Health Magazine Production Research

Ross Richardson

Introduction

For my AS Level Media Studies Production Research Task I carried out research on existing magazines and how they present and promote their information and product through the use of Front Covers, Content Pages and Double Spread Articles. I have done this to help me with the process of completing and designing my own Magazine Front Cover, Content Page and Double Spread Article.

Introduction

Existing Magazines That Inspire Me

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeI like the masthead used on this magazine front cover because it is in a large red font. This means it will grab the attention of the audience and engage in contact with the reader immediately.The colour scheme used on this magazine front cover inspires me as the colours used are all bright which makes the front cover more lively and appealing to the audience.I also like the main image used on this front cover because the main image is a man standing with his arms crossed and he is smiling which shows that the magazine is enjoyable but it is also relaxing towards the audience.

The layout of this front cover inspires me because it is in a neat and tidy format which makes it easier for the audience to read the front cover and understand what the magazine is about and who it is aimed towards.The article headings on this front cover also inspire me because they tell the audience that the magazine is hard working and the article headings can be seen as a way of motivating the readers to work harder at achieving their aimed goal.

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeI am inspired by the strip used on the top of this magazine front cover because it is inspiring and motivating towards the target audience and it will also attract customers to purchasing the magazine.I like that the masthead used on this front cover as it is large. The masthead used will immediately engage in contact with the reader and make the magazine front cover more attractive and appealing to the readers eye.The layout is impressive as it in a neat layout to make it easier for the readers to understand what is going on and what this magazine is about.

I like how the main image slightly covers the masthead as this shows the targeted audience that the main focus on this front cover is the main image. The main image is a man standing with a straight face which may tell the readers that this magazine is very hardworking which may inspire them to work harder.The colour scheme used on this front cover inspires me because there are many different colours used to make the magazine more attractive and pleasing to the readers eye. The colour scheme also makes the subheadings stand out.

Existing Magazines That Inspire Me

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeThe colour scheme on this content page inspires me because the colours used are all bright which makes the content page stand out and engage in contact with the reader quicklyThe images used on this content page also inspire me because they show what the magazine is about and what the articles further inside the magazine are about. The layout of the content page is inspiring because the layout is in a neat and tidy format which makes it easy for the audience to read and understand what is going on inside the magazine.

I like that there are numbers beside the article headings and also on the images on this content page as this makes it easy for the reader to navigate their way through the magazine.I am impressed by the article headings on this content page because they tell the reader what the articles further inside the magazine are about without the reader having to go through the entire magazine and the subheadings tell the readers what the articles are about.

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeI like the images on this content page because one of the images show the readers that the magazine is hard working and the other image gives the readers an idea of what they shouldn’t be eating on their diet.The colour scheme on this content page inspires me because the colours used are all bright which makes the content page stand out and engage in contact with the reader quicklyI like that the subheadings are all underlined because this makes them more noticeable to the reader and it also brightens up the page more to make it look appealing to the readers eye.

I like that the masthead is in a large black font because this makes it attention grabbing towards the audience and it also makes the content page stand out more.I am impressed by the layout of this content page because the layout is in a neat and tidy format which makes the content page more appealing to the readers eye but it also makes it easier for the audience to read and understand what is going on inside this content page.

Existing Magazines That Inspire Me

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeI like that the main image of this double spread article covers a whole page because it shows that the main focus of this article is on the main image. It also tells the readers what the topic of the article is about. The large image also makes the article stand out.The colour scheme on this double spread article inspires me because they colours used are all bright which makes it stand out and look attractive to the readers eye.The layout of this double spread article impresses me because it is in a neat and tidy order which makes it more attractive to the readers eye and the layout makes it easier for the audience to read.

The colour scheme on this content page inspires me because the colours used are all bright which makes the content page stand out and engage in contact with the reader quicklyI also like that the heading of the article is large and in a red box because it makes the article stand out more and it makes the article more appealing to the readers eye.

Why Health Magazines Inspire MeI like the colour scheme used on this double spread article because the colours are bright which makes the article appealing to the eye but it also makes the article more lively and have a positive attitude towards the audience.The masthead on this double spread article inspires me because the masthead is in a large font and covers most of one of the pages. This means it will immediately engage in contact with the reader and it also makes the double spread look more attractive.

