Audience Research

From looking at the following quote from Hall & Holmes (1998) I can see how it is extremely important for a magazine to have a specific target audience so that your content can appeal directly to them. As stated by Hall & Holmes, 'Any media text is created for a particular audience and will usually appeal most to this particular target audience'. I need to focus on my target audience and their interests to ensure that I produce a product which focuses on every aspect of their needs and desires - without my audience there would be no final product. If I were to target my product to the wrong market, it wouldn't succeed, therefore I need to ensure I target it correctly. One specific element to look at when targeting your audience is to differentiate whether they're a niche audience or a mass audience. I have come to the conclusion that I want to aim my magazine at a mass audience - this is because I believe that this market place is relatively niche at the moment, therefore if I am my magazine at a mass market I may be able to secure a larger percentage of the larger audience.

In terms of theories relating to audiences and the qualities they possess in terms of media representation, I have been looking at the Hypodermic Needle Theory in particular. This theory states that ideas and interpretations are presented by the media, to the audience, in such a way so that the audience's behaviour and thoughts are adapted and changed as a result. When regarding my text, I feel that this theory wouldn't be an accurate fit in terms of representation. This because I believe that my product wouldn't have the kind of content which would fulfill this theory idea. Despite this, they may not be as open minded as perhaps a niche audience would be, so it might be something to take into account when creating my magazine.

Furthermore, Blumer & Kats' Uses And Gratifications theory is another theory to take into account when making my product. This theory states that my audience - the consumer - use and purchase media for specific reasons and purposes. A few of these reasons which will relate to my magazine include entertainment purposes as well to inform my audience.

When looking at who my target audience is going to be, I think that it's going to be people ages between 25 and 50 in the county of Cornwall. The reason why I've decided to opt out of trying to represent the higher aged bracket and also the lower aged bracket is because this would make my magazine too vague in terms of who it's for and what it's trying to say. Therefore, the content of my magazine will stray slightly away from the traditional magazine, as I want to include more information based around live events, more modern holiday destinations etc.

I would like to keep my magazine gender neutral in terms of who I'm appealing to as this will allow my magazine to become more popular and represent a larger audience. So hopefully, my magazine will stray away from theorists such as Stanley Hall who stated concerns regarding depression in young people as my magazine will represent the age group just above them. This will mean avoiding colours such a black and grey. I will also need to incorporate bold typography styles as well as thin weighted, archaic ones, to ensure that it connotes both males and females.

I would like my magazine to represent a wide range of social classes, this will allow the stereotypical audience to become involved in my product, as well as attracting an audience who aren't interested in 'finer cuisine' and expensive 'days out'. I would like my magazine to appeal to people in social grades B-D - this will allow me to incorporate a mix of content in my magazine, however not so much of a mix to put people off. 

From looking at my analysis of magazines such as Cornwall Today and Cornwall Life, I could see that both of these magazines fell into social brackets A-C1. This meant that a large area of the market was unexplored. This is something which I hope to cover throughout this process. I think that these magazines portrayed this audience because they wanted to make magazines regional culture based, which is something which stereotypically appeals to an older age of people/people of a higher social grade. I will try to make my product more unique than these two, despite trying to present itself to a mass market. I will try to incorporate issues and ideas asked for by my audience to ensure it's a product they'd want to buy.

From looking at magazine publishers, I have begun to understand how they 'audience profile'. This process explores the demographic of their audience and main features of their audience e.g. age, sex etc.

As magazine publishers would think about, I am now going to explore the following questions when developing and creating my magazine:

1) What is the social class of the primary target audience?

2) What is the gender of the primary target audience?
3) What is the age of the primary target audience?
4) What is the nationality of the primary target audience?
5) What is the ethnicity of the primary target audience?
6) What is the sexuality of the primary target audience?
7) Do you read regional magazines?
8) Is the prospect of a new regional magazine exciting to you?/would you read it?
9) What type of stories would you like to see in a new regional magazine?
10) What do you think would make a good name for a regional magazine?

I am now going to conduct my own primary research through use of SurveyMonkey - this will allow me to understand who my primary target audience is.

