Website Planning

I have began to plan how I want my website to look. I looked at other high fashion websites such as Vogue and also websites owned by Bauer such as Grazia, as this allowed me to gain inspiration as to what mine should look like. I am not certain it will look exactly like this, but I want it to be similar. I do not know exactly what the pictures will be as I have not yet taken them, and so I will write the captions once I know exactly what the pictures will be. On the left, I will include an image of the person I am using for my short video interview. The interview will be centred around a new fashion designer and their style and passion for designing.

I have also began to design another page for my website. This is the page that you are taken to when you press on the 'fashion' link. Again, I don't know exactly what the pictures will look like hence why I haven't come up with captions, the only picture I have already taken is the "Leah red and grey pic" so I was able to write a caption for this one. Below the captions I think I will add the topic that the article focuses on, so in this case 'fashion' and how long ago I was published, as well as a byline. I will do this for every article as this is what most high fashion websites do.

Logo Ideas

I have been experimenting with logos for my magazine and have come up with a final 2 that I will choose between. 

I like this one because it looks very feminine and classy. I have chosen to include 'Iconique Magazine' on both because this is the name of the brand and so therefore it is necessary. I think the swirls look very elegant and sophisticated, which are two things I would like my magazine to be represented as. My magazine will include images that all create a strong sense of elegance and class, in most cases due to the backgrounds, but also the poise and sophistication of the models. The issue I have with it is that it will take up a lot of room and is quite extravagant for a logo, perhaps less swirls would make it look better.

I like this one because I think it is very striking and simple yet sophisticated. The font used will always mean it looks elegant, so it doesn't matter that the design around it looks quite plain. I think this makes it look more striking as the lines frame the magazine title, representing it as important. The lack of detail around the title pulls attention to the elegant font, emphasising the idea of sophistication and class, hopefully representing my magazine this way. Perhaps if I could find a way of incorporating swirls into a design similar to this it would be better as it wouldn't be too busy with lots of swirls, but also not too plain with just simple lines.

Masthead Research

The font used for the Vogue masthead is a serif font and I really love how elegant and classy it looks. I love how it is thin in places and thick in others, it makes it look extremely sophisticated.  My magazine needs to be sophisticated so I will definitely use a serif font as I believe they look much more graceful. They have chosen to include 'British' in the O, so that you're aware of which version of the website you are on. This is in a plain sans serif font so it doesn't take away any attention from the tasteful serif font used for 'Vogue'. I most likely will not chose to include anything like the 'British' in the O as I think it is unnecessary and I don't want anything to take away the elegance of my masthead.

The font used here is again serif and so looks very classy. The letters are slightly more spread out and thin compared to the Vogue masthead. In my opinion, I prefer the Vogue on as I love how the thin sections contrast with the thick and how rounded it all looks. Although, I do love how symmetrical this one looks. The word 'Elle' is symmetrical so perhaps I could think of something similar for my masthead in order to achieve this look for my masthead. Although I do think this will be extremely hard, so I will most likely use a similar font to the Vogue masthead and have a word that is not symmetrical.

I love the font used for the Harper's Bazaar masthead as it has elements of the other two fonts that I enjoy. It has the thin and thick sections that I think look appealing, and it combines the thinness of Elle's font that I like, but still has the letters close together like Vogue's masthead. I will certainly use a serif font as they signify elegance, class and sophistication and so represent the magazine as these things. These are the things I really want to make my magazine.

After playing around with fonts I decided to go with a font named 'Didot' as it looks very classy and sophisticated which is what I want. Here is how it looks with my magazine name:

I like the distance between the letters and how the Q makes it look more unique as it hangs below the rest of the letters. I think this font will represent my magazine as sophisticated, elegant and tasteful.

How Different Magazines Target Different Age Groups

This Teen Vogue magazine targets a teenage audience aged 13-18. This TA is clearly reflected with the features of the magazine.

