Colour Testing

PURPLE

Purple, amongst other things, represents royalty. By using this colour on my magazine, readers will view this magazine and hopefully see a level of importance which will stand out from other magazines on the shelf. It is also a dark colour, meaning it will be easy to see against light and darker colours a well, which would be beneficial as the wardrobe for my models is all black.  Purple also shouts power and leadership, something that would subliminally attract potential readers to my magazine if they saw it on the shelf.

PINK

Pink is stereotypically a feminine colour, so as my magazine is aimed at both sexes I feel this colour will make males reluctant to purchase it. This colour font would be more suited to magazines whose main audience is female, such as “Top of the Pops” magazine for young girls.

GOLD

According to psychologists the colur gold represents success, achievement and triumph. As my main magazine article is centred around my fictional upcoming duo “CD”, I think this would be an appropriate colour as it represents the present and future selves. Gold is also a colour associated with royalty and R&B is a music genre that dates back very far and a genre that is still heavily represented in today’s music industry, so I feel gold is reflective of this. Richness can also be represented through the colour gold, so the idea that the magazine will be CD’s first big interview can be reflected through the use of gold.  If I were to use this colour, it would most likely be as an accent colour, as I think over using it would decrease it’s effect.

BLACK

This colour is associated with mystery and death, however it also connotes elegance. Black is also a colour that contrasts against any other colour, so choosing colours to accompany it will be easier. I want my magazine to have an element of sleekness to it so I think using black on my magazine will help this. I would use this colour for the text, such as the masthead, because it is a bold colour that would stand out against the page. As my artists CD are a new band there is also an air of mystery surrounding them which the colour black can reflect.

WHITE

The colour white often represents purity and innocence. I think this colour would be appropriate for my magazine and I would most likely use it for the front cover or double page spread. CD are 16/17 and they have just started their career so they are new to the music industry, the colour white would therefore be a good colour choice to represent their “innocence” and newness to the industry. In magazines the colour white gives an open and minimalistic, feel which allows the magazine appear to be more organized and clean cut.

BURGUNDY

Burgundy is a colour of class and sophistication, which is the look I am aiming for with my magazine. It is also a colour that favours both men and women, so it will not exclude any of my target market. I would use this font for the masthead and as an accent colour, like gold this is a colour I feel needs to be used in moderation in order to be appreciated. 

Font Testing

PULSE MAGAZINE

This is Arial which is bold and quite formal. From my research of R&B magazines, the font used is usually bold and big, so I feel this font would be appropriate for my magazine. I would most likely write the masthead in this font in bold, and then make it smaller for the rest of the text as it is also a clear and easy to read text.

PULSE MAGAZINE

The font above is Dragline BTN. This font looks like an imitation of a child’s handwriting and would most likely be found on a children’s magazine or a magazine aimed at that target audience. It would be inappropriate for my R&B magazine as my target audience are much older, so it would be very out of place. Also it does not fit the connotations of R&B music being strong, smooth and soulful.

PULSE MAGAZINE

The third font is Curlz MT. Again this font would be unsuitable for my magazine as it is too cursive and therefore will be viewed as more feminine. This font would be better suited for a girl’s magazine, for example a ballet subscription magazine or princess magazine. As my target audience are both males and females, this font would alienate the male readers and make them feel as though this magazine is not aimed at their gender.

PULSE MAGAZINE

The next font is Mr Big SF. The characters themselves are very large and the curved edges add a playful feel to the font which I don’t think matches the feel of an R&B magazine. The chubby font, appears like it would be more suited again to a magazine whose main target audience was younger. 

PULSE MAGAZINE

This font is Diamond Heavy. I think this font is appropriate for my magazine, as like the first font I tested it is bold which is conventional of an R&B magazine. The characters are also spaced out, so if I were to blow it up and spread it across the top of my magazine, it would fill the space well. The edges are also sharp and smooth, reflective of the sleekness of an R&B magazine.