To ensure that I portray my audience correctly, I have created a SurveyMonkey survey. This will allow me to ask my audience directly what they would like to see on my magazine. It will allow me to accurately understand who they are and what they want to see. I have posted my survey onto social media to ensure that my survey goes out through an accurate source as well as getting to my target audience and getting accurate answers to my questions.

Here is the survey which I created - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BD8MGLK

I am now going to analyse the feedback which I got from my audience which I had received after they had filled in my survey.

My first question, 'How old are you?' shows me the age demographic of my audience. From looking a my results I can see that my audience are aged a variety of ages, however more of my audience is of an older age (30+). This tell me that the content of my magazine needs to full fill a slightly older audience's preferences, however due to 22% of my audience being 20-30, I want to incorporate ideas and stories associated with this age bracket. 

This graph shows me that the balance between male and females in my audience is roughly the same. The reasoning for males appearing slightly higher on my graph is because I posted the survey on Facebook, and I have slightly more male friends than female ones. I will target my magazine at a neutral demographic of sex of person nevertheless. 

These results show me that the social grade of my audience is between brackets B-C2. From looking at this I have decided to target my magazine at this social class bracket. This will mean that I will need to incorporate a range of stories - these will range between traditional Cornish cultural stories to stories aimed at people who have stereotypically different interests/desires from a regional magazine. 

The response to this question has told me that my audience is going to be completely white British - meaning that images and stories should be based around white British males and females. I think this question was unanimous was because of the percentage of people who aren't white British that live in my region. This is an important factor to consider when making my magazine. 

Following on from the previous question, these results are also one sided - again, it is probably because of the lack of diversity in my region. I will make sure that my magazine is aimed at heterosexual, white British males and females in order to accurately portray my audience. 

This question in particular is particularly interesting because a larger percentage of my audience don't currently read regional magazines. This highlights how important the digital platform is to my magazine - I need to concentrate on the website to entice this area of my audience. 

From looking at this feedback, I can see that a larger percentage of my audience is more excited about a new magazine - this may suggest that they are looking for something which is new and incorporates content which is aimed at more of a neutral audience. I will now need to create a product which engages this area of the market. 

This question, similarly to the last, also shows me that my audience are potentially 'fed up' with the current range of regional magazines on offer to them. Therefore, I will need to create a product with content best suited to their needs and desired. 

This chart shows that my audience want to see 'music' and 'things going on in your community' as their top priority. These stories are however, different to stories currently seen in stereotypical magazines, therefore my slightly changed audience are wanting to see new content as well as content currently on the market.

Finally, in terms of a name for my magazine, my audience have chosen the name 'Cornwall Bys Vyken', meaning 'Cornwall Forever'. I think that this shows me that despite my audience wanting to stray away slightly from conventional topics in regional magazines, they have voted for a cultural name for a new regional magazine. This shows me that I am going to have to stick to conventions as well as break them slightly to represent my audience to the best of my ability.

Analysis of Magazine Billboards

Analysis of iPhone 5c Billboard:

In order to understand regional magazine billboard designs, I want to explore a range of other billboard designs to understand how they're laid out, the colours they use as well as type and representation. This advert in particular presents connotations attached to youth and a new, vibrant product which aims to grab the audience's attention through colour, modern design and styling.

The layout of this design is highly simplistic, as it only really incorporates three main sections. Images are laid out alongside text, leaving a clear section of space for both. Spacing alongside text leaves enough room for the advert to look professional and interesting, without detracting from its aesthetic beauty. A logo is presented in the bottom right corner and this connotes a specific corporation. 

The image on this billboard is bright and vibrant, grabbing the audience's eye straight away. The styling, shot type and framing all look original and the image is easy on the eye. The image shows the product clearly, giving away clear visual details about its design and how it looks. As a new product this is important for an advert's success. The image works with the background as it opposes it and stands out clearly and coherently.

Colours shown throughout this design are bright and grab the audience's attention straight away. The range f colouring grabs the audience's attention and draws them into the advert. This diverse range of colouring stands out from the white background well, as, this alongside the black text grabs the audience's eye. Black text is used to present the idea of opposition to the reader, meaning this gives the advert another dimension.