• The main colours used are bright pink and bright blue, these colours are very child-like and extravagant. They don't appear to look very classy, so they wouldn't attract an older audience. The colours would certainly be more eye-catching for a younger teen audience. 
• The word 'cool' has been used. This isn't sophisticated at all so wouldn't appeal to an older audience, meaning it targets a teen audience much better. 
• The sans serif font used for the features is again not very sophisticated, especially the 'Glam Alert' font, targeting a younger audience of teens. 
• There is a puff used in the shape of a star, it is bright pink. This targets a younger audience as it doesn't look very professional, so an adult wouldn't really appreciate the way it looks.
• The models costume and hair is very extravagant and bold, this look wouldn't really work with an adults, sophisticated magazine, so therefore it works much better for this teen edition. 
• Celebrities such as Katy Perry, Selena Gomez and One Direction are mentioned. These people are all aimed at a younger audience - teenagers. So including features about them will attract the teenage audience, and repel the older audience who will probably have no interest in them.

This Vogue magazine targets a sophisticated, older teen and adult audience aged 16-25. This TA is clearly reflected with the features of the magazine.

• The colours used are much more sophisticated and classy. The grey works really well with the dark red costume and deep pink masthead. This will attract an older audience due to the elegance of the colours.
• The font used for the features is a sans serif font, like the Teen Vogue magazine, however it is much thinner, which makes it look much more appealing and elegant. It would appeal to the older TA as it looks more classy, which they would appreciate.
• The models make up looks very detailed and neat. It is bold, but yet she still looks classy. Although the Teen Vogue edition features a model also with heavy make up, the model in this Vogue magazine looks much more sophisticated and classy, targeting an older more sophisticated audience. 
• The magazine just looks overall much more sophisticated. I believe the colour really make the difference as they look much more elegant and appeal more to an older audience.

More Target Audience Research

As my target audience is very wide (16-25), I have decided to split it into 3 age groups so that I can really look at how different they all are, and work out how to appeal to them all.


16-18 year old:
This is college age, so they will most likely be living with their parents. They are group A/B so might have money from their parents, meaning that providing their parents give them money, they will be able to afford high fashion clothes, like the ones depicted in my magazine. They may have part time jobs at this age so could also have a fair amount of money of their own. I think I should include some clothes that are more affordable because it is unfair to expect this auidence to have the same amount of money as those aged 25.


19-21 year old:
This is University age, so these people will probably have a fairly well paid part time job that provides them will a good amount of money. Either that, or they will have a full time job or apprenticeship. Both of these will mean they have a lot of money, and as they're group A/B, it is likely they will have good financial support from their parents. This means they will be able to afford high fashion clothes, similar to the ones depicted in my magazine.


22-25 year old:
At this age, it is likely that they will be in a full time job. They will most likely have a lot of money of their own by now, so won't have to rely on money from their family. They will be more independent now, and more free to go out and do as they please. They will therefore probably be very into shopping high fashion clothes and accessories, which means they will be influenced by my magazine and want to buy the products depicted. I can include very expensive clothes, as this audience, being group A/B, can probably afford them.

Bauer Media Research

Bauer Media is a large European based media company that manages several magazines, iital products, radio and TV stations across the world.Following their purchase of Emap in 2007, The Bauer Media Group obtained a collection of media brands, including heat and Grazia as well as many national radio brands including KISS FM UK and Magic, and regional radio brands across major UK cities. In 2013, Bauer Media also acquired the Absolute Radio Group from Times of India. Bauer Media broadcasts TV music channels including The Box TV. In the UK it is the sister company of H Bauer Publishin, who publish titles including Take a Break.

“Cultural connections

In an era where audiences are ever harder to categorise, we build strong cultural connections, drawing people together with the things that they really care about. Our brands become the lens through which our audiences see the world.

Our focus is on deep consumer insight and instinct, and when they collide, the sparks fly!


Magazines


Today we are Britain’s biggest magazine publisher.
Our magazine heritage stretches back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News, both still iconic brands within our portfolio. More recently, Closer was launched in 2002 and Britain’s first weekly glossy, Grazia, was launched in 2005.
Our Women’s Weekly magazines include Take A Break, which has long been the UK’s best-selling women’s weekly title, and TV Choice, the UK’s biggest selling magazine.  In 2015, we created a new niche within the growing gardening market, with the launch of Modern Gardens, for an audience who want to enjoy their outdoor living space, without having to become expert gardeners.


Digital


Our digital business is harnessed under the Bauer Xcel umbrella, to leverage our scale and accelerate our digital ambitions, organically and through acquisition. Today we have 40 million unique users accessing Bauer brands globally and in the UK, we have over 100 websites and 50 digital editions of our print brands.


