Photos used on each page of my magazine
A code and convention of event and lifestyle magazines is authentic photos of people which builds trust. My front cover image is a natural family portrait, following the convention of event magazines aiming to be relatable, and the friendly subject reflects my target audience (a family with teenagers). I used winter mise en scene (snowflakes, scarves and winter colours) in the photo to allow my audience to recognise the season quickly. This is both extremely conventional for winter magazines and follows Berry Keith Grants ‘All genres have subgenres; (1995) theory that explains how all genres are split into more specific ones, such as winter into Christmas or seasonal events. This helps the audience instantly recognise the type of content my magazine is. Additionally, the body language of the photo creates ideal self, Carl Roger (1980). This was done purposely to advertise the magazine, as conventionally done, showing an idealisation of what someone wants to be an audience is more likely to buy it. My audience wants to be close with their teenagers, and to make my magazine successful, I made sure my main cover photo reflected this.
Conventionally, magazines include at least one photograph on the contents page of a magazine. Yet, with my content in mind, I chose not to. This allows my page to be more effective, as without a photograph- the substitutional amount of text is clear, readable and easier to navigate. Event magazines often have many pages and therefore long lists on the content page. By removing imagery, I had much more space for headings and page numbers. Patrick Phillip’s ‘Comfortable reassurance’ (1996) theory explains that its important genres follow predictable pattern. In my case, the pattern is professionalism, with clear organisation rather than imagery.
The photographs on my DPS page are conventional. By using an establishing shot of the Alpine bar, and a close of the people interaction, readers are given a full understanding of location and experience. Like many other event magazine DPS pages, the photo shows a genuine interaction between a shop owner and visitor. Branston and Stafford’s (1999) ‘Why Industries like genres’ argues that genre conventions make media easier to market and sell. As I have used winter, event and market conventions in my photographs- mise en scene (the shops, wooden cabins, warm lights and food) and camerawork (establishing and close-up), readers can easily see the Sheffield market setting, understand its type of event and create expectations towards their experiences. This results in people feel more connected to the event and promoted to go.
Body Copy for my DPS
When writing my article for my DPS, I was careful to make sure it follows conventions of a lifestyle magazine. Therefore, I integrated information into descriptive language that presents Sheffield as friendly without any misinformation. Often, event magazines have a distinct structure: an engaging introduction, then going onto providing important details like prices, attractions and accessibility. I reflected its structure and key points. I made sure to present information through a more fun lens of description instead of being only information lists, whilst covering every key point. This keeps people engaged when reading the article and provides them with all the information they require. Following Blumer and Katz ‘Uses and gratifications theory’ (1974), I provided surveillance on the event, with descriptive language style that created entertainment.
Setting up Photoshop
Front Cover/ Content
When setting up my pages on photoshop, I was careful to follow magazine code and conventions. My DPS is a landscape A3 size- a conventional format for a double page spread because it provides lots of room for photographs, columns of writing and layout styles. I chose A3 over A4 as the high resolution prevents any pixelated text or images, creating a professional look that makes my target audience trust my content. Its extremely important I set up my photoshop layout in a conventional way. Rick Altman’s ‘Genres of pleasures’ (1999) theory aligns with this point, as he argues that by following a genre, audiences react emotionally. As my magazine follows a DPS convention for an event magazine, audiences are provided something they expect from professionals, and therefore feel like they can trust us. For these exact reasons, I made my front cover and contents page A3 portrait.
For the creation of my magazine, I chose photoshop as a software to work on. This is conventional, photoshop is industry standard and allows me to easily make works that are high-quality across a wide range of tools. It also allows me to simultaneously adjust colours, lighting and alter overall compositions. This ensures that my magazine is professional and consistent with industry standards.
Comparison
Front Cover
My front cover closely follows the conventions of an event magazine and employs similar methods as Time Out magazine to achieve this. Both covers have a large bold masthead at the top of the page, allowing the brand to be recognised easily. Additionally, there is a central photograph with real people rather than celebrities nor models. This represents the target audiences whilst communicating the type of content inside. On the Time out cover, a group of students are sitting casually on some steps. Similarly, on my magazine cover, a family are laughing and smiling together. By them both showing such relatable images to their target audience, personal identity is created (Bluhmer and Katz, 1974) as they can see themselves in the product. This emotional connection between viewers and the product is extremely conventional for event magazines, as it's trying to promote experiences rather than celebrities or lifestyle changes. Additionally, both front covers have controlled colour schemes that include bright and dull colours to catch attention and make information stand out. To further this, both magazines have a bright banner at the bottom that hints towards the overall content genre 'Winter events 2024' and 'Londons Best Cheap eats, bars, shops, clubs'. This shows that my magazines reflects real event magazines conventions and makes it immediately understandable to readers. By comparing how each design choice impacts readers, I can recognise that the conventions I followed have created are more effective than other layers. This is due to it creating clear expectations, engagement and more trustworthy representations to my audience.
Contents Page
My content page follows the same conventions as this Vogue contents page, yet is slightly altered to fit my own magazines genre and style. Both pages clearly have the masthead at the top of the page- this reinforces the brand. Additionally, they both have a clear layout that organises different content into sections. In Vogue, there are categories like 'Fashion' and 'Special features', whilst my magazine separates Winter events from 'Christmas' actives and 'winter' activities. This allows readers to find what interests them quickly. Both pages have a controlled colour palette that reflects their genres. Vogue uses a black, white and red palette, reflecting its haute couture and luxury, whilst my content page has red, blue and white to highlight the festive tone and family targeted content. Despite their being multiple visual differences due to the different content, both design have a structures layout and strong branding that guides readers for the page effectively. This comparison has made it clear that my content page follows conventions and reflects real, professionally made magazines.
DPS
My DPS follows the conventions shown in the travel DPS. Both double page spreads have establishing photographs that immediately set the scene and provide viewers with a realistic expectation of the event, this is a strong convention in travel and event magazines. Additionally, both layouts use multiple images that show closer details and more real interactions. This helps readers visualise the experience more clearly. The text is also organised in a similar structure- with clear titles that stand out and help people navigate the page. I have offered a review section that provides people with a clear understanding of what to expect. Similarly, the Santorini text has a top five section. Both of these aid users in navigating the space effectively. Following conventions, we have both employed rating techniques to aid our audiences in getting the best from the experience. However, we did this through different methods. Integrating ratings from other people makes sure the people know exactly what to expect from the situation.
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