Type on the billboard is presented through corporate themes and corporate fonts. There is very little text on this page due to the company's massive following and well know product background. However, the text that is shown is stylish and connotes a youthful, informal nature.

Analysis of Legion Billboard:

With a traditional film billboard layout, this design is typical in style and connotes an archaic design which is grand in nature. The billboard stands out and grabs the audience's eye, attracting them to the film and persuading them to watch it. Furthermore, the billboards breaks convention as it explores a state which isn't typical of that of most billboards.

The layout Legion's Billboard stands out and grabs our attention. It is laid out very simply with one line of type laid over an image. The billboard's image is sized over the basic rectangle used for traditional billboards. This allows it to become three dimensional and stand out. Due to the simplistic nature of the billboard it means that cars passing don't have to look for long before they understand the genre of the film. Text and images are centred on the billboard to create a sense of convenience as well as balance. The layout follows a conventional design. 

The one main image on this billboard presents themes concerning perhaps a horror/fantasy film - this is done through lighting, colour scheme of the image and also context of the image. Wings, connoting fantasy, alongside dark colours, opposed by brighter ones in the centre of the image all connote darker themes. Lighting in the image also presents themes similar to this. Moreover, the shot type is a medium-long shot which allows the audience to see the subject and understand the context of the film. 

With regard to colour a simplistic colour scheme is used made up of four colours, blue/green in the image, and creamy font - these colours work well together. The light of the typography contrasts the dark image and allows it to stand out. 

The mast head and font is archaic in style and looks good in terms of standing out and presenting the genre to the target audience - this is through convenience of genre as stated by John Friske. There is a serif on the type which makes it fit the genre and also ideas of imagery attached to the image. 

Analysis of Nike Billboard:

Finally, I am going to be looking at a billboard by Nike, advertising their brand and their diverse shoe range. The billboard, presenting simplistic, stylistic connotations, tells me that they create quality products, however relate to everyday people.

The layout of this billboard is relatively simple in style. By using only one image and two different sections of text, the designer has been able to make a clean-cut, simplistic, however attractive design. By centralising the main image, and adding the company's logo in the bottom left corner, this design fits stereotype and convention. Type is offset to give an idea of movement on the page, it's also positioned towards the centre of the page as this is the area which the audience's eyes are drawn to as they drive past.

One main image is used on this billboard design - it is positioned centrally and connotes the company's brand through use of a take on their world renowned logo. The image is the logo made up of a selection of the companies shoe range, this connotes the area which Nike are trying to advertise, and it also sells their brand through use of their logo. The image is large in size and takes up most of the billboard space. The image is well lit to connote a multi sex range for both children and adults. The image is backed with a white background which makes the image stand out and draws your eye to it.

With regards to colour throughout this billboard advertisement, Nike's conventional shade of blue is used on the logo to make it stand out from the background colour, as well as presenting the corporate colours. Furthermore, black is used for the rest of the typography as this allows it to contrast the background colour - this follows Levi Strauss' theory of binary opposition. The colour palate of white, black and blue works well together as it isn't too bright and allows you to focus on the corporate connotations and ideas presented by Nike.

The typography on this advertisement is is a style which doesn't edge towards either genre in particular. The typography makes a statement in terms of the lexis, whereas in terms of the styling it is relatively casual, informal and doesn't take any emphasis away from the image. Perhaps this is because Nike want the image to be to focal point, or perhaps because this typeface is a corporate typeface, therefore presents their brand. The type is all in lowercase which presents ideas of informality and the audience can feel it's more personal because of this. 

Analysis of Regional Magazine Websites

Analysis of Cornwall Today:

As a regional magazine, Cornwall Today fulfils a range of archaic choices regarding the design - however this is very much alongside modern design themes and easy to navigate layout ideas. Cornwall Today's website is easy to use, efficient and easy to find the information that you're looking for. The images are vibrant and there is a reasonable level of interactivity, regarding gallery images and drop down boxes. Perhaps an excellent website design considering it's primarily aimed at an older audience. 

