Preliminary Task 1 - Magzine Cover Draft

 

Today in class, after researching possible magazine covers, I devised a draft to base my future design off of. Notice how I used bold colors, a large cover page of notable black influences. I plan to do something similar to this for my Final Draft.

Preliminary Magazine Cover Brainstorming

Good Morning Blog, 

Today in class, I researched some magazine cover templates of possible ideas that I can use in my magazine. Some that I liked include: 

Resources: 

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEPGJUDIuQ/fvjVSY-c45d26isKMDF4xg/edit?layoutQuery=magazine+cover

https://www.canva.com/search/templates?q=magazine%20cover&category=tACZCstahYQ&doctype=TACQ-qm91ig&designSpec=djE6dEFDWkNzdGFoWVE6VVMtdXMtbGV0dGVy&width=8.5&height=11

Color Scheme Brainstorming

 Good Morning Blog, 

Today in class, I decided to research color schemes. Creating a color scheme gives identification to the brand and makes it visually appealing.Therefore, maintaining a color connection with your audience is just as important as delivering good content. Below are my survey results to y question regarding color schemes:

  

In my results, majority of my audience (over 50%) was in favor of a Bold/Neon color palette. One participant even said that "I feel like bold or neon because they would go well with the powerful message of my magazine. I agree with my audiences choice, and look forward to incorporating their suggestions into my piece keeping in mind the meaning behind each color.

COLOR PALETTE:

                                    

WELL KNOWN EXAMPLES:

 The color scheme of this magazine cover could be described as giving off a more girly look and very bold with the Hot pink, bright blues and yellows. This magazine can be  assumed to appeal to girls especially of the earlier age hence the bright color palette, and the large cover image of a beloved boy band.

 

  The color scheme of this magazine color is very minimalistic. Notice how the background is white, with hints of black from the subjects shadow, and even her white clothing are used as a subtle yet effective baseline. Then, the bright pink of the mast head and subtitles bring the cover together and provide the pop of color it was missing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results Analysis Pt. 3 - Suggestions Analysis

 

I issued these questions to gain an idea on the suggestions for my content. I asked questions to  gain my audiences opinion so that I can create the most appealing and entertaining magazine. Their responses include:

Majority of my audience was in favor of bold / neon colors to use as a color scheme. (over 50 %)

I plan to take these suggestions into consideration. Now that I have constructive feedback, I look forward to creating my magazine and its success!

Results Analysis Pt. 2 - Good Content

  

I issued these questions to gain an idea on the understanding  of my content. I asked questions to clarify my audiences understanding of the overall message while asking for suggestions on elements to add or remove that would benefit my overall magazine. Their responses include: 

After analyzing these responses, I got some insight on what to keep or add to my magazine. I'm glad that my audience has a good understanding of the overarching message of my magazine. They approved my title idea so I will be sticking with 'Black is Queen'. They voted that lifestyle content should include Health & Wellness, Food & Drink, Money & Career, Culture & Traditions and Travel; I will try my best to incorporate most if not all of these elements in my magazine. They even suggested that I add an interactive section to my magazine. I will decide what will be in this section further down the line.

Demographic

Good Morning Blog, 

In a previous blog post, I researched how ethnic groups in general are portayed in the media. I learned a lot through my research, however I would like to apply this knowledge and determine who is my demographic and how I will represent them in my magazine. 

The demographic of my audience was majority Black/ African American. I anticipated a majority Black audience because the topic and title of my magazine is aimed towards them. Everyone loves to read about, and be around those who understand or can relate to their struggles and successes. Due to the lack of representation in modern media, 'Black is Queen' will flip this script and highlight our successes to show my audience that we in fact are queens. 

Women & Gender Representation

 

How are women represented in the media? 

Women have historically been underrepresented and misrepresented in stereotypical roles within mainstream media. Representations of women are often defined by how men see women (termed the 'male gaze'), or by how society expects women to look and behave. Many representations of women concentrate on sexuality and emotions. Others focus on their relationships with their children or romantic partners. Gaye Tuchman (1978) developed the concept of 'Symbolic Annihilation' to refer to the under-representation of women in a narrow range of social roles, while men were represented in a full range of social and occupational roles. Tuchman also argued that women’s achievements were often not reported or celebrated and often seen as less important than those of men. 

Through my magazine, I am to tackle this unfortunate reality. In an effort to bring awareness and educate my audience on the lifestyle of Black women. Being not only an African American minority, but also a woman is almost like a double edged sword. The "Symbolic Annihilation' phenomena needs to be torn down, and allow our black queens to shine. I chose to make my title 'Black is Queen' to highlight the true beauty in our culture. Additionally, after reviewing my survey results, my audience is in favor of focusing on Women in my magazine to educate and emphasize our power. 

Results Analysis Pt. 1 -- Representation

Good Morning Blog,

I issued these questions to get an idea of representation in my blog. I would like to be as inclusive and representative as possible, which is why its important to have a general idea of aspects such as race, age, and gender, when it comes to your audience.

Considering my survey results, I learned that 100% of the recipients are female, from African American descent, and are 17 years old. In addition, I asked for opinions on how they feel "If my magazine were to focus on strong black women instead of both genders." I was concerned that this might be a possible deterrent, however, 100% of my responses were in favor of the idea to educate on black culture while uplifting/highlighting black women as well. Now I can tailor the design of my magazine according to these results.

