Time management

I have made a good start on my blog by doing my reflection, proposal and started on doing my moldboard using Slideshare. I aim to use different sources of media in order for my blog to have rich media use. This will also make my blog look more creative and develop my skills using different tools and websites on making my work. Now I a going onto looking into my inspirations and develop my ideas more so I get an idea on what I can do in order to start creating my own work. 

Magazine deconstruction

Front Cover 
Looking back at my AS magazine deconstruction, I can see how my kills have developed since then. I didn't really categorize the different areas of a marine and just said what I think of the front covers and contents page. now I know how to analyze and deconstruct a magazine with more terminology knowledge and ideas.

The first magazine I am going to deconstruct is a national magazine. This is the September 2016 edition the the GQ magazine. Although this magazine creates more lifestyle content, it still represents some culture. 


 

Masthead

First of all, the masthead is the same on each and every magazine, sometimes the colour may change to create a colour scheme for each magazine. It is quite large in size and stands out a lot. The design is simple and unique in a way that it is designed to be original for GQ magazine. I like the style of this masthead because it shows power. The design all fits in together to create a very professional front cover. 

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme in this case, is dominated by orange and royal blue. It makes the magazine look well established and elegant. This will tie in with the whole style of the magazine, for example, the costume on the model (James Corden) is a suit which suggest professionalism and dominance. Again, this links in with the main sell line 'Mr America', it gives him recognition and will lead onto the double page spread. 

Other sell lines include diets, celebrities, money, fashion and sport. This front cover has quite a few cover lines and detail, which is ironic because it is aiming for a professional simplistic layout. The style of the sell lines revolve around lifestyle. They are trying to inspire others worldwide. I can use this to think about sell line i might use but will apply to my region in particular. This balances out the professional and mainstream features.  Another thing that stands out to me is the small cover line beneath the masthead which says "stay cool". I feel like that has been purposely put there to incorporate the colours with the text because the colours are quite cool looking. This is a linguistic feature that may be used for a pun effect. It has more than two meanings, one humerous and one to link in with the contents inside of the magazine. 

Fonts

The fonts used on this front cover vary. It uses mainly a traditional font on the main sell line and the cover lines. This links in with the style of the magazine and the design they are aiming for. It helps it look well presented and organised. I think if they were to use a bold font throughout, it would look unprofessional. By being a cultural magazine that includes a variety of contents, they have to fit each convention with each article. They need it to look right otherwise it will just look like one feature rather than a range of different ones. The fonts are quite fancy. They have used a couple of different styles which make it look more detailed. i really like this idea because it looks like more effort has went into it, rather than just the same font throughout.

Layout

I think the layout of this magazine has an eye for detail. There is quite a lot of text on the front cover, but you can still see the main image stand out. They have made the main sell line bigger than the cover lines in order for it to be dominant and stand out from the rest. This is because it is used as the main attraction to get the target audience engaged in the contents of each magazine.  The first and third column of the front cover is full of text , where as the second column is just of the main image. 

Body Language

Instantly I can see that James Corden is feeling very proud. His facial expression and body language suggests that he has made a big achievement, which is stated in the main sell line of this magazine. It shows that he has worked hard to get where he is today and to do that you have t have challenges. He is holding his tie as if he is trying to say he is independent and can do it on his own. The clothing he is wearing shows that he is quite noticeable and well known worldwide.

Lighting
The lighting is quite bright which suggests positive vibes. The background is bright white which could refer to happiness and a new beginning. the colour scheme fits well with the lighting as they are quite bold primary colours which contrast with the overall colours. I would really use this sort of lighting, just because it wouldn't match my ideas of a regional magazine. I want my front cover to look detailed with a main image in the background rather than being plain white. 

The next magazine I am going to deconstruct is a regional magazine from Cornwall. 

Masthead
The masthead on this magazine is very different to the one above. The font used makes it look more old-fashioned, which is a good idea because it link in with the region and could represent traditional values. The colour makes it stand out against therein image. The white makes a really good contrast with the blue scenery behind. Local people would be drawn to this magazine as it shows heritage just from the masthead. 

