Interview Questions

09:19
Here are some possible interview questions relating to the article on camping.

 Families:

  1. How many times have you taken your family camping?
  2. Do you prefer caravans or tents?
  3. What do you enjoy most about camping?
  4. What are some negatives of camping?
  5. What do you look for in a possible campsite before booking?
  6. Any funny stories to share?

Staff:
  1. Is your campsite family-friendly?
  2. How often do you have families booked in?
  3. What activities do you offer for children?
  4. Do you allow dogs on your campsite?
  5. Are there any local events/attractions that would appeal to families?
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Drafted Article

08:13
After deciding that one of my articles would be about camping and would feature a particular campsite as it provides opportunity for interview, I have drafted a few ideas for layouts using some I have found previously.

 All of the ideas I drafted make use of two A4 pages. 


The first features the main picture as the whole page and adds information within. This does  present some problems such as adding text, it cannot be read straight over the picture thus you need to use text boxes. This runs the risk of taking away from the background image, especially if you have a lot of text to add. It also creates the issue when trying to add further images without ruining the main one. Although this seemed like a good idea, I do not like this design due to having to use text boxes.

The second is a lot more plain. Ideal if a lot of text is needed and for adding lots of different images. It is less eye-catching however and runs the risk of being too boring for readers.

This last one is my favourite. The image is cropped and takes up half of the page, so still giving it centre stage. This frees up the bottom half for plenty of information, or little - depending on font size. You can add other images to maintain interest without taking from the central image. Some writing such as the title can go over the main image to create space below. 
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Article Contents

08:13
Below is a list of features I am considering for my magazine articles:

  • Days out
    • Zoos
    • Cycling
    • Fun Fairs
    • Aquariums
    • Castles
    • Museum
    • Railways
    • Adventure Centres
    • Cities
    • National Trust properties
  • Days in
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Pets
    • Cooking
    • Baking
    • Technology
  • Holidays
    • Summer/beach
    • Educational
    • Camping


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Interviews

07:09
I have had to consider where I will have the opportunity to fit interviews into my articles.
If I use camping - I can interview either families/parents about their experiences, or even the staff at the campsites about how many families come and what they enjoy about their site. 
If I use indoor activities, I can interview families/parents about their experiences getting their children to get involved with things like arts & crafts and baking. 
Similarly, I could interview parents about their experiences in different countries and holiday destination abroad - what kinds of holidays appeal to them and why
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Images - Holiday Destinations

08:08










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Images - Food

08:08


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Images - Days Out

08:08











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Images - Camping

08:08







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Drafted Idea

18:06

After researching magazines, target audiences and how to appeal to these I began to play around with my own ideas to develop what I might want my magazine to look like.

I like the way the masthead is prominent and the first thing people see when they look at the cover. In this idea I only have two coverlines, ideally if the image had a more focal point and sides without objects it would be possible to add more coverlines below. One way around this was to add the circle, creating another place to feature a coverline. Missing is a slogan and price. I do not like how the coverline talking about holidays is not more focal - as the image suggests the magazine is about holidays. I think the image I use in my final cover should feature children to fit the theme.

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Comparing magazine types + target audience

05:03
I have considered my target audience and decided although it is families; it is mostly parents and more specifically - mothers. These are the most likely people to purchase the magazine. 

 Most magazines that appeal to women look similar to the following:



The focal point in these magazines is almost always a model, very often a celebrity. Their image tends to cover the magazine brand logo which is located in the back. Around this image then are details/titles of what is featured in the edition. There are varying font sizes and types to keep interest and draw your eyes in.

Family magazines that appeal to mothers look similar to the following:


























Immediately we can see the colours are a lot brighter, the focal image is most often photos of children actively having fun. I noted how there is less change in font sizes, these covers appear more organised and feature less on the front. In particular, the FamilyFun magazine uses colours featured in the chosen photo. Writing only covers blank areas of the photo cover, as to make it easier to read.
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Initial internet research

14:28

The internet is a useful tool for finding family activities, offers, deals and events which can be featured in the magazine. It can be refined to area-specific results, or those which are national. Since discovering this, I have taken note that I may need to consider whether my magazine will be regional or national, as these have very different approaches. Below I have noted some pros and cons which have come to mind.
Regional magazine:
  • More specific events, that ALL readers should be able to travel to
  • Deals and offers relevant to ALL readers
  • Wording/slang specific to regions, more relatable articles
  • Writer's personal knowledge of region
  • Less costly to print and distribute, less units needed.
  • Less potential profit due to restricted market

National magazine:
  • Must pick-and-choose events to showcase, regardless of location
  • Must pick-and-choose deals and offers, regardless of location
  • More costly to print and distribute nationwide
  • More research and higher production costs per edition


http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/

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Magazine Layouts

19:11
Whilst researching magazine covers I have looked into the typical layouts and what they feature. Doing this I have come across the technical terms:
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Magazine Cover Research + Analysis

02:25










I have been searching types of magazines in which I find the layout interesting and unique. I like how the running theme for NME magazine has stayed informal yet informative.







The colour theme for most of the issues is bold red with the background text in black. I like this as it attracts the attention of the reader and keeps them interested. As it is something they keep consistent with every issue, it is instantly recognisable on the shelf and readers are directed to it quickly and easily.This is also true for the placement of their logo in the top left hand corner each time. The images are always placed tactfully to show what that issue is about and what festivals or events are coming up. The band/event name goes over the photo, but without covering important features. 








The variation of font types is also something that maintains interest, the layout of the magazines vary slightly from issue to issue which makes them always look interesting. They place the fonts in different ways to make it an interesting read.



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Organising and Planning

04:07

            Organising and Planning 

·      Present to tutor
·      Magazine research
·      Purchase travel/family magazines
·      Article layouts and research
·      Target audiences for magazines
·      Look at upcoming events
·      Visit some potential article locations
·      Photograph locations
·      Organise activities
·      Organise travel
·      Research facilities/town
·      Look at prices of activities and travel
·      Make a budget
·      Draw some rough covers
·      Practice and improve on photoshop
·      Look at using illustrator
·      Read articles and practice article writing
·      research different writing for aimed audience
·      Edit/improve images

I have created a list of aims I will undertake before/during my final major project. I will use this as a sort of to-do-list, ticking them off after completing each one.

 My thought process will be made visual through the use of a blog, I will be able to keep track of ideas and research I have done in chronological order.



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06:32

I have decided for my final major project that I will design a magazine that will be aimed at families. It will be an informative magazine based around family life and activities for the whole family. In them, readers will find articles that contain interviews, images and general information about the activities. it will also include various other family based information like the top family movie for the week, national events and family-based offers and deals.                                                    
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Copyright Andrew Benson