Regarding the layout of Cornwall Today's Home page, the layout is simple and efficient, it's easy to navigate and easy to operate. The text boxes allow it easy for the audience to differentiate between articles and different information. Image spacing is even all over and connotes a fun, professional idea, which helps the audience to understand the content. A coherent design presents a design which has a main masthead at the top of the page, following on from traditional website designs, as well as touching on connotations attached to magazine layouts, a menu bar just below it and then a range of article and link boxes below. This design allows your eye to scroll down from the top of the page, exploring the content available and allowing the audience to understand the content. This layout design is similar on most pages, it does slightly differentiate on some pages however, I will touch on this later. 

With concern to images, Cornwall Today website uses a range of interesting images which grab you attention and the content represents the stories, themes of the magazine and also genre ideas regarding regional magazines. All of the image present a range of interesting design ideas, the image shot types and framing allow the home page to stand out and grab the target audience's attention. 

The masthead and header section of the page is shown throughout all pages of this website. The same font and styling is used as is shown on the magazine itself. This helps to build a recognition and a resemblance between both the product and the website design, building corporate themes with the audience. Furthermore, the simplistic header also incorporates an advertisement, an important theme for a regional magazine, fitting this genre. 

The colour scheme on Cornwall Today follows a simplistic theme, especially on the home page. Greys are used alongside whites and a turquoise blue. This range of colours allows for contrast and also allows images and text to stand out. On other, lesser pages, text boxes in the colour of orange and shown which highlights important information for the audience which grabs their eye and drawn them in. The colour of orange connotes summer, perhaps relevant to the content and ideas of the article. Text is shown in a variety of colours, mainly opposing the background colour to create a sense of binary opposition. 

The type styles throughout this website present traditional ideas. For example, the masthead follows ideas surrounding an archaic font which uses a serif and a traditional regional magazine styling. For article text, and text used in text boxes and as subheadings, a more modern type style is used which follows maybe a more younger target audience to what we expect from this genre of magazine. Furthermore, a range of fonts in this type face are used in different weights and different colours to allow them to stand out.

The lexical choices shown through this website present an idea of traditionally, alongside modern themes which allow for Cornwall Today's specific audience to be shown. This is done through use of words relating to content, specific ideas as well as representing specific topics. 

Analysis of Devon Life:

In terms of an overview of DevonLife, this website is music more complex then the previous one which I explored. A variety of information and content makes it look much more like a news website than it does a regional magazine website. Content, layout and design all fit modern ideas which allow for a sophisticated, however perhaps younger audience to be attracted. 

The layout of Devon Life is much more sophisticated and explores a range of different layout ideas as oppose to Cornwall Today. From use of text boxes behind text which allows it to stand out, and attractive content, ordered specifically and coherently depending on importance. Styling allows the page to look attractive and sections such as the menu bar are modern and stylistic. Regarding aesthetic themes, DevonLife presents content laid out in columns as well as information laid out in horizontal boxes which takes up the whole width of the page. 

DevonLife uses a range of different image which aims to attract their audience and pull them into the content, persuading them to buy the next issue and read on. Images represent content of articles and specific ideas presented through monthly issues. Content also represent cultural themes and ideas, however images don't seem to be quite as exciting as Cornwall Life - this may be down to magazine photographer, or perhaps idea connotation. 

The masthead of DevonLife's website is traditional and again, follows that of their magazine. This helps to build corporate themes and create a link between the two mediums. The typeface has a serif and is in the colour of black so that it opposes the white background, following Levi Strauss' Binary Opposition theory. The header on this page also incorporate a search bar, allowing the audience to search for specific content, as well as social media buttons which tell me that this website is designed for a younger audience than the previous one I looked at. Furthermore, the use of colour shown through the links in the menu panel makes the website look create and interactive, grabbing the audience's attention. 

Colours throughout DevonLife follow traditional, simplistic website themes, while also incorporating some brighter colours which stand out and catch the eye. Dark Grey and white are used to oppose each other and are used as primary colours. This is so that one or two other, lesser colours can be used and themes presented which aren't too overpowering. A bright range of colours are used in the menu bar and this stands out. Maybe not too many colours are used throughout this website due to the range of advertisements shown - all of these are allowed to use whatever colours they choose, meaning if the website design was also to incorporate different colours this may come across too overpowering. 