I like the layout of this double spread article because it is a neat and tidy format to make it easier for the reader to understand but the layout also makes the article look a lot more fun and enjoyable for the audience.The images on this double spread article also inspire me because the images tell the reader what type of food and beverages they are able to have and enjoy which I see as a type of motivation towards the targeted audience to work harder and enjoy your diet.

Potential Magazine Names

Potential Names For My Health Magazine

Teen Fit

I feel that this is a good potential name for my magazine because it tells the readers immediately what the magazine is about but it also tells the readers who the chosen target audience is. Dummies

Guide To Abs

I feel that this is a good potential name for my magazine because it is an enjoyable and entertaining title but it also tells my readers what the magazine is about.

Teen Motivation

I think that this is a good potential name for my magazine because it immediately tells the readers that the magazine is about motivating people to work on their health which will attract more customers.

MusculousTeen Core

Inspiring Health

I think that this is a good potential name for my magazine because it tells the readers immediately that my magazine offers advice on muscle gain. This should attract more readers as teenage boys enjoy talking about muscles or working out to gain muscles.

I think that this is a good potential name for my magazine because it shows the readers that the magazine gives advice about the core of the body which I think will attract more readers. This is also short and catchy which interests readers.

I think this is a good potential name for my magazine because it tells the audience that the magazine is inspiring towards health which may impress the audience as they will need inspiration to achieve their goal.

Magazine Name Tally ChartI asked 20 teenage boys to decide what Magazine Name they thought would be the best for my Health Magazine. The results are below.

Teen Fit IIIIIIIIDummies Guide To Abs IIIIHealth Motivation IIMusculous ITeen Core IIIInspiring Health II

Potential Magazine Names

The name I have chosen for my Health Magazine is Teen Fit because this was the name that got the most votes in my tally chart which shows that this name would be very interesting and attention grabbing towards teenage boys. The name also tells my audience immediately who the magazine is aimed towards. The name is also short and catchy which makes it better for my magazine. The name Teen Fit also immediately tells my readers that my magazine is about Health and Fitness which may attract more customers as teenagers are becoming very serious about their health and fitness.

Chosen Name For My Magazine

Teen Fit

Font Research

Font ResearchThis font is a large red serif font which is attention grabbing and pleasing to the readers eye. Red is a pleasing colour to the eye which will make the font look appealing to the audience.

This font is a large black san serif font which will immediately engage contact with the reader because of its size and colour. I would like this sort of font for my magazine to grab the attention of my audience.

This font is a large red san serif font which is attention grabbing towards the audience. I like how the first word is larger than the second because it shows that the focus of the magazine is on fitness.

This font is a large blue serif font which is attention grabbing towards the targeted audience. The font will immediately engage in contact with the reader because of its size and also because of the bright colour.

Potential Fonts For My Magazine

Font ResearchI like this font because it is simple and clear but also because it is not too big or too attention grabbing.

I like this font because it is pleasing to the eye but also because it seems suitable and appropriate towards teenage boys.

This font impresses me because it is a fun and clear font so it is easy for my audience to be able to read and understand the font.

This font interests me because it is a large bold font which means it will immediately engage in contact with the reader and also because it is pleasing to the eye because of the size and colour.

Chosen Masthead Font For My Magazine

Chosen Masthead Font

I have chosen to use this Font which is Cooper Black because it is a large font which means it will immediately engage in contact with my audience but also because it is pleasing to the eye and I feel that it will make my magazine more attractive to my customers. The font is also suitable and appropriate for teenage boys which makes it better for my Health Magazine. I also find this font not too plain and I also think it is a fun font which may be pleasing to my readers. The font will stand out on the front cover from a distance which is another reason why I chose this font for my Health Magazine Front Cover.

Main Image Research

Main Image ResearchI like the main image on this front cover because it is a man casually standing facing the camera. It is a medium long shot which shows the body down to the knees. This allows the readers to see the focus of the magazine which is fitness of the body.