Radio


The seeds of Bauer Media’s radio business were planted in1990 with the acquisition of London dance station KISS FM.  Today we operate 69 commercial, local, national and digital stations in the UK, including Absolute Radio, Magic, KISS and the Bauer City Network of 22 iconic local brands, situated in cities across the UK.
Bauer Media UK has the biggest commercial digital radio audience, with over half of total Bauer Radio listening taking place via a digital device.
In March 2016, Bauer Media began broadcasting six of its national radio stations on the UK’s second national DAB digital radio multiplex network, including two new launches; Mellow Magic and Magic Chilled.
In May 2016, Bauer Media announced the acquisition of the market-leading Midlands-based commercial radio group, Orion Media, which incorporates the Free Radio and Gem radio brands, further strengthening the Bauer City Network across one of the UK’s fastest-growing regions.
Bauer Media UK has also expanded its radio operation in to Europe, acquiring Nordic broadcaster SBS Radio in 2015.  Reaching more than 10 million listeners weekly, through 20 highly demanded brands, SBS Radio is the leading commercial radio operator in Sweden and Denmark and is strongly positioned in Norway and Finland.  And in February 2016, the KISS brand launched in Norway and Finland, with KISSTORY now also on-air in Norway.


TV


In 1996, we acquired digital music TV channel The Box, that has grown into Box Plus Network, a seven-channel joint venture TV business with Channel4.  Reaching 16 million viewers per month and offering more music than any other TV network, Box Plus Network brands include 4Music, KISS, Magic, Boxhits and Kerrang!"

This was taken from the 'About' section on the Bauer Media website, so it is all in their own words. Researching this has allowed me to understand more about Bauer Media and what they own. They own Grazia magazine, which is also a fashion magazine, so my magazine would fit in.

Initial Photography Feedback From TA

I have uploaded this image to Flickr as I like the way the background works in representing the model. I think the natural background represents her innocence and sincerity. It would work well as a front cover, providing the background was blurred so the focus isn't taken away from the model. I have received 3 comments, each from members of my target audience (16-25), therefore these comments will help me develop an understanding of what my TA like.

The comments are positive and reinforce what I thought about the image. Daisy's comment mentions the models innocence which is what I was going for, and the positive tone implies my TA like this representation which is good and means I will definitely use this representation for this model. I will find better locations that are also natural and take more pictures of her and I will ensure the background is blurred because I need to make sure the focus is solely on the model - I don't want any distractions. One comment talks about they like how natural the model is. This is good because I want my magazine to focus more on natural girls, representing purity and innocence rather than fully made up girls, and so it is good to know that my TA also enjoy this.




I uploaded this picture to Flickr because I think the colours work really well and I like the expression on my models face. It is very pure and natural. Again, I would blur the background so that the focus is on the model alone. I think it would still be equally effective because the deep green colour would still remain very apparent. I love how her costume compliments her features such as her eyes and I just really think these colours work together nicely. I will make sure that if I take another one that is similar to this, the background will be completely covered with greenery, so that when it is blurred, all you can see are several shades of green, complementing her costume and eyes.



The comments are again positive and both mention how her eyes stand out due to the costume. I am very pleased with this feedback and this is definitely going to be an outfit I will use on this model seen as though my TA like it.

Although I am not too keen on the background of this, I do like the pose and the costume. I think the costume is very unusual, which is good for a high fashion magazine and I like the pose because it is similar to what you would tend to see in a fashion magazine, so would work really well in mine. The facial expression especially is typical of a fashion magazine, so I will definitely ask her to pull this facial expression again. I think the costume doesn't work well with the background because the colours don't go very well. The costume is pastel so it would look better with a pastel background.

The comment confirms what I believed about the pose, I will definitely ask the model to do a similar pose when I take more pictures of her as it works very well, especially for a fashion magazine as the comment states.

Overall, I am pleased with the feedback from my initial photography and I have learnt from my TA's comments and they have helped me to decide that:

• I will stick to the nature theme with this model and keep her relatively natural looking.
• I will take pictures of her in the blue outfit depicted in the first two images.
• I will encourage her to pose in the way she did in the last picture.