Main image 
I really like this main image as it gives a sense go home. It will have been taken in cornwall, hence the whole point of the magazine. It makes you feel quite relaxed, which implies a place that you feel happy. The target audience, especially people in the region will see the image, and they are likely to know where it is. It could make them feel quite proud of living in Cornwall. I am actually thinking of using an image like this for my front cover as it make a design look regional as well as the change of a target audience. There is also a lot of landscapes in Sunderland which I could use for my own ideas. 

Layout
The layout of this front cover really appealed to me. I like the way the image is bold and stands out. I feel there is just enough text on, so that the image can be the main attraction. The conventions all stand out, and with only little text, it still manages to look detailed. I feel like the sell lines and the font help this. I also really like the idea of including advertisements/competitions. It makes the magazine look more interesting and adds that little bit of extra contents. 

Fonts
The fonts are pretty much the same. The sell lines are in capitals with a bold font. I think this link in really well with the image, because if it was to have very detailed text, it would look too over powering. The image wouldn't really stand out as much, and with the masthead having a traditional font, i feel like the sell lines have to be simple.

Overall, I really like this front cover. It just matches the style I am going for, and it represent the region with a clear perspective. 

The next front cover is a magazine from my region which is the north east. The only difference is that this magazine applies to the whole north east, where as I am going to just do Sunderland. 

Masthead
Again, this magazines uses a traditional looking font. The style is very similar to the magazine above. It represents heritage and culture within the north east. This masthead is also white, which stands out against the background which is an image of a landscape. I think that this magazine would more likely appeal to the older generation as they will be passionate about the old traditions of the North East. 

Main image
The main image on this front cover is of a landscape, just like the Cornwall magazine. So I am seeing that most regional magazines like to look traditional rather than modernized. I want to try and include trends from now, as well as keeping the traditional style. 

Language/text
The language used in the sell lines here, are including the names of different places within the North East. So if someone from across the country was to read this, they would really know or understand what is meant. This is what makes it regional. only local people will be able to know about the places and where they are. This will help med decide on what sell lines I want to include, because I want to make it look regional, rather than national. For example, "Morpeth country house rescued", people from that area are likely to know what has happened to that country house, and have an opinion on it, where as someone from down south, aren't likely to know what is happening with that situation. 

Layout
Again, the layout is very classic, it will more likely appeal to an older target audience due to the style and contents. This front cover does include slightly more text/cover lines, but it still looks detailed. The sell lines are in a custom font, this does make it harder for the masthead to stand out, but it gives that traditional, established style.

Content pages
Looking at my connect page from my AS, I feel like this was one of my weakest points. So for my A2, I am going to look at inspirations in more detail so that I can get a clear idea on how to make it look professional. 

Masthead

In this contents page I don't feel like there is a masthead. It sort of just gets straight into the contents. 

Image

I really like the images used here. They are the same sorts of images i will be including in my own magazine. This focuses on places,and the images look very historic. There are 6 images included and they are stand out. I like how they have used two pages rather than one as it allows you to show more detail by including these images rather thank only having one main image and text. On the right page, there is small text over the images which state where the image was taken, and from this I see that they are from around the world, suggesting it is a national magazine. The positioning of the images look really neat, and make the whole layout look tidy. 

Font 

You can't really see the fonts, but they just look like a standard font used of a software. Sometimes that can make the magazine look degraded, but in this case it just match the whole theme of the magazine. The color that dominates is black and white. But there are some sub headings that are red which make it clear to understand and is showing the 'important' information. 

Extra 

It includes typical conventions such as the page number, website and date. They are positioned in the corners and are quite small. this is so that the text and images can stand out, and you don't want them to look really big, but you will see them as you turn the page. 

Double Page spread

I really like this double page spread because it looks professional and has detail. This sort of style will go really well with my ideas for a front cover and contents page. 

Layout 
In this page, there is five columns that are equally spread out across one section of the page. This makes it look like there is more text, and gives that little bit extra detail, rather than just having the columns on one side of the page, they have sprit across both. I like hw each piece has been given a 'place', like there are additional images on the right had side which makes it look more interesting, and then there is a main image in the background. All of this together makes it look more detailed, however, it still looks simple, but does have a bit more of an edgy style to it. There is some layering between the images, as the additional images have been placed onto of the main image, this will link in with the article a bit more. 