I also like the pose of this main image because it looks relaxed which tells the readers that the magazine has a relaxing feeling to it. It may also be to make the readers feel more relaxed and welcome to reading the magazine.

The background of this main image is white and because the man in the main image is wearing black clothes this makes the main image stand out on the front cover to the readers. The main image also slightly covers the masthead which tells the targeted audience that the main focus on this front cover is the image.The fact that the main image is a man tells the audience immediately who the targeted audience for the magazine is.

Main Image ResearchThe main image on this front cover interests me because it immediately tells the readers who the targeted audience is. The main image tells the readers that the magazine is aimed towards males.In the main image the man is standing with his hands on his hips which could be to make the audience feel more relaxed and welcome when reading the front cover of this magazine.

The shot of this main image is a medium long shot which lets the readers acknowledge what the purpose of the magazine is.

In this main image the man has no top on which shows the audience that the focus is on losing weight, gaining abs and building muscle. This may be attracting to customers as it shows them what they are capable of. This can also be a way of motivating the audience to working harder to achieving their aimed goal.

I also like the position of this main image as it is in the centre with all of the subheadings around it. This shows that the focus is on the main image and it will also make the front cover stand out to readers more.

Layout Of My Health Magazine

Magazine Front Cover Design ConventionsI would like to include a strip on my Front Cover because I would like to include the release date of the magazine. I would like the strip to be bright coloured to add more colour to make the front cover appealing to my audience.

I am going to include a double spread article sneak peak on the front cover as a way of persuasion towards the buyer to read further inside the magazine.

I am also going to include a pug on my Front Cover because it will make the magazine attractive to the readers eye and they are effective towards the potential buyers.

The masthead will be at the top of the front cover because I feel that this is the most noticeable place for it and it will immediately grab the readers attention.

The main image will be in the middle of the front cover in order to make the magazine stand out and to make the front cover look attractive and appealing to the targeted audience.

The sub stories will be around the main image in order to show my potential buyers what my magazine has got to offer for them.

Magazine Content Page Design ConventionsThe masthead will be at the top of the content page to make it easily noticeable to the potential buyers of my magazine.

I am going to include the page numbers beside the sub headings and on the images to make it easier for the readers to navigate their way through the magazine.

I am going to include 10 sub headings to show the audience what my magazine has got to offer them and to show what articles are further inside the magazine.

I am going to include 2 images on my content page to make it visually pleasing to my readers and also to make the content page more enjoyable for the readers.

Magazine Double Spread Article Design ConventionsThe main image will cover most of the left page in order to grab the readers attention immediately and also to make the double spread pleasing to the eye.I will include 2 quotes from the young boy to show the readers what sort of advice he has to give and also to make the story more interesting for my audience.The other image will be smaller and on the right page to make the article look pleasing to the eye and also to make the double spread more interesting for the reader.

The masthead will be at the top of the right page to make it easily noticeable to the potential buyers of my magazine.The article will be split into 3 columns to make it easier for my audience to read and understand. This will also make the double spread look more appealing as it won’t be crammed together.

I will include a pug on my double spread article to give the article a nice and interesting effect for the reader.

Main Article Topic Mind Map

Potential Topics For My Article

Best Meals For A Healthy

Diet

How Dieting Changed My

LifeMy 12 Month

LIFE CHANGING Journey

DETOX 101

I feel that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will tell my audience the best meals to be eating daily to be able to achieve your aimed goal and to have a healthy diet.

I feel that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will tell the readers how dieting changed the life of one young teenage boy. I feel this will motivate more people to work hard at having a healthier lifestyle.

I think that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will tell the readers about the life changing experience a young boy had to make and how he managed to achieve this big change in his life.

Are You Summer Body

Ready?

Best Workouts To Drop Pounds For

GoodI feel that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will give my audience advice on how to detoxify the body of natural waste and it will help cleanse the body. I feel this will attract more readers.

I think that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will give my audience advice on how to get their bodies perfect for summer and I feel this will attract more readers as teenagers are interested in being summer body ready.

I think that this is a good potential topic for my article because it will help my audience by telling them all about the best daily workouts to drop them pounds. I feel that this will attract more people as it will give them advice on losing weight.