(upper case) PULSE MAGAZINE  (lower case) Pulse Magazine

The last font I will be testing is called Kunstler Script. This font is extremely hard to read when the characters are all written in upper case and in lower case, the font is still difficult to read as well. On a shelf this font definitely would not stand out and it is very unconventional of an R&B magazine to feature a very cursive font. Also for my magazine, I am sure I want all the characters to be written in upper case, as capital letters give the effect of shouting and capturing attention which is what I am aiming for when I create my magazine. 

Reader Profile

PULSE magazine readers are a group who prefer to support upcoming, lesser known artists as opposed to big artists who have already made it in the industry.They see it as way to discover new music, which benefits the artists, because their music is more widespread and themselves, because they are widening their music tastes. My magazine readers, range from 15 - 25, so they are expecting to see a magazine that is sophisticated. My readers feel the magazine should be on the cheaper side. This is understandable as they are young, so obviously do not have as much money.  

Focus Group Responses Analysis

1) Would you like to see upcoming artists in the magazine?

Our focus group all decided quite quickly that they would like to see upcoming artists featured in the magazine. They also added they would want these artists to be artists that the magazine itself had discovered, perhaps through a competition or so. when we asked them why, they responded that it "would be interesting" and it would give them a good opportunity to discover and support new talent as well as reading about artists that already receive a vast amount of coverage already.

2) What main colours wold you like to see throughout the magazine?

The group associated R&B music as being quite chilled and relaxed and therefore said they would want colours that reflected this such as cream. They also described R&B music as rich, therefore colours such as gold, silver and other metallic colours would reflect this. 

3) Would you like a lot of images on the front cover?

There was not much hesitation when the group decided against a large amount of pictures. It was said that it would be "too much clutter" and would resort in the magazine looking "tacky" as the majority of magazines that are heavily loaded with lots of images are celebrity gossip magazine or tween magazines like Top of the Pops. Another point made is that the use of too many pictures would distract from the main picture or eye-catching headlines. This then lead onto the question of what kind of pictures they would see as appropriate for the magazine. The general response was there should be one main image that was either of a person who would be featured in the magazine or something related to them, for example a microphone. 

4) What would you like the double page spread (DPS) to feature?

The interviewees thought the DPS should definitely feature more information on the artist or main picture on the front cover. This could be in the form of an interview, a short background story e.t.c.

5) How much would you be willing to spend on the magazine and why?

Our focus group said they would be willing to pay between 60p - £1.20. When we prompted them as to why they said it would actually depend upon a variety of factors, such as the size of the magazine, if the magazine was full and quite large, they would be willing to pay a little bit more to compensate this. Also, they would also be willing to pay more if the magazine included a free gift, as they realize this would cost the magazine more to produce. The quality of the content within the magazine was also a deciding factor. For example, if the magazine was filled with interesting, well written articles, they would feel happier paying more for it. The magazines reputation was also an important element. As  this magazine is new, they would not be happy paying too much, but overtime as it's reputation amongst other leading R&B magazines improved they would be more willing to pay more for the magazine.

6) What kind of font would you expect to see on the front of an R&B magazine?

The group agreed that they would expect to see big, bold text on the front of the magazine. They also added it should be in a dark font, preferably black or any other sophisticated colour.

7) What content do you look for in a music magazine? 

The group felt that they content they expected and liked to see in a music magazine was information on gigs and concerts of bands/artists, they added that these would be effective on a separate page nearer the back or as an advertisement on one of the pages. Exclusive information on artists and bands was also a feature the group looked for in a magazine. a standard editor's note was also a must and interviews were very key, as they allow the reader to get closer to the artist and learn more about them. 

8) What is your favourite music magazine and why?

We asked this question because if we knew what type of magazine they favoured we could explore this magazine and see what it was exactly that drew them to it, and use this knowledge as inspiration for my own magazine. 

Our group chose Kerrang as it had "had very interesting information". When we asked them to expand, they explained it was the language style of the magazine that drew them to it and brought the articles they were writing about to life. 

