Draft of evaluation question 1.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

In my research and planning stage of this project i was influenced by many styles of magazines (Clash, I-D and Dazed and confused)and their graphology, conventions and page layout. To make my magazine look like these influential magazines i had to consider my genre (indie\alternative) and the type of audience that would paying my magazine (16/25 year olds). My magazine took a number of different features of these influential magazines, the title of my magazine was very much inspired by I-D with their layout on their magazines position, having the mast head down the side of the page and having the model placed in the middle of the cover page  i found really effective and professional looking with its simplistic style. They used big bold fonts on their cover page as well as use a lack of cover lines, all graphology and detail they put into their images speak for themselves which i tried to took forward into my images and cover page design. Clash also inspired me The 1975 issue and M.I.A issue with their front cover, the image was in the middle of page and filled the page and their graphology, big bold and simply but with short snappy cover lines that entice the readers to whats inside the magazine. All this contrasts well with my genre, because these are all pieces of magazines that are of my genre and are unique which work with this genre and attract my target audience. 

Again clash magazines graphology, layout and design for their contents page followed the simplistic style that would compliment my genre. So i wanted to copy and carry on this effective contents page design, although i didn't want to completely copy the design so i developed and changed some parts of the design to make it more my own and suit my magazine. I used different fonts and my graphology for my contents page, used a page number and placed my magazine title at the top of the contents page all these alterations and developments of real media product conventions suit my magazine better as the genre and audience is consider more to make my product suit them best.

Although i challenged the normal conventions of a busy cover page and contents page some features like the mast head are conventional of real magazines, its the biggest piece of text on the page so its the first thing a reader is going to see as its big and bold which is the same with the contents page, you know your reading the contents page of that magazine. The title of my magazine (ALT) is a play on words, as my genre is indie/alternative i took alternative but shorten it to ALT. I thought this play on words and directly targeting the audience that will be reading my magazines which are indie\alternative young people, they would want to read the product more.  

My double page spread is very much again inspired by Clash and I-D as both these magazines have their own individual approach to page layout, graphology and style that create this minim-elastic and simplistic design that i also am aiming for. So i take both magazines into account, the article its self is very serious but fun to read which suits my audience well of being young and different. The photo used filled the whole right hand side of the page which i found effective as it attract the attention most as it was big, so i had to make it bold by altering the image which clash and I-D do with their images editing and altering to make them look more eye catching to their audience. The page layout very much challenges the convention of being a busy full double page spread as mine is very spacious and bare. But this conformed to my simplistic and minimalstic layout and style i aimed for. These challenges to normal conventions and forms of real media products is something I'm proud about as they all contribute in creating a successful media product with a modern day edge that challenges some forms and conventions of outstanding media products, this giving the magazine its own USP.