Images 
there is one main image that covers the whole two pages. This makes it look 'more put together', and co-oporates with that edgy style. However, it does also have four additional images that are quite small which are situated on the left hand side. If I were to hear about additional images like this, I would think it would look overcrowded, but it actually makes it look more interesting and nice to look at. All of these images are of males, which is the dominant gender, linking in with the masthead which says 'Beastie Boys', clearly linking to a boyband which is the main focus of the doubt page spread. 

Language 
I can't really make out what is included in the article, but from looking at the masthead I can see that is is quite informal. 'Beastie Boys - Back with a band' wouldn't really be used in a national magazine. It also uses alliteration which may connote that boys are dominant. The images are of males, the article is all about males, and with the letter 'b' repeating, it is all linking together to state the dominance of males within music.

When looking for a double page spread, I came across this one. I really liked the design and layout and think it would go really well with my magazines as it doesn't stick to one style, it is quite complex. 
Layout
The layout of this magazine is quite old looking. There are three columns which look quite detailed and they don't stand out too much. I think this is effective because it lets you focus on the image the most, and then the article will be writing about the person on the next page. There aren't any subheadings, it is more of a long article, but there is a drop cap which gives it more of a detailed look. It stands out quite a lot, and may be there to draw people into reading the article. I used this in my A2 work, and I really like the idea of using it again in my next creations as I think it makes it look more professional. 

Images 
The main focus of this double page spread is the image. It takes up one whole page, which will immediately draw the reader in. The image looks quite passionate, and does have a filter in black and white which makes it look quite historic. There is also a small image in-between two columns, which I think is advertising a song by the person in the image. 

Language
The introduction to this article is very sensitive. "His finger got shot off and heroin almost killed him. Meet the man who developed a cult following with the help of a stick, a hat and rhyming slang". This just shows how personal this article is and that it is a true story. It is incoming the readers ff a sad time in the persons life. It will draw the reader in and people will be intrigued to see what it is all about. It is a good way of summarizing the article, and will interest people straight away. 

Time management

In todays lesson, I looked at the differences between regional and national magazines because I was still unsure how they had distinctive differences and meanings. I have came up with different front covers, contents page and double page spread and compared them both so that I know what I need to do in order to make my magazine regional. I don't want to make a design that is fully inspired by national magazines because that wouldn't make it apply to my region.  From my research I have found that I want to include images from Sunderland, and have found different regional magazines that really appeal to me and I will use them in the near future for my research and planning. 

National magazines

Comparison between national and regional magazines
National magazines tend to have a bigger target audience as they include contents about well known celebrities and artists. It caters for different types of people all around the world, but will specifically appeal to a younger generation as most genres of national magazines are about fashion, beauty, music and lifestyle. They create them in a style that is modernized and appeal to a younger audience. On the other hand, regional magazines tend to have a distinctive theme. They will include events and culture that applies to that specific region. this is what makes it differ from a national magazine, national magazines include contents from worldwide areas, and regional magazines focus on culture within their own region. 

Rather than just looking at my regional magazines, I could expand my inspirations by using them from different places. This will help me get a national inspiration rather than only having limited similar products to help me gather ideas. These sorts of magazines also include celeb gossip as well as cultural factors that are influenced nationally. For example, Cosmopolitan magazine does this. The contents is dominated by celeb gossip, but it included things such as entertainment, beauty, love and fashion. 

The work I created for A2 was inspired by national music magazines. Now I am researching regional magazines, I can see quite a big difference in how they portray different contents and how regional magazines are distinctive. 

One national magazine I found was 'GQ'. This magazine is sold worldwide but different countries include a variety of content. It includes fashion, lifestyle, fitness, politics, sport, food and cars. This makes it very versatile and will appeal to each reader in a different way due to the variety of contents it includes. Although it includes the same contents as a regional magazine would, it will be much more broad and use trends from around the world rather than one specific city such as Sunderland. The style will be a lot more complex as the inspirations will be taken from around the world rather than one area. The features used in a national magazine will be similar to the content in a regional magazine but very different at the same time. The images will be of models well known around the world so may likely have a more 'professional' work base (photography, prices etc).