 

Ethnic Groups

Good Morning Blog, 

    Yesterday I researched general representation and the media. Today, I would like to explore this topic a bit deeper but focusing on a subject that holds dear to my heart: how are ethnic groups represented in the media?

 

 

    Ethnic groups are stereotyped and underrepresented in it. How individuals construct their social identities, how they come to understand what it means to be male, female, black, white, Asian, Latino, Native American—even rural or urban—is shaped by commodified texts produced by the media. Mass media has a huge reach in society and are a key filter through which people learn about each other, yet countless studies demonstrate that these media continue to reproduce ethnic and racial stereotypes, with often harmful effects.

     If we truthfully look at the media, the most common images and family structures and ideas we see tend to be white. The media can be used as an outlet to understand more about a culture’s values and norms, and long-term exposure may lead people to see the world or to behave in certain ways. Over time, if enough people are so influenced, then culture itself will change. Mass media produces and reproduces stereotypes of cultural groups within a country, as well as the view of people from other cultures. It is likely that the media representation of other cultures is one of the primary places we gain knowledge and meanings about others. This reinforcement of cultural stereotypes leads us to interpret our experiences with individuals of different backgrounds through what we “learn” in the media, thus shaping inter-group relations.  

 

Sources:

 

https://thehawkeye.org/19661/op-ed/the-importance-of-representation-in-media/ 

http://my.ilstu.edu/~jrbaldw/372/Representation.htm

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEPp5Yxc-s/YHzPhsgUklVU-X5I3pJ51Q/edit?layoutQuery=diverse+

General Representation in the Media

Good Morning Blog,

            

   Today I decided to research the representation of different  people and aspects in media. The target audience has an effect on representation. Which is why I would like to understand how the target audience of media productions have shaped general representations in the past and for years to come.  

        Media representations are the ways in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, experiences, ideas, or topics from a particular ideological or value perspective. Media texts have the power to shape an audience’s knowledge and understanding of these important topics. Portrayals in movies and TV establish stereotypes and continue to reinforce them. Much of what audiences know and care about is based on the images, symbols, and narratives in radio, television, film, music, and other media.   Equal representation in media matters because it not only reflects how others see various marginalized groups, but it also affects how those groups see themselves. As children, we often look up to the people we see in magazines and movies and even base our roles in society off of the characters we observe. Fewer characters present will result in a lack of identity for certain individuals. Therefore, it is my responsibility to create a widely representative magazine to ensure that no one in my audience ever has to feel undervalued or less than. 

 

Sources: 

https://www.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/11715_Chapter16.pdf 

https://thehawkeye.org/19661/op-ed/the-importance-of-representation-in-media/

https://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/Media-concepts/Representationusg=AOvVaw12_mTwTltFS-fsOvLcq8xc 

My Survey Results

 Good  Morning Blog,

         I finally have the results of my magazine survey results!

 

 

 

In the next blog, I will explain how the results are going to shape the future of my magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Magazine Survey

 Good Morning Blog,
           Today I will be conducting a survey to determine what interests my audience the most in order to create a magazine that appeals to the largest audience possible. I look forward to analyzing my responses and finally starting the magazine process. 

The questions that I asked for my survey include:

 

1. How old are you?
2. What is your gender?
3. What is your race?
4. Do you understand the overall mission of my magazine as stated below the title?
5. Rate the title (1-5) : 'Black Is Queen'?  

6. What color scheme would be best suiting?

7. What would you like to see in my magazine in addition to Lifestyle content?

8.  Should I add an interactive section to keep my audiences attention? (maybe a crossword puzzle or trivia questions)

9. In your opinion, what does typical Lifestyle content include ?

10. If my magazine were to focus on strong black women instead of both genders, do you think this could be a possible deterant?  

11. Does my magazine idea sound interesting? Is this something you could read w/o dozing off?

12. If there is anything you'd like to see in my magazine that was not mentioned before, please feel free to give suggestions!  

How to make a survey

Today in class, I was introduced to surveys and the purpose behind them. Often times, publishers of films or magazines may distribute a survey or questionnaire, prior to the official release date to gain insight on what could be improved according to the audiences' preferences. Constructing a survey can enlighten me on my target audience, title suggestions, gender percentage, suggested color schemes, and gain opinions on important design aspects of my magazine. I want to make my magazine as appealing to a large audience as possible, it is important that I create an effective survey to poll my constituents.

I did some research on how to make a survey and my findings are as follows: 

1. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/forms/ and click Blank. ...
2. Name your survey. ...
3. Tap on Untitled Question and write a question.
4. Click Multiple choice.
5. Select an option for how the question will be answered. ...
6. Click the side menu icons to add to your survey.
7. Click the Required switch to make a question mandatory.
   

With this gathered information, I will begin my survey process. I intend on researching various examples of surveys on magazines of various backgrounds to gain a general overview on the type of questions I should ask. Following this, I will narrow my search to magazines with similar themes as mine, and determine a set of 12 questions to poll my constituents. The results of the survey will only available for one year, making year-to-year comparisons difficult, solely focusing on this years participants.

 

Sources:

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAENJjenUhw/Px0kbHSrvlEQyktOqDP9Bg/edit?layoutQuery=suggestions

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/create-survey-google-forms