Research of Websites 3 - Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar Website Research

Conventionally, the masthead is placed at the top in the centre of the website. It has a video behind it of a model in a floral, brightly coloured dress which makes the webpage look instantly very colourful. However, I do think it takes attention away from the masthead as the video is quite busy and distracting which may not be a good thing. Although, it is still very visible due to the large white serif font. The font being serif creates a graceful, sophisticated look, and it therefore represents the magazine as those things also. All 3 websites I have researched (Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Elle) have used a serif font, each very similar. I really enjoy the way it looks, therefore will most likely use a serif font for my masthead and logo.

The logo is placed in the top left corner which is conventional. Just like the other two websites (Vogue and Elle), it remains there when you scroll and you are able to press on it and be directed back to the homepage. This is very useful and time saving, as it means the audience won't have to scroll all the way back up, they can simply press the logo. The navigation bar has similar links to Elle's and Vogue's navigation bar, with links for 'fashion' and 'beauty'. These two links are typical of a fashion website. This navigation bar also has a celebrity link, that contains celebrity gossip articles. This attracts a younger audience of teens aged 16-19. However the Bazaar Bride link then attracts an older audience of 24-30 as it is all about wedding planning. Therefore the links help to widen the websites TA. Both these links address audiences concerns, whether the concerns be planning a wedding, or simply wondering what Meghan Markle has been wearing. The link to 'ShopBAZAAR' is effective because it promotes their products and encourages people to buy from them.

The menu option brings up a long list of links, including the ones in the navigation bar and more. There is a travel and food link which directs you to a page all about these things. There are several articles all about different places to travel to in the world. This almost works as a way of advertising destinations, as the pictures encourage people to go and experience the beautiful places in real life. There are articles about the best food places as well. The articles combine travel and food, as you have to travel long distances to most of the food places. This attracts a young audience of people aged around 19-21, as it is this age that people tend to go travelling at. Therefore these articles do actually address the audiences concerns, as people will read the articles to discover where they should go.

Also, there is a link for the newsletter. It takes you to a page where can sign up to the newsletter to 'find the latest fashion trends, news, and more, from casual to couture.' The lexical choices used encourage the reader to sign up so they can stay up to date with the latest trends. 

There are various social media links which attract the younger teen audience, as they use social media frequently. It encourages the teens to follow the Harper's Bazaar page on each of the social media sites. This will mean that features from Harper's Bazaar will pop up on their news feeds on each social media site, so they're constantly up to date with fashion etc.

There are stories to do with politics, which isn't really what you would expect from a fashion magazine. This helps to widen the audience as an older audience (30's) would be interested to know what the Queen said to Trump. The byline is useful because if the audience recognises a writer that they like, they're likely to press on and read the article. All 3 websites I have studied have had bylines so I will definitely include them on my website. 

From looking at Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar websites I have discovered several features that are common and that I will use on my website. Some being:

• The masthead in a serif font, positioned at the top in the centre.
• The logo being in the top left corner, and it being a direct link back to the homepage.
• The navigation bar including links that appeal to everyone in my TA (16-25).
• Bylines on every article.
• Social media links.
• A moving image behind the masthead.
• I will include some square images like Vogue as it looks unique.

Research of Websites 2 - Elle

Elle Website Research

The masthead is placed conventionally at the top in the centre of the website. The font is large which allows it to stand out and be a very prominent feature, meaning you are constantly reminded of the name of the magazine. The font is a serif font which creates a classy, sophisticated representation for the magazine. The banner in which the masthead is placed has changing images in the background, therefore the colour of the font used changes from black and white depending on what works best with that certain image. I think this is very effective because it means that it is always interesting to see what the image will be when you go on the website.

Similar to Vogue, the logo is conventionally placed in the top left corner. It remains there when you scroll down on the website so there is a constant reminder of the name of the magazine. If you press on the logo it takes you back to the homepage, so therefore it is very useful for the audience as it makes it easier to navigate the website and get back to the homepage quickly.

The navigation bar is a conventional feature of a website and it is very diverse in the links displayed. You have the option to explore articles related to fashion and beauty which would attract younger audiences (16-25), but also cultural links. When selecting the culture link, you are taken to a page with many articles relating to culture. There is a large image of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which appears instantly. This section of the website does relate to the audiences concerns because their are several articles about important topics that people are anxious about - such as articles surrounding Donald Trump. This helps create a wider audience as it will attract older people, aged 25-30.