9) Would you want a lot of advertisements in the magazine? 

The group responded that the amount of ads in the magazine is based on their relevance. For example, if they are related to a specific article or they are to do with the magazine, then they are fine and even welcomed. But if they appear random, or tacky, like a fruity perfume ad in a heavy rock magazine, then they are seen as very annoying and this may affect whether the reader will purchase the magazine again. 

10) What else would you feature in the magazine? 

This question was to see if the group had anything more to say, but they felt that they had said everything in the responses to the previous questions, however, they did add that quizzes could be quite fun to include in the magazine?

11) How often would you like the magazine to be released?

The final question was in response to how often the magazine ought to be released. The group agreed that monthly would be best, as they felt that a lot could happen in a month, therefore the magazine would have plenty of content to write about. Also, they felt that the magazines that are released monthly, often has the highest quality content, as they have had a long time to produce it, and weekly magazines sometimes felt rushed and sometimes content is repeated to fill up space, making the magazine feel "tacky".

Focus Group Questions

In order to collect opinions and generate a feel of people's views towards my potential magazine, we organized a focus group and discussed and expanded upon the original answers. As the questions were open, we were able to obtain more personal responses and we could use their answers to open a new topic which was very effective. These are the questions I asked:

1) Would you like to see up and coming artists in the magazine?

2) What main colours would you like to see being used throughout the magazine

3) Would you like a lot of images on the front cover?

4) What would you like the double page spread to feature?

5) How much would you be willing to spend on the magazine and why?

6) What kind of font would you expect to see on the front of an R&B magazine?

7) What content do you look for in a music magazine?

8) What is your favourite music magazine and why?

9) Would you want a lot of advertisements in the magazine? 

10) What else would you feature in the magazine?

11) How often would you want the magazine to be released?

R&B Magazine Contents Page Analysis

VIBE Contents Page Analysis 1

This contents page is taken from the VIBE issue featuring Usher on the front cover. The masthead reads "Featured" as opposed to "Contents" and the different articles are listed in a column format on one side. When looking at this contents page, we can clearly it is from the same magazine, which is very important, as a lack of correlation between the front cover and the rest of the magazine can lower the standard of the magazine. 

On this page we see Usher stood in a strong, legs apart stance. He is wearing the same aviator glasses seen on the front cover, showing a link between the two. Although he is wearing a different outfit, he is carrying a travel bag and on the front cover he was dressed as a pilot, so this change to casual clothing might suggest he has landed and ready to shake the music industry metaphorically. 

He is standing against a gradient grey wall which matches the grey tones of the front cover. The text of the contents page is written in white, so it is clear for the readers to read it against the background and the page number is written in black, so it doesn't blend in with the rest of the text. 

This contents page is very plain aside from the text and the photo of Usher, this is something I will bear in mind when I produce my own magazine. 

VIBE Contents Page Analysis 2

This contents page is from another issue of VIBE that featured Ciara on the front cover. The masthead is very large and is broken up onto 3 lines which makes it more visually appealing to readers. 

As R&B is quite a sexual genre of music, Ciara is wearing a leotard which clings to her form and highlights her curves, this is to entice the male readers of the magazine. She is also wearing heels, which make her legs appear even longer, again to draw in readers. the position of her body in an almost "L" shape has been strategically used as a means to frame the list of contents. Near her feet an outline of the "V" from VIBE can be seen, this reiterates that this contents page is from the same magazine and therefore creates a clear pattern throughout the magazine. 

The background is plain, this is to allow the reader to clearly navigate and read the text. The list of contents itself is split into "Features" and "Fashion" and these words are written in a different font to the rest of the texts so that they stand out and readers who are interested in the Fashion section can find this easily and vice versa. Altogether there are about 5 page numbers written, it is not loaded with the page number and explanations of every single article in the magazine, only key ones. This may be so the magazine can ensure readers are actually reading the magazine as opposed to only flicking to the sections that interest them.