Chosen Main Article TopicMy 12 Month LIFE CHANGING

Journey

I have chosen to use “My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey” as the topic for my main article because this article will tell my audience all about the life changing journey of a young 18 year old boy. This article will tell my audience about the changes this young boy decided to make such as meals, beverages, workouts, etc. which will help my audience understand how there can be good points to going on a diet but how there can also be struggles.

I have also chosen this as the topic for my main article because it is a way of motivating my readers to work as hard as they can to achieving their desired goal. It will also help my audience and other readers realise how much peoples lives can change by making one decision.

Initial Magazine Design Ideas

Front Cover Content SampleI am going to include 5 sub stories on my Front Cover to interest my audience. These sub stories will be:

DETOX 101 My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey Flab To Abs Workouts New Designer Workout Clothing Hottest New Equipment

Teen Fit Front Cover Initial IdeaThe masthead will be at the top of the front cover in the font I have chosen which is Copper Black. The masthead is attention grabbing as it is large and bold.The main image will cover most of the page which will make the front cover stand out more to my audience. The main image will be relevant to the topic of the magazine which is health and fitness. Will also include a smaller image which will be relevant to the double spread article inside to attract more readers.I will also include a pug at the bottom left of the page because I feel that this gives the front cover a bigger effect on my readers.

The sub headings will be around the sides to make the focus on the main image but also because it makes it easier for my audience to read the sub headings and understand them.The strip will be above the masthead because I feel that it makes the front cover look more appealing to the readers eye.

The colour scheme will consist of bright colours because this will make the front cover more attention grabbing and lively for my targeted audience.

Deconstruction Of Front CoverThe initial design of the Front Cover for my Health Magazine has some good points but it also has some bad points. The bad points will be fixed by making a few changes to the design of the Front Cover. The good points are:

• Nice layout which makes it clear and understanding for the reader.• Nice choice of images because they are relevant to the Magazine

topic.• The pug is good as this promotes the magazine and gives it more

of an effect towards my audience.

The bad points are:• Some of the fonts make it hard for my readers to understand what

the sub headings say.• The choice of colour for the background isn’t very appealing.• There is no barcode on the Front Cover.

I will fix these problems by making a few changes to the design of the front cover.

Initial Magazine Design Ideas

Content Page Content SampleOn the Content Page for my Health Magazine I will include the following:

2 imagesArticles advertised of my Content Page will be: P.3 – DETOX 101 P.5 – Flab To Abs Workouts P.7 – Hottest New Equipment P.9 – New Designer Workout Clothing P.11 – My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey

‘Extras’ will include: P.2 – Body Satisfying Meals P.4 – Are You Summer Body Ready? P.6 – 3 Day Slim-Down! P.8 – Celebrity Advice P.10 – 30 Day Diet Plan

Teen Fit Content Page Initial IdeaThe masthead will be at the top of the content page as this will immediately engage contact with the reader and it also makes it pleasing to the eye.I will have 2 main images on the content page which will be relevant to the article headings as this will make the content page more attractive but it will also give my readers an idea of what the articles are about before reading the article headings.The colour scheme will be all bright colours as I feel this will make the content page stand out more to my readers and it will make it appealing to them. This will also make the content page more enjoyable

There will be 10 sub headings (5 on each side) to give my readers an idea of what articles there are further inside the magazine. This is also a way of persuading them to read further into the magazine.The background of the Content Page will be white because I feel that this will make everything on the content page stand out more and it also makes the content page more lively and fun for the reader.

Deconstruction Of Content PageThe initial design of the Content Page for my Health Magazine has some good points but it also has some bad points. The bad points will be fixed by making a few changes to the design of the Content Page. The good points are:

• Nice layout which makes it clear and understanding for the reader.• Nice choice of images because they are relevant to the articles

that are further inside the magazine and it gives the reader an idea of what the article topics are.

• The colour scheme is good because the colours chosen are all lively colours which makes the content page more enjoyable for my audience.

The bad points are:• The fonts chosen for the article headings are hard for my audience

to read and understand.• The design of the content page seems very plain and boring which

may put my readers off.

I will fix these problems by making a few changes to the design of the front cover.