The horoscopes link also addresses the audiences concerns because many people enjoy reading their horoscopes, so they would find this link very useful. This is similar to the life and love link as this works as an advice section where you have the ability to write to the website a concern you have, and you will be given advice by E. Jean. Clearly this directly addresses the audiences concerns as their issues are being explicitly dealt with by a professional who is giving them advice. It is especially effective because people who aren't confident enough to open up may see a story they relate to, and will therefore be able to get the advice they need without having to open up about the issue they have.



As part of the navigation bar, on the far left their is a menu option, that if you select, brings up a long list of links. This brings up the same links from the navigation bar as well as some extras. You have the option to search which is very useful because if you know exactly what you're looking for on the website, you can quickly search for it and it will be on your screen straight away. There is an option to look at videos which creates a wider audience as it attracts the younger generation (16-21) who prefer to watch videos as a way of taking in information.
There is also an option to take you to a page about the newsletter, where you are able to sign up to it. This encourages people to sign up to the newsletter, especially with the lexical choices used, "For the latest in fashion, beauty and culture, sign up and receive ELLE's bi-weekly newsletter". This sounds very appealing as people will want to stay up to date with these things, so consequently, will want to subscribe.
The follow option gives a list of social media sites which you are able to follow them on which is good for the younger audience (16-25).
The link 'win' uses a buzz word which encourages people to click on the link. The link takes you to a page full of competitions you can enter.

There are articles on the website about things other than fashion. For example, there is this article about Prince William, Prince Harry and Donald Trump. This most likely expands the audience that the website attracts as an older audience would enjoy to read this article (25-35). The articles also have bylines so you are able to see the writer before pressing on the link. This is effective because if you see an article written by someone you follow and enjoy reading their work, then you'll likely press on it and read this article. It represents Elle's audience as being sophisticated because they read hard news as well as the normal  fashion articles with tips for clothing etc. At the top of the link it says 'Power and Politics' which is useful because people can read these headings and decide whether they want to view the article or not, without even having to read the headline. In contrast, there are the typical articles about fashion trends. For example, there is this one about a bag that is represented as being very good, meaning the article encourages people to buy the bag. There is a 'shop now' option making it easy to purchase. The heading for this one is 'Shopping' so if you're interested in viewing the latest trends to shop, you would simply scan these articles, reading the headings looking for ones that say 'shopping'.

Research of Websites 1 - Vogue

British Vogue Website Research

The masthead is conventionally placed at the top of the website in the centre, it is quite large and catches your attention straight away. It is in the recognisable font that is always used on Vogue magazines, therefore it creates brand identity as you know instantly what it is just from the font. It is in a serif font so looks classy and elegant, representing the actual magazine as those things also. This is the British Vogue website so they have chosen to include the word "British' in the 'O' of 'Vogue'. This works effectively as it means you are aware of which version of the website you are on, yet it is subtle, so doesn't take away the elegant effect of the masthead.

As you begin to scroll down on the web page the logo appears in the top left corner which is conventional of a website. It is the normal logo so doesn't have 'British' inside of the 'O'. I think it is good that it remains in the top corner even when you scroll because this way you would always be reminded of what website you are on. It is also useful because when you press on it, it takes you back to the top of the homepage which is a quick, effective way of navigating around the website.

The navigation bar also remains at the top when you scroll which is useful for the audience because it saves time as they don't have to scroll back up to locate it. It has several links that appeal to different audiences. For example, there is a link for fashion news which would interest some people, but also a link for arts and lifestyle which may attract a different kind of audience. The navigation bar is a conventional feature of a website. There is a link at the end that says more, and this brings up several links. Some being, 'magazine' and 'subscribe'. The 'magazine' link takes you to a page that displays front covers from every month and it gives you the option to buy them. This is clever because it persuades people to buy the actual magazines as you are able to see the covers and read the text on the front, but you cannot see what is inside.


There is a moving advert just below the navigation bar and when you press on it, it takes you directly to the website. The advert is very large compared to the rest of the features on the website, which makes it seem important, therefore it encourages people to press on the link and buy from the website. The products it is advertising are rather expensive and for a higher demographic which tend to be the audience that Vogue targets. The advert looks very elegant and it works as a visual sign to signify class and sophistication, representing the magazine as those things. This advert is actually displayed 7 times before you scroll to the bottom of the website.

