What I Learnt From My Audience Feedback

As a class, we conducted a task where we was able to analysis each others music publications, in order to see what worked successfully and what didn't. I learnt alot from this and released that some of my intentions were not met.

Two main points I learnt were:

•  I did not reach my target audience successfully, which therefore lead to me not meeting my intention of reducing gender inequality. 
• The genre of music was not clear enough.

I learnt in order to improve this, portray gender equality, allowing my magazine to stand out appealing to both genders. To do this, I could have used images of both genders and colours which appeal to the male population. To improve upon the genre being clear, I could have gave away a music CD, instead of a dance. I could have used microphones and such in my images.

Despite the negative points, I also had some positive feedback. Out of 3 people, 2 correctly identified my genre of music publication and they identified it by how I intended to, for example, masthead and colours. The female target audience was also identified correctly through use of image which is what I chose. I feel despite the negative points, my magazine was still successful.

Audience feedback was useful and I have learnt from it so in future when I design and make a publication, I know how to reach out to my target audience successfully. I could also talk to my audience before making the publication and see how they would portray an audience or a genre to gain knowledge which will also of lead to a higher standard, more successful music publication. This is an element I could use in future publications, not only magazines but websites, films, etc.

Audience Feedback

Evaluation Question 7) Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task, Of Designing The Front Page Of A School Magazine, What Do You Feel You Have Learnt In The Progression From It To The Final Product?

I have learnt alot in the whole task, including prelim. In the prelim task I learnt basic Photoshop and photography skills, these were expanded on when designing and making the full product. I learnt how to develop skills and most importantly, how to analysis work that I have created, choose the best and worst elements and improve upon them. To lead me from my prelim task into my main music task, I started with a planning for production.

The start of the progression from prelim to main task I evaluated my prelim front cover and contents, I looked at the positive aspects as well as the negatives and despite the content being of different issues, conveying from school to music, I will still able to use elements, this is something I learnt. I learnt how to develop initial ideas further into more designed compositions. This leads me to my next point.

An aspect where I also learnt how to develop initial ideas was through flat planning. Flat planning is a technique which was new to me. I found this technique really helpful, it gave me a clear designed base to work from, which I was then able to study, evaluate and go on to make slight changes. It was also a different format of working where I was able to express my ideas freely.

Also conventions such as mastheads have made significant improvemence when being compared to the preliminary task, this is because I had learnt how to evaluate in my prelim task and therefore was aware of what aspects worked and what did not. I found that the use of two fonts in my school magazine allowed a wider audience to be targeted, however I could have targeted the audience in a more specific way. I decided to develop this feature and use specific fonts to target genders. I used the same feature of using two fonts in my masthead to appeal to a wider audience, but in a different way to allow my music press magazine to target both genders, rejecting gender inequality. My masthead in my music press magazine is highly visually pleasing, whereas my school magazine is limited.

I also learnt how to conduct a successful photoshoot. In my prelim task my photoshoot wasn’t as successful as it could have been. I was limiting myself, I never went out of my way to take images for the school magazine. The images I did have lacked insight into the publication itself, there was a limit on students visual and a key point when addressing an audience is to use eye contact, which I never. These were negative aspects of my prelim task so for my music publication, I made sure my photographs were perfect. I took time with my photo shoot ensuring high quality images. I focused on costume, body language and facial expressions. I ensured my model made strong eye contact in order to address my audience successfully. I conducted a photoshoot and was then able to choose my selected images. I developed my images further, editing them in many different ways. This challenged my prelim task. Click these links to see, planning, chosen images and the making of my dancing image.

Click here to find out more about the technologies I learnt along the way.

Evaluation Question 6) What Have You Learnt About Technologies From The Process Of Constructing This Product?

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout this project I have learnt and developed my existing knowledge on many new technologies which were beneficial and will continue to benefit me in the future. The technologies and skills learnt are below.