With regards to type and lexical choices, a conventional, traditional type face is used for the body of the text. While a typeface with a serif is used for the masthead. A more casual, informal typeface is used for the subheading font, as this is friendly and allows the audience to relate to the articles. The lexical choices also follow convention - with word choices specific to content and also representing the audience.

All of the other pages on this website follows similar themes and ideas and presents conventional codes and conventions. Layout styles are similar to that of the home page which is good as a link is created between both.

Analysis of Devonshire Magazine:

Devonshire magazine follows similar, however less flamboyant contentions to DevonLife. A traditional however sophisticated design looks attractive and interesting on the eye and attracts and older audience looking for regionally traditional themes. Moreover, this magazine website is aimed at perhaps an older age bracket in a higher social grade.

The layout of this website represents a simplistic design that is easy to navigate and easy to find content and information. My laying content out in columns, it makes it easy for the audience to find information and understand the importance of content depending on where it's placed. By incorporating images in text boxes, alongside 'read more' buttons, it allows for a contact design that draws in the audience and allows them to follow the content. 

Images on Devonshire Magazine website are relevant to content and presents regionally relevant themes. The images grab the audience's attention and they're engaging and interesting to view. There are a mix of photographic images alongside illustrations, which connote Devon's cultural diversity, something their target audience are looking for.

The masthead for this website presents a header with a traditional font which includes a serif. The header itself presents a simplistic, sophisticated menu bar which is easy to use and connotes professionalism. Furthermore, the social media buttons allow the audience to interact and share content with their friends. The white space makes for an interestingly sophisticated design which is simplistic and attractive on the eye.

This website uses only a few colours throughout, which follows the simplistic themes. White, black and red are the primary colours with red standing out from the white and black, grabbing the audience's attention. 

A friendly, informal typeface is used on this website, alongside the main header which uses a formal typeface with a serif. The article type is conventional to regional magazine websites and it looks good both in bold for subheadings, as well as for the bulk of the articles. Lexical choices means that the magazine's content correctly represent their audience, presenting themes which relate to content as well as genre. Word choices are picked to represent the demographic of audience as well as the genre of the magazine and also the purpose, to inform and entertain.

Analysis of Regional Magazine Double Page Spreads

Analysis of Cornwall Life

The magazine contents page connotes the target audience through themes associated with youth and youth culture. By taking a quick glance at the double page spread, I can see from the styling, imagery and content of the images, that the spread is aimed at a younger audience - perhaps this page in particular a younger male audience. The page as a whole looks professional and looks attractive on the eye. This is good as the audience want a product which they can enjoy and be a proud owner of.  Despite this page looking like it appeals to a younger audience, the magazine as a whole appeals to a slightly older audience, this is perhaps a sign that the magazine is trying to branch out to a wider audience. 

The main header is thin in its style which doesn't allow it to stand out, although it does connote a laid back theme - something important with this page's primary audience. The caption is simple and is straight to the point - something which is also important with this audience. Moreover, the caption 'style' will attract young people interested in the way that they present themselves, and the word 'surf' attracts people who are interested in the lifestyle/the sport/hobby. The header uses tight spacing, meaning that the letting is close together, this allows for a stylistic approach and makes the page look attractive. 

Typography is presented in a traditional style through traditional fonts for this genre. I can see two main typefaces throughout this page - the main one used for the header, alongside the main one used for the body text. We can also see a differentiation of this typeface as in one instance it is presented in italics and in other cases bold. There is also a large 'A' at the start of the article, this presents conventional themes of most print media articles, whether it be a music magazine or an informal newspaper. In terms of text spacing and alignment, this is also portrayed in a conventional fashion. 

The lexis style of this page slightly refers back to that of the magazine cover and contents. Due to the target audience of this article being slightly lower than the magazine as a whole, the lexical choices change slightly as well. Words and phrases are used within the article which present younger themes and also themes which concern the content of the article and the genre which it is trying to portray. The lexis is important because if they magazine tries to present information which is aimed at a young audience and the word choices they use target that of an older audience, their reader is going to lose interest and read something which they can relate to more. Furthermore, the reader also wants a lexical choice which uses a semantic fields which portrays the genre and content of the article. 

