music magazines including ‘NME’ and ‘Vibe’ is the colour scheme of red and black.

Due to these colours being widely used by a range of music magazines, audiences tend to

associate these colours with the connotations of music, helping to draw in an appropriate

audience. Other aspects conventional to magazines include a slug line, a phrase which

appears beneath the title of every issue for identification of your magazine as well as

continuity. You can also include a ‘buzz’, a shape which draws the reader’s attention to a

particular feature of the magazine using large ‘buzz words’ like WIN etc. All of these

methods are conventional to magazines, and not only help in the selling of the issue, but

combine to make a generally professional looking product. I have therefore used all of these

methods on my own magazine, as my aim was to create a highbrow professional magazine

for a niche genre.

Title in the top

left corner to

enable visibility

on newsstands.

Main feature in

left third

All new features

in left third to

draw in a buyer

when being

displayed.

Different fonts to

distinguish the

cover-lines and

their description.

I have placed my

regulars on the right

third of the cover so that

cover-lines exposed to

the buyer are new.

Pull quote

Red and black

colour scheme Slug line

My Artist does not

perform a direct

stare into the

camera lens, a

convention of any

magazine to draw

in the reader with

the eyes.

I have thus chosen

to subvert this

convention, as

unlike ‘Q’, the

genre of my

magazine is indie/

alternative. I have

therefore chosen

an alternative

position to reflect

my genre (as done

by NME on page

1). I also feel it

gives a mysterious

effect, and will lead

the reader into

fining out more

about my artist.

I have also used a

location picture on

my front cover,

something which

most mainstream

magazines do not

use as a cover

photo to keep

attention to cover

lines and the artist

themselves.

I have therefore

decided to subvert this

convention, as the

outdoors setting of my

photo is effective in

asserting a different

style. The

connotations of the

outdoors is also

associated more with

freedom, something

which reflects the

freedom of my genre.

It is also effective in

catching the eye of my

audience and drawing

them into the artistic

aspects of my product,

as this relates to my

artistic target

audience.

Subverting the general

conventions of a magazine

contents page, includes

my use of a picture as a

background.

Conventionally, magazines

use a solid base on which

to build on and I have

decided to challenge this.

This is because my

magazine construction

was

based on normalising the indie genre to the

standards of mainstream. I thus believe that a house

style which focuses giving the artist a consistent

voice is effective in doing so. My other subversions

include a generally more minimalistic approach.

Although I believe this has the desired effect of

allowing an audience to focus in on my content, I

think that the conventions of more layering of

different medias, for example text boxes as used in

‘Q’ and ‘NME’ would be effective in making my

product more professional. It would also give more

depth to the page. I could have also improved the

page further by reinstating the title, something

which both Q and NME do for a continued house

style

I have made many conforms

to the conventions of a

magazine contents page. This

includes the use of large folio

numbers in order to draw in

the eyes of the reader, as well

as different weight fonts to

distinguish the feature title

from the description. I have

also made a distinguished

house style in my use of my masthead font as

‘contents’, and the general use of my colour

scheme of red, black and white. I have also

used multiple pictures on my folio,

stereotypically using the largest photo for the

main feature and smaller, relevant ones for

other features. Other conventions include the

use of columns to distinguish the ‘features

from ‘regulars’ something which I have

included, the first two columns for my

features and the third column for my

regulars.

Picture across

two pages,

establishes that

this is the main

feature.

Drop cap,

conventional to

a page/ double

page spread to

draw in the eyes

of the reader to

the beginning of

the article.

I have also used

warp text,

something

which the Q

magazine has

not used, yet is

often

conventional to

a dps. I have

used it to

incorporate the

background

picture with my

article and show

that the two are

connected. It

also gives body

to the pages,

and helps to

make my

product appear

professional.

Another

convention not

used in this

edition of Q

includes a pull

quote. This is used

to separate blocks

of text, as well as

give a skimming

reader an idea of

the responses of

the artist.

Stanferst, used to

give a reader an

idea of what the

article of about,

something i used in

my magazine to

entice a reader into

reading on.

I have also added the simplistic

convention of page numbers to

show continuity throughout my

product, as these page numbers

coincide with the feature on the

contents page.

Statement title

which shows

the nature of

the interview.