Furthermore, the website then has top stories displayed, which you are able to select and read in more detail. You are informed of the writer before you click on the story, so this is effective because people may chose to read certain stories if they recognise a writer that they like and follow. The news differs quite a lot, with stories ranging from news about high end brands (Chanel) to news relating to the World Cup. I really like how the images are square as I think it looks quite classy and unique so therefore I might also use squares for some of my images on the website.

There are several features as you scroll down that you are able to press on and they are very diverse. All are about fashion but are still very different. For example, there are helpful features such as the one to the left which are very appealing to those who are very into fashion. These features give tips to improve a persons style which some people would really enjoy to read and learn from. These type of features are more aimed at the younger audience of Vogue, possibly girls aged 18-21. But there are also features that appeal to a different audience, possibly older - 21-28. This feature about Garbiñe Muguruza would appeal to a more specific audience - tennis fans. Personally, I wouldn't chose to read  this article because I do not know who the woman is as I do not know a lot about tennis, however there will be a group of people who would enjoy reading this, therefore a diverse audience is created.

In the article, she mentions buying herself a Rolex watch and so the article not only works as a way of informing the audience about her journey, but also as a way of advertising Rolex watches. There are adverts that have been placed alongside the article for Rolex which further promote the brand and encourage people buy watches from them. You are able to press on the advert and it directs you straight to a women's Rolex page, where you can actually purchase them. Therefore, again, like the other advert, Vogue is promoting other products and encouraging their sophisticated audience to buy them.

Target Audience Research

I decided to create a questionnaire to give to my target audience. In this questionnaire I have asked several questions that will allow me to understand what my target audience like and what they do not like to see in magazines. The questionnaire looked as follows:

Gaining answers to these questions has allowed me to gain a better understanding of what to include in my magazine. The results were as follows:


1) 4/6 said pastel. 1/6 said bright. 1/6 said both. Clearly, more of my TA prefer pastel colours, however there was still one person that said bright and one that said both, meaning I will still include bright colours, although the majority will still be pastel.


2) 6/6 said coloured. Therefore I will ensure my pictures are in colour to appeal more to my target audience.


3) 2/6 said long shots. 2/6 said close up shots. 2/6 said both. As the result is split evenly I will include a range of each.


4) 6/6 said natural hair. I will certainly have my models with natural hair. I am pleased with this result as I believe natural hair does look much better.


5) 2/6 said serious. 3/6 said smiling. 1/6 said both. This result means I will include both, perhaps more with serious facial expressions.


6) 3/6 said busy backgrounds. 2/6 said both. 1/6 said plain studio shots. I will include a range, however I will have slightly more location shots.


7) 5/6 said subtle. 1/6 said both. Therefore the majority of my models will have subtle make up, but I will include at least one with more bold make up.


8) 4/6 said natural poses. 1/6 said bold poses. 1/6 said both. I will include a range of poses covering each, but I will use mainly natural poses.

So from this research I have learned that I will:

• Use more pastel colours.
• Have my pictures in colour.
• Have a mixture of close up and long shots.
• Have natural hair on my models.
• Have a range of serious/ pleasant faces.
• Have more location shots, but still some studio shots.
• Have most models with subtle make up.
• Use mainly natural-looking poses.

Research of Similar Media Products 2 - Elle & Harper's Bazaar

This front cover of Elle magazine has a few conventional features, such as the model looking into camera. In terms of mise en scene, her facial expression is quite serious representing her as powerful, however the lack of make up represents her as subtle and more natural. Her hair is also very natural, supporting this representation. The model covers the masthead so much so the first 'l' in 'Elle' is completely missing. This represents the model as very important. The font used for the masthead creates brand identity as it is used every time so has become familiar, therefore it doesn't matter that a letter is missing as we still know what the word says. Her clothes are white, as is most of the text used, this perhaps represents her as pure and almost angelic. There is an instance of alliteration 'brave, bold, beautiful'. It is in a large, bold, yellow font which makes it stand out and it a 'diverse range representations' for the model, linking to Gauntlett's theory of identity. They create a representation of her as being 'brave' and 'bold', yet still feminine and 'beautiful'. I enjoy the colour schemes used as they're more subtle and I intend to use more subtle colours for my magazine as I think it looks much more classy and sophisticated which is what is needed from the brief. The shot is an over the shoulder shot, this represents the model as perhaps more reserved, as she isn't face on with the camera, meaning not all of her body is on show.