The main images connote the content shown on the page. They allow the audience to understand what is going to be shown in the text before they've even read it. In this case the images work alongside the header to connote the content as they both imply a surfing theme to the article. Moreover, all of the images are images which have been taken outside, so they are trying to capture an audience which is interested in the outdoors and the Cornish landscape as well as the surfing 'scene'. Overlapping of images is done to allow for an interesting layout design. It allows for a stylistic layout design which works well in attracting a young person's eye. Moreover, the amount of images shown also connotes the audience as perhaps an older audience wouldn't want/expect to see as many visual elements on the page.

There are a range of shot types on show in the images presented on the double page spread. This allows the audience to view the action from a range of angles and get a full idea of what the article is referring to. Finally, all of the images use similar lighting which is important as this ensures that the whole pages connotes the same themes and incorporates similar qualities. 

Concerning the layout design, a column structure is used to channel text as well as being in alignment with the images on the page. The page isn't stereotypically laid out, due to the main header being half way down the page, below a range of images connoting the content of the magazine. Text on the page is easily followed due to a clear column structure which allows your eye to follow and flow across the page as you follow the content. They have left an apt amount of spacing between each column of text and between text and images to ensure that text is easily followed and the page looks presentable. They have incorporated a text box into the bottom right hand corner of the spread - this cordons off text and allows you to read it separately from the rest of the article.

Page numbers are used at the bottom of the pages to inform the reader of where to in the magazine the article they want to look at is. There is also the web address of the magazine shown at the bottom - this is probably done so that the reader can check out their site later on to catch up with more information. Finally, the text at the top right shows the reader what section they are looking at to inform them and let them decide whether or not they want to explore this area of the magazine.

In terms of the colour palate of the page, it is relatively simplistic and only uses two basic colours. These colours are black and light blue. The light blue connotes that of the Cornish sea and sky, whereas the black is a conventional text colour and is used because it opposes the light background colouring. The backgound colour looks good alongside the other images as it allows the pages to flow. 

Analysis of Cornwall Today

Next I am going to be exploring a magazine's contents page of a similar style and target audience to the previous magazine - Cornwall Today. Cornwall Today's feature page/double page spread is formal in its design and sticks to conventions, portraying lifestyle and culture through imaging, page layout and structure. I can instantly assume that the target audience is of an older age, whose interest is in culture. The double page spread connotes themes associated with magazines of this genre through text structure and general themes concerning imagery. 

The main masthead/header is formal in its style, however it doesn't stand out or strike the reader on first glance. The header uses two different typefaces - something rather unconventional to mastheads and especially regional magazine mastheads as these are generally aimed at the more refined audience member. Despite this however, I think that it looks attractive and works well as it grabs the eye when engaged with the page. The designer has used tight spacing on the page to allow the masthead to fit into a slim gap as well as allowing it to look attractive. The use of a bold type style is used in this header to emphasise a particular word - 'Oyster' - and make it stand out - the rest of the header is in a thin or 'light weighted' type style. Furthermore, the producers have decided to make the middle word lower case, as apposed to upper case. This connotes formality and a 'shouty' style type, as well as a laid back type style. 

In terms of typography, with exception to the masthead, there are only one or two typefaces used on the page. This is good for the reader as it connotes simplicity and formality. It also allows for the page to look presentable and stylistic. The typeface used for the main body of the text is a conventional one - it looks good and allows the audience to read the article clearly with no issues. Again, as with the last magazine double page spread, this one also uses a large first letter at the start of the paragraph. The page uses bold typography in places to show difference in context and also to separate specific areas of text from others. 

In terms of the lexis of the page, the editor has tried to create a feel that the audience can relate to and enjoy reading. They have tried to create a connection between the audience and text through using personal pronouns and directing their content at the audience's interests.

There are four main images on this double page spread and two advertisements down the right hand side. All of these elements add colour and help to make the feature page more exciting for the reader and also help to connote the content of the article. The images present ideas concerning culture and also help to inform the audience as to what's inside the article and entice them to read it. The images are bright and of a range of subjects, including people and landscapes. This variety helps to keep the article interesting for the audience and also to help keep them involved with what's inside. 

