Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was first proposed in 1943 regarding phsychology. It was implemented in a paper of A Theory of Human Motivation. Magazines and other forms of media text use this in order to appeal towards the audience.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was first proposed in 1943 regarding phsychology. It was implemented in a paper of A Theory of Human Motivation. Magazines and other forms of media text use this in order to appeal towards the audience.
School Music Magazine - Front Cover, Contents & Evaluation
The task we were set was to create a magazine front cover for a high school or college. The magazine front cover’s main image had to be a medium shot.
When planning my magazine front cover I had to consider the different types of magazines I could create. If I was to narrow the magazine down and make it specific for a certain year group, aspects of the front cover would change such as the main image, symbolism, typography and a host of other things would determine the effect my magazine front cover would have on the audience.
I decided to create a sixth form magazine. I chose this because it is a specific age group and also will have more specific symbolism; and will require different typography etc. as opposed to a magazine aiming at a younger audience, which will, for example, have more ‘laid back’ fonts used. Furthermore, I wanted to go for a more ‘mature’ approach, and a sixth form magazine would allow me to do so due to the difference between compulsory education and voluntary.
My target audience is irrevocably sixth form students. I then decided to aim it more towards females. I looked to achieve this by initially selecting a female model. This is going to immediately allow females to find common ground with the model in the magazine, making it more appealing to them rather then males. I then thought by finding a nice subtle blend between the colours throughout the front cover, and also not using any fonts or colours too boisterous or exiting with could represent males. But, I didn’t want to completely eliminate the idea of the magazine appealing to men, so I selected quite neutral colours that do not bare connotations specific to gender.
The main image consists of my model standing upright holding a concoction in a test tube over a Bunsen burner. Her eyes are focused on the task at hand. I felt that the use of lenses and colouring would be essential in my cover. I decided to use a lens which had specific focus. As you can see, the camera is focusing on the model, but the background and the Bunsen burner are out of focus. This is to suggest that the model is the focal point of the image. The mode of address shows the model looking away from the audience. This emphasises the importance the student has towards her work. This is an indexical sign, suggesting that the magazine is a more mature magazine – linking with the adult outlook of sixth form life. Moreover, the fire is symbolic. It signifies awareness and brightness, portraying the magazine as being understanding and easy to understand.
I chose my model for the main image due to the hair colour, and I asked her if she could include orange or yellow into her outfit. This is because I decided to use a Bunsen burner flame in my image, which was to be very significant in my image. I did this because the warm colours which are so similar, (orange and yellow,) have connotations of warmth, and are very inviting; thus, making my magazine seem warm and inviting.
The initial image I took had poor lighting, and this made it look quite yellow. So, I used Adobe Lightroom 4 as my processing software as I think it is the best software. I began by increasing the general brightness. I did this because white is a polysemic sign. It has connotations of happiness, which would make my model seem like she is in a happy environment, consequently making sixth form magazine seem happy and enjoyable. But, it also suggests that the model is in a professional environment, as you immediately establish she is doing a science experiment, and you most likely will establish science with white; due to the idea of a white lab coat, for example. This way, my magazine will be portrayed as being professional and top of the range. I also severely reduced the clarity in order to get a blend between things that lie nearer or closer away. To finish I sharpened it more in order to still maintain the contrast between the in focus and out of focus objects and persons. Doing