As stated in a previous post ‘Adobe Photoshop Skills’ I have gained many skills in this area of technology. Before starting this coursework, I had quite a good understanding of Photoshop and how it work. However, constructing this product has widened my knowledge further. I learnt many news skills, and the main skill learnt which I have used throughout is the blending options. Despite working with Photoshop before, I had never met this tool. Blending options allowed me to add effects to writing which secured my product in being successful. To access full details of Adobe Photoshop skills used, you can visit older posts.

A new technology I learnt was how to blog work. I had never used blogging before so at the beginning of this coursework, it was all new to me. I picked up skills on blogging quickly, learning how to save work conducted on Photoshop as a jpeg, allowing it to be updated to my blog. Another skill I learnt was how to update work I produced on PowerPoint. After exploring different ways and having thoughts that it was impossible, I discovered www.slideshare.com. Without this I would not have been able to explore dynamic ways of presenting my work.

I learnt how to download fonts and use them in my product. I used a website, www.dafont.com. Dafont is a website which allowed me to see my music magazine name visual in thousands of different fonts, I was able to compare fonts and then choose what I believed to be the most successful.

Another programme which I used when constructing this product was Pages. This programme is available on Apple Macs, the device I used throughout the making of my product. I used Pages to create my double page spread feature article. I learnt how to add columns allowing my work to visually be notified as an article, which is the main aim I wanted to achieve. I used big letters in some areas for the starts of sentences, which is a convention existing magazines use. 

Skills in photography were also learnt. I learnt how to plan and conduct a photo shoot, carrying out all elements successfully. I also learnt how to use lightening in my photography to capture successful images which I was aiming to achieve. Camera angels were also a big skill which I learnt; I learnt how to capture mid-shots, low camera angel, bird’s eye view and many more.

Not necessarily a technology but I learnt how to flat plan. Flat planning allowed me to have an intense base to work from in my production itself. I learnt how to sketch and then develop ideas further.

These links allow you to access elements of my blog discussed and websites used.

Evaluation Question 5) How Did You Attract/Address The Audience For Your Music Publication?

When looking at ways of attracting my target audience I took into consideration the previous two questions, who the audience would be and where the publication will be distributed. There are many ways in which I attracted my audience. The main way was through use of masthead. My main focus when designing and making the masthead in order to address my audience successfully was typography. Typography being the feature which stands out, makes the masthead work and allows identification of the magazine, this had to be the key to address. During the flat planning and initial masthead ideas, I decided I wanted to use two different fonts to reach my intention of reducing gender inequality. The first font is very masculine, with sharp edges, adhering the male stereotype. The second font is much more gentle, with soft curves appealing to the female population. This feature reaches out to both genders. I also used effects on writing to appeal to both genders and the age group of my target audience. The second font gives an edgy feel, adhering the music genre and target audience of people who love music. The gradient of the second font changing from dark to light shows diversity and appeals to the whole of my target audience. The shadowing on the first font, also shows my target audience is a whole.
For a full analysis on my masthead and typography used, visit here.

I have used 3 fonts throughout my music publication, this successfully addresses my audience as it appeals to different populations in that audience, making my target audience diverse which is what I wanted to achieve.

Another way in which I attracted my audience for my music publication was by use of language. The language throughout my music publication is informal and along the lines of language expected from my target audience. Comments such as 'DON'T MISS OUT' addresses the young generation as this is the short, snappy language they use. Also young people, my target audience, are the generation who are eager and do not want to miss out, therefore, this catchy slogan will attract them.

As stated in my Analysis of Selected Features, I used free gifts in my magazine as a way of addressing my target audience. This addresses them as my audience of young people are less likely to have alot of money, and unlikely to be working. If working they are on minimum wage, and therefore not earning a big income. This leads them to be unlikely to purchase a magazines in general. Therefore, the use of giving away free gifts attracts them into the magazine itself as they are getting more for there money. I have used price in the same way of addressing my target audience. Students have little money and are not going to pay alot for a magazine, so my magazine is at a ideal price. Business men and women aged around 35 are less likely to buy colourful magazines, low price and giving away free cd's. This leads me to my next point of how I have addressed my target audience through use of colour.