The layout of Cornwall Today's feature page is very formal and looks good in terms of structure and also design. They have aligned text and set images in areas which compliment each other and look good. The magazine uses a stylistic text box on the right hand page which keeps the audience's interests within the double page spread as it creates differentiation and is an interesting design. In terms of the typography, structurally, they have aligned it in such a way so that it fits convention and also the page is set up to draw the eye into the spaced where the text is. Due to the images around the top and right hand side the eye is instantly drawn to the block of white in the corner of the double page spread. Furthermore, certain sections of text are in alignment with images which allows the page to look attractive and it also allows your eye to follow the lines made by images and text down the page. 

Finally, in terms of the colour palate, this page's is reasonably bland - they use two main colours to represent the background and also the main text. Despite this, I think it works okay as the images are bright and they produce the colour and excitement for the page. The black text stands out from the white background well and this creates a nice dynamic contrast from the surrounding images. 

Analysis of 247 (South West Edition)

247 is a magazine which is produced regionally, however, unlike most regional magazines, this one is aimed at a younger target audience. In terms of 247's double page spread, on first glance it presents themes associated with a young target audience. Through use of bold colours, large, cropped images and bold text boxes it presents rebellious themes associated with youth and Stanley Hall. The magazine's double page stands out when comparing this magazine to the previous two. The styling and alignment is particular to a magazine aimed at a young person, which is good in terms of my research and comparisons between different types of regional magazines.

The two different mastheads on this page look good alongside each other, despite them being for two different articles. The same typeface is used for both - this is a thin typeface which is alongside a bolder one that stands out and compliments the previous. The thin type face connotes feminism due to the way that this style of font is used in the media to convey feminism. The colour of these two headers allows them to stand out from the background colour. They are both white which opposes the background colour, allowing the audience to read them clearly. 

Typography on this double page spread is used in such a way so that it keeps the audience interested and engaged - due to the range of type and also the styling involved. Changes in colour, weight and also italics allow the page to keep on being an interesting piece to look at even after a couple of viewings. Specific areas of text are coloured specific colours, allowing a differentiation between information. Moreover, through making quotes bigger and by putting them italics, the editor has allowed the magazine to have a sense of class and professionalism about it. They have used one typeface throughout the whole page (with exception to the mastheads) - this is less than the two previous magazines. Maybe, due to the changes in colour and styling, they have felt it would be most appropriate for it to be created in this way. 

The lexis of the page has been styled and suited to fit the audience's needs and desires. This normally means working out what their audience is interested in, their age and also their class and then using a range of lexical and semantic field choices depending on this. In this case they have adapted their language to allow the double page to present the audience with language which is shaped around what they want to see/how they might speak. 

Concerning the main images on this double page spread, there are two main focal points, both images of people and both medium/medium long shots. All of the images have been cropped onto the page which allows them to fit nicely alongside the background colour. These images compliment the main headers as they both allow the audience to understand an insight into the content of the article. The images allow the audience to relate to the magazine - they might think they look like the models or think that their 'look' is something which draws them into the article. The images are bright and have probably been took in both the studio and also outside (due to natural light on the images). 

The layout of this double page spread connotes young themes as well as being slightly unconventional in terms of regional magazine, however conventional in terms of magazines aimed at younger people. The way that the designer has shaped text so that it curves around images works well and makes the page look good. Text is in alignment across both pages and use of 'quoted sections' allows for the first page to be split into two with regards to columns. Border lines have been added at the bottom of the page to add style and also to section off the page numbers etc. from the main text. Use of a text box on the right hand page allows for text to stand out and become a feature of that area of the magazine. 

Finally, the page's colour palate is reasonably complex, using a range of shades across both pages. The background colour has been colour picked from the tow main images on either page and then the lighter shades of these are used within the text on the page. Black is also used on the right hand page to make a specific area of text stand out, however I don't think it works well in terms of stylistic design. White text is also used on the page to show differentiation between different areas of text and also to add variety and create a page which looks attractive to their audience.