This front cover looks very professional in the way it is designed and the style is uses. The colours and fonts suggest that it is very masculine, however, this magazine will appeal to both men and women. By looking at the language used, it includes a variety of cover lines making it 'more interesting'.The masthead is very bold, and is the same colour of the main sell line which makes it look organised. The main image is of David Beckham who is a well known footballer and fashion icon, so a lot of people will recognize him and buy the magazine because he is there role model. Overall, I personally think that this front cover is well made and will attract a large target audience across the world. 

This next front cover from GQ again, looks very well presented. I instantly noticed the colours which are gold, white and dark blue. The colour gold often suggests wealth and status. These colours make the design look very neat and professional. The target audience are likely to be a ritual buyer who has interest in the contents. In this case it includes advice about men, fashion, euthanasia and exercise. The main image is of a celebrity called Cheyenne Tozzi who won 'women of the year'. This is expressing the life of women in fame and how people idolize pretty women. The masthead is put behind the main image this time, but it doesn't matter because the readers know the magazine well so they know what it stands for. I feel the style if this magazine is very elegant and gives a well organized contents that appeals to a variety of people across the world.  


This is a well known magazine that is probably recognized by many people in and around the UK. This means that it has quite a large target audience and clearly has a fan base. Even though I am doing a magazine including contents about Sunderland, I feel that I could use this as an inspiration for conventions as it is clearly a 'professional' design. 

Straight away you can see the bold colors which are pink, black and white. This could show feminism, suggesting that the target audience is dominated by women. I want to make mine more complex and include contents that can be read by both men and women. I just feel like it is easier to create a magazine on culture this way. 

The main sell-lines and cover lines are mainly about lifestyle and how to 'love yourself'. it is promoting confidence and healthy lifestyles. It is advertising ways in which you can improve your body and how to 'live'. 


I like that the main sell lines uses a different font to the cover lines because it makes it stand out and look more interesting. The colours blend well together and create a professional looking image rather than looking untidy and unorganized. 

The layout of this magazine is really appealing to me. It includes just the right amount of text so it doesn't look crowded, but it doesn't look bare. The masthead fits the page nicely making it look more put together. I also feel the white background makes the model stand out. Again, looking at the model she looks very glamorous. The make-up isn't too heavy and her body language suggests she is happy and confidence, which again, link in with the contents side, being confident and happy in your own body. 

Now this magazine is a regional magazine based in the north of England. The front covers on this magazine have the same layout on every issue. It uses one bold image (normally of a person), and has the same masthead in the same position. This makes it easy to recognize and very original. Underneath each masthead is a small paragraph which is there to 'explain' the main story inside. The one thing that this magazine doesn't have is cover lines. This may be a part of the whole design that they are going for and there may not be many stories, and be a small magazine. The barcode is out of the way in the top right corner so that it doesn't clash with the simplistic look, making it more effective and easy to read. 

This next magazine is one of my favorites because it sums up a regional magazine. The main cover line which is used in every issue is a slogan saying "a guide to whats happening in your city". This shows that it will be likely that the target audience is local or a tourist. It is a very simple design with a use of different colours which makes it look more interesting. The main image shows a family day out at the Sunderland airshow which takes place every year and thousands of people attend. This differentiates this magazine from other regional magazines as it includes contents in and around Sunderland. Another main feature is the masthead. The colour scheme is red and white which associates with the Sunderland football team. Football is a very popular hobbies and event in Sunderland and many people are fans of football. This suggests passion and interest for the people in Sunderland. This magazine doesn't have a bar code because it is a free magazine that you can get in different areas of Sunderland.  The image also shows friendliness which is a nationally known stereotype of Sunderland as we are named as 'friendly people'. 

Overall, you can see differences between national and regional magazines based around culture and lifestyle. National magazines tend to have well-known celebrities as the model, and sell lines that will be known around the world. The contents is based on national trends and topics that are liked by everyone. On the other hand, there is regional magazines which tend to appeal to local people. It inst likely to have well-known people, just non-fictional stories based on the people in Sunderland. It is like a news/lifestyle guide that applies to local people in the region. However, they both include contents about culture in different aspect of society, national (around the world) and regional (the local area). 

