Making a magazine front cover 1

I chose this image due to the texture behind the wall and the composition of the photo. The model looks happy and contempt with herself which is what I wanted her to look like when taking the photo. I wanted the model to portray these traits as she represents how a model student is supposed to be which reflects the genre. This image will appeal to the target audience of 16-25 years old as she is an attractive young model who is a college student, which many people in the target audience will identify with. I chose a bold font style in 'Rockwell extra bold' as i thought it worked nicely against her bold look and the textured background. I used a mixture of reds, yellows and blacks to grab the audiences attention. The red was used to highlight the most important features of the magazine such as the plug and the exclusive interview. The yellow was used to highlight the interview points which the target audience may be interested in and the black highlights some of the models key points of the interview. I chose to include an interview as many students would like to know how to manage their time efficiently while also keeping their social life. The plug was used to further encourage the target audience to buy the magazine by offering them a free item they wouldn't obtain anywhere else.
The masthead would appeal to the target audience as it is not harsh in font and it is quite big. This would appeal to them as 'Lifestyle' is a topic the target audience would be interested in. I included a circle puff around the plug to highlight the importance of it. I used red to do this as it is a striking colour which catches the audiences attention. I think the size of the puff works well on the magazine as it doesn't cover the model and it is just big enough to grab attention.
I think i have created brand identity through synergy as the red and yellow work nicely together through contrast. If I was to only use red for the synergy it would of looked too violent so the yellow tones the colour down slightly which creates a good balance throughout the magazine. If I was to keep using the synergy it would definitely create a brand identity. The use of media language helps create representations. Buzz words such as 'free' and 'exclusive' further grab the attention of the target audience. This links into the representation of teenagers as they like to hear about gossip and they don't have much money so they would appreciate free add on's.
When I create products for my 03/04 production I would do everything I have already done as well as adding more pugs such as bar codes to create a more authentic magazine cover. I would also make sure the text is all level to make the cover look professional.