Initial Magazine Design Ideas

Double Spread Article Content SampleOn the Double Spread Article for my Health Magazine I will include the following:

An article on a 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey of a young 18 year old boy. This article will include the changes he made such as daily meals, exercises and workouts which led him to losing a substantial amount of weight. This article will tell us how this young boy enjoyed changing his lifestyle but also how he had some struggles which he eventually overcame.

I will also include an image which shows the difference of this young boy in just 12 months.

I will include a pug to make the article have a bigger effect on my readers. I will also include another image of a healthy meal that can be enjoyed by

people when on a healthy diet.

Teen Fit Double Spread Article Initial IdeaThe masthead will be at the top of the right page as this will immediately engage contact with the reader and it also makes it pleasing to the readers eye.The main image will cover the left page as I feel this will make the double spread article look more appealing but it also tells the readers immediately what the topic of the article is and what the main focus is. The main image is also to motivate my readers to work harder at achieving their goal.

The article itself will be divided into 3 columns on the right page to make it easier for my audience to read and understand what the article is about.

I will also include words from the young boy to show the readers what he has to say about the change he made in his lifestyle.

The smaller image on the right page is to show the readers a nice healthy meal that they are able to enjoy when on their diet. This is also to show them one of the meals the young boy had began to enjoy once he changed his lifestyle.The pug is there to make my double spread article look more attractive but also to give my article a bigger effect on my audience.

Deconstruction Of Double Spread ArticleThe initial design of the Double Spread Article for my Health Magazine has some good points but it also has some bad points. The bad points will be fixed by making a few changes to the design of the Double Spread Article. The good points are:

• Nice choice of images because they are relevant to the article and it gives the reader an idea of what the topic of the article is.

• The colour scheme is good because the colours chosen are all lively colours which makes the content page more enjoyable for my audience.

• The pug gives the article a friendlier effect towards the audience.The bad points are:• The colour of the background doesn’t go well with the other

colours on the article.• The layout of the double spread article makes everything looked

crammed together.

I will fix these problems by making a few changes to the design of the Double Spread Article.

Magazine Design Development

DevelopmentAfter completing the initial designs of my Health Magazine Front Cover, Content Page and Double Spread Article I have noticed the good points and the bad points of each.

I have decided to edit the colour scheme of each to give the magazine a more positive attitude and also to make each of the pages pleasing to the readers eye.

I have also changed some of the fonts on each page in order to make it easier for my audience to be able to read and understand what is going on inside the magazine.

For the Double Spread Article I have slightly changed the layout in order to make the article a lot less crammed and to also make it visually pleasing to my target audience.

Front Cover Content SampleI am going to include 5 sub stories on my Front Cover to interest my audience. These sub stories will be:

DETOX 101 My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey Flab To Abs Workouts New Designer Workout Clothing Hottest New Equipment

Draft Development – Teen Fit Front Cover DesignI have changed the colour of the background in order to give the front cover a more appealing look and also because the colours didn’t mix well in the previous draft design.I have also changed the colour of some of the sub headings to make it more visually pleasing to my readers but also to make it easier for my audience to be able to read the sub headings.I changed the fonts of the sub headings to make it easier for my audience to read and understand what the sub headings are.

I added the date of the magazines release into the strip to show my audience when the magazine was released to give them an idea of how old/new the magazine is.I added a barcode onto the front cover of my magazine to show that it is ready to be bought but also to show that the magazine has got a price. I also added a barcode onto the front cover to make it more visually pleasing to my audience.

Draft Development – Teen Fit Content Page DesignI have changed the font of the masthead to make it more visually pleasing to myself and my audience.

I have also changed the font of each sub heading to make it more visually pleasing to my audience but also to make it easier for my audience to read and understand the sub headings.

I changed the shape of the images to make it more visually pleasing to myself and my audience but also to try and make the layout of the content page better.

Draft Development – Teen Fit Double Spread Article Design

I have changed the colour of the background in order to give the front cover a more appealing look and also because the colours didn’t mix well in the previous draft design.

I have changed the layout of the double spread article in order to give it a better look and also to make it look less crammed together. The article now looks spacious which I think will be visually pleasing to my audience.