I have used the element of colour to pursue the target audience further. I have used pink, grey and black to achieve my intention of reducing gender inequality. This addresses my target audience attracting both the male and female population as pink appeals to females and black appealing to males.

The layout of my music publication addresses the audience. Front cover and contents page both have an organised layout, with large titles and subtitles. Large titles address my audience as it stands out to them. Simplicity also addresses young people as they as less likely to be attracted to a full on striking page, simplicity with strikes is perfect for addressing them.

I have also used photographs as a way of attracting my audience. My audience are a generation which adore celebrities and would love to be part of the celebrity life, because of this, I have used expressive, striking images of my celebrities to make a connection with my audience. The main image on the front cover of my music publication is a striking image using red lipstick to symbolise love and strong eye contact as a way of interacting with the audience. This addresses my audience as because of idolisation, they will feel as if the celebrity present is communication with them and therefore will be attracted to my publication.
To find out more about how my photographs themself appeal to my target audience, click here.

Evaluation Question 4) Who Would Be The Audience For Your Music Magazine?

Evaluation Question 4)

The slideshow above outlines a clear detailed analysis of who the audience is of my music publication. When addressing this audience, I focused on 'planning for publication' - this was where I addressed who the genre, purpose and intention but most importantly for this question, target audience. I looked at the demographics and phychographics which is now visual in my magazine publication.

Evaluation Question 3) What Kind Of Institution Might Distribute Your Music Magazine And Why?

My magazine I believe can be categorised in the same category as existing music magazines such as, Mixmag, NME, Top of the Pops and many more. These all follow traditional methods of distribution which include, selling the magazine through traditional retail outlet such as W.H. Smiths, independent newsagents and stores where families do their grocery shopping in big supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys. 

My magazine will also be distributed in institutions such as HMV, which is a store highly related with the music industry. HMV have the magazines prominent at a point of sale, this being the till, so that when you have bought your CD's etc you can also pick up a copy of the latest music mag. Also my magazine with an audience of people who idolise music are most likely to be shopping in a specialist music publication. Stores such as Border's have a large array of music publications, including specialist ones and therefore my magazine will also be distributed here.

My target audience being young people are most likely to visit stores like Sainsburys, Londis, and newsagents as they have little money as they are unlikely to be working and if they are, they will be earning minimum wage. These stores are relatively cheap and therefore my target audience are most likely to shop there frequently and be attracted to them. This ensures when shopping, my magazine will appeal to them. Also stores like these, sell the majority of foods so when magazines are sold, they are limited in variety, this will add a higher percentage on sales as my target audience of people who love music have little variety of magazines to choose from and therefore more likely to pick mine.

As stated above, my magazines will be sold in stores, but where the stores are located is a key issue. My magazine will need to be sold in an area which will attract my audience of young music lovers and where gender inequality is an issue in order to prevent it. My magazine will be sold widely but not everywhere. As stated in Target Audience Profile my magazine will be distributed in the United Kingdom, widely in England, yet opening out to wider areas. It will be distributed in shopping centres, high streets and local newsagents.

My magazine will also be involved in online distribution. The ideal would be for existing music websites to publish my magazine, allowing target audience insight and therefore will be more likely to purchase my publication. By this, I mean existing music magazines will advertise my magazine because our publications are alike. This will give a high response rate in my magazine sales. I feel my target audience are likely to view websites as they are a generation who use mixed media and therefore use the Internet more, this will also increase sales and help my magazine reach high in the music magazine industry.


Alternative methods of distribution include giving the magazine away as a freebie or as a promotional magazine alongside a top seller magazine, relating to online distribution. It is possible that music magazines are given away as freebies at gigs and festivals, a festival which does this frequently is V festival. 


I have stated in a previous post how frequently my magazine will come out and the price of the publication. Likewise, Top of the Pops magazine is a BBC publication, which is sold in newsagents, which sell brands and artists image, to help promote the sale of the bands records and associate the BBC with a teenage audience. These cross media links are an important strategy for the BBC and the sale of the magazine.