Regional magazines

Regional Magazines 

Regional magazines are very specific on their contents. For example, regional magazines in Sunderland will only include content about the local area. This is what creates the target audience because it wouldn't appeal to someone living at the other end of the country. It will more than likely appeal to local people in or around Sunderland . When I first started looking into my regional magazines, I instantly thought of a magazine called 'VIBE'. The description I found while looking at this magazine was 'It provides coverage or urban music, fashion, cars, events and electronic gadgets'. This basically sums up the "culture" within Sunderland. 


Looking at this front cover, you can instantly see a colour scheme. The colours red and white are used in the masthead to incorporate the colours of the Sunderland football team. This is one of the cultural factors that have quite a big role in appealing to a target audience. Sunderland is well known for the love of football, so using the clubs colours creates an attraction from the public and uses it for a design that will be liked by the public. The colours are used with such passion that the target audience will feel a sense of proudness if they are a football fan. Even if they arent a fan, it is a sense of home and belonging. Again, looking at the main images, it shows passion. By looking at the body language you can see they are a family and enjoying a day out at the Sunderland airshow. It associates with events once again, as the air show is an annual event which a lot of people attend every year. They layout is simple, which helps the cover lines stand out. It gives quite a modern day design but is showing tradition within the image. This could represent traditional values and show the styles used and the reason behind them. 

 

My next magazine is called 'Luxe' which is a northern based magazine. Looking at the front cover, you can see a sell line under the masthead. It states that the contents is 'regional, relevant and entertaining'. You can instantly see that the layout of this front cover will more than likely appeal to a matured audience. The conventions that tie this together is the dominant image which in this case is a northern actor who has been in both old and new movies. It has used a contrast between black and white colours to give a certain style, which in my opinion would appeal to an older audience. However, it is quite ironic because the model on this magazine is also a comedian which appeals to another target audience. So it will attract a variety of readers. I personally can see by looking at the front cover that it includes a variety of contents that will draw in different readers. The fonts used are very plain and it doesn't have much text. Overall, I find this front cover very simplistic but effective to its audience. Something that is different on this magazine is that it has a bar code, which most regional magazines dont because they tend to be free, so this magazine may have a price. Looking back at my AS work, I can see that this magazine is similar to the inspirations I used. They both present a simplistic clean look. 


'Spark'. This magazine is based in the University of Sunderland and made by students. It includes contents music, fashion, lifestyle, food and events. Looking at the front cover, i can see that it is quite different o my two other examples. It has a lot more colours (which is effective because it links in with the main sell line). It doesn't have much text other than the main sell line which makes it looks simplistic, but at the same time it draws you in because of how bright the colours are. I really like the contrast between the main image and the masthead, because it stands out a lot more.I personally believe this magazine would appeal to a variety of people from students to older adults because of the contents being regional. 

One thing about these three magazines is that they haven't used colloquial language. This means that people from other places will be able to understand the text, which can be helpful if they are tourists reading the magazine. There will be some content that may use words only understood by local people but that is what makes the contents 'regional'. 



Finally this magazine is an independent magazine based in the North of England. It focuses on music, art and fashion. I would stay this is the most unto date magazine which is likely to appeal more to teenagers and young adults. The style of it is very 'indie' looking but it goes for a very simplistic layout. Although it is a regional magazine, it still includes articles about stuff going on around the world. The contents does come mostly from the North of England so thats what makes it regional, but it sells in the UK and Berlin, so it could be classed as a national magazine as well as regional. As well as being a magazine, it also has a website ad a shop that are very trendy, and would appeal to myself. 



Other regional magazines 

To help me get more ideas on how I want to design my magazine, i am going to look at regional magazines from around the world. This will help me see the different images used and what contents they will include in their magazine. 

This is a a magazine that I came across, the design is very brief and it doesn't have many conventions on the front cover. I feel like it is quite bare and could do with a lot more on it. The masthead stands out against the black background but it makes the magazine look quite dull. The small text at the bottom corners make it look deceiving and unprofessional. This magazine focuses on the artistic side of a pace called Palm beach so it is more specific, which is what I want mine to be like. 
 there isn't really much to say about this because it isn't really that interesting. 

This is the sort of style that is appealing to me. I really like the atoms effect it gives through the image. It is very regional and refers only to Cornwall. I also really like the layout, it has just enough text on it, but still gives a lot of room for the image to stand out and be the main focus of the front cover. I will use this as part of an inspirational piece as i think that the design of this issue will help me with my own work.