The model on this front cover is conventional looking into camera which represents her as focused. Her make up is subtle, although her cheek bones are very defined which gives her a more powerful representation, one which Bell Hooks would approve of. Her clothing is white which represents her as pure and this representation is supported with most of the text including the mast head being in white. Although there are a couple of instances where the text is in red, giving her a more bold representation. The word 'super' is repeated several times, with the largest font saying 'The super issue'. This represents the model as superior. The background is blurred which represents the model as the most important feature. The shot is between a medium close up and medium shot, this allows quite a lot of her body to be shown. She is centre of frame and so this represents her as again, the most important feature.

Research of Similar Media Products - Vogue

This Vogue front cover follows conventions of magazines. For example, the model is looking straight into camera. This represents her as powerful as the focused eye contact implies she is strong and independent, making the magazine more sophisticated. Bell Hooks would approve of this representation as she isn't represented as weak and girly. Her pose with her hands on her hips represent her again as bold and strong, yet still feminine as her costume is floral and elegant. Her make up is light and natural, as is her hair, this represents her as pure. She is placed infront of the masthead, which represents her as the most important feature. Also the font used for the masthead creates a brand identity because you associate it with Vogue, therefore it isn't an issue that the model covers it slightly. The same orange font is used repeatedly on the front cover, it works well with the green colours used on the dress and in the backgr and creates a very summery effect.

Again, this Vogue front cover has the model looking conventionally straight into camera which represents her as powerful and focused. Her make up is slightly more bold with a shimmery gold eyeshadow adding emphasis to her eyes looking into camera. Her hair is very natural, it hasn't been straightened or curled which is the look I will go for in my magazines. Her costume is also gold and it ties into the masthead and the bottom feature which are in a gold front. The gold colours work as visual signs to signify elegance and class. The models pose is confident, she has her chin lifted and her head tilted which represents her as bold. The masthead is in front of the model this time, although the thin font means you don't lose much of her face, so it doesn't really affect the cover. The text used on the cover is similar to what I wish to use, with things that are empowering and informative, rather than purely celeb gossip which isn't very sophisticated, so wouldn't fit my brief.

The model on this front cover appears to have no eye make up on at all, she is very natural looking with her hair down again not straightened or curled. This represents her as pure. She is looking into camera which suggests that although she is pure and innocent, she is still bold and powerful. The OTS as well as her facial expression with a slight eyebrow raise represents her as strong and independent. She isn't performing as a typical female with lots of make up, girly poses and pink colours, instead she is serious with minimal make up and a black outfit, meaning it is a more modern representation. The red font used for the mast head contrasts well with her black costume and the white font used at the bottom. The red is very attention grabbing and so works well in attracting an audience. The text on the cover is again informative and valuable, rather than celebrity gossip. For example, it talks about being a "wellness special" and there are also references to the "most powerful women in Britain" which represents the magazines values as being focused on depicting women as strong and independent, rather than reliant on a man or trying to impress the male gender, which is how other magazines choose to represent women.

Looking at these high fashion magazine front covers from Vogue has really helped me to develop my ideas and gain inspiration. They have made me want to focus on purity of youth, rather than girls being made up to impress boys. I want my models to look more natural as I think this is very effective on these front covers and is much more sophisticated than having models with extremely heavy makeup and perfectly placed hair. 

  

My initial response to the briefs

The brief I have chosen to use is brief 3 – Magazines and online. I have chosen this brief because I feel most confident creating a magazine and feel my skills are better suited to this, rather than the other briefs. This option is less time consuming, therefore I can spend longer making every detail exactly how I want it and ensure it is of a very high standard. In my opinion, this brief will allow me to gain the highest marks as I have experience in making a front cover already. In addition, the genre, fashion magazine, has made me interested in this brief because I feel I could successfully create a realistic, sophisticated fashion magazine for a target audience of 16-25 year old class AB demographics. As soon as I read the brief, I thought of several people that would be good to use as models, as I have lots friends who are confident and would be perfect for the job. I know these people would let me dress them and style them as I wished, therefore, I would have no problems when it comes to working with my models. Although these friends would probably work well for the music video brief, due to them being dancers, I think it would be a struggle as they are very busy people and trying to find times when we are all available would be tricky, meaning it might be unrealistic to say I can do this. I am also interested in creating the website for my magazine, as I have less experience with this and it will allow me to develop new skills.