I have also changed the font colour of the words from the young boy as I think this now looks more visually pleasing and it stands out better to the audience.

Sample of the ‘My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey’ Article

Question 1: How was your weight when you were a child?“When I was younger I was a very skinny child. At one point I went to the doctors because my parents thought I wasn’t eating properly but everything was fine. I knew there was no problem with my eating and that I just never really put on weight.” Question 2: When did you notice that you were gaining weight?“When I was getting closer to my teenage years I started to ‘pile on the weight’ and I noticed that I was one of the biggest boys in my year group which made me uncomfortable with my appearance” Question 3: Were you regularly involved in Sports in school?“I played football and basketball in school during P.E but I never enjoyed it. I was never a big sports fan.” Question 4: How come you never enjoyed P.E? Was it the sports or because you didn’t like the exercise?“I never liked doing the exercise but I also hated having to get changed into a P.E uniform because I didn’t like anyone seeing my body. I became very self conscious but I didn’t do anything about it.” Question 5: What sort of foods did you eat?“I never thought about the food I ate, I just ate anything that pleased me which was chocolate, sweets, chips, sausages and lots of other fatty foods.” Question 6: Was it hard to give these foods up?“Yes it was very hard at the beginning as I always began a diet then went back to square one by eating sweets and fatty foods. I repeated this a few times before I got it right.” Question 7: Did you have any help doing this?“I asked for my friends help by telling them to not let me buy chocolate from the shops which they agreed to do as they believed this would help me.” Question 8: Did this help you?“This didn’t help as I began to ignore them and I would’ve bought whatever food I wanted from the shops anyway.” Question 9: What made you finally decide to stick to a diet?I seen a health magazine in a shop which grabbed my attention and I was impressed by all of the exercises, routines and meal plans involved. I then saw myself in a reflection in a fridge window and realised that this was not who I wanted to be. That’s when the big change began.” Question 10: Was the change of lifestyle difficult?“Yes it was very difficult at the beginning but it got easier as time went by. I always knew it would be difficult but I finally made it.”

Question 11: What would you say was the easiest part of changing your lifestyle?“I would say the easiest part was eating healthier as I enjoy trying new things and allowing new options to become available to me. I loved eating salmon, chicken, salads, fruit and vegetables which made it easier for me to enjoy healthy meals.” Question 12: What would you say was the hardest part?“I would say the hardest part for me was cutting the fatty foods out of my daily meal plan completely such as chocolate bars, crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks. This was very difficult to do but I replaced each one with another snack and beverage which made it easier to forget about the fatty foods.” Question 13: What exercises did you do when you were going through the process of losing weight?“I was doing exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and other exercises. After completing these for a few weeks I felt much more energetic and I could feel the weight coming off.” Question 14: How much weight did you lose in total over the 12 months of your lifestyle change?“In total over the 12 months I lost 6 stone.” Question 15: Would you say you’re much happier now and would you say you’re happy with the decision you made?“Yes I am much happier with how I look and I feel so much better because of it. Honestly I have to say that it was the best decision I have ever made.”

Sample of the ‘My 12 Month LIFE CHANGING Journey’ Article

SummaryIn this presentation I have found out that: The fonts used on a magazine are usually large and bold to grab the attention of the

audience. The main image is usually the main focus of the magazine which means it has to be

appropriate and pleasing to the readers eye. The colour scheme also has to be appropriate in order to make the magazine appealing to

the targeted audience. There can be multiple images on the content page. The article masthead is usually at the top of the page to grab the attention of the

audience and to engage in contact with the audience from a distance. The Health Magazines I have analysed are targeted towards men who are wanting to lose

weight, gain muscle and have a healthier lifestyle.

I am going to include all of these points in my magazine and I am going to design my magazine to the best of my ability in order to please my audience and to give my audience a fun interesting magazine which will grab their attention and visually please them from a distance. I believe my magazine will be successful as not many magazines are targeted towards male teens and I feel that there needs to be more magazines for teens in order to entertain them but also to give them more interests. I hope for my magazine to please my targeted audience and give them the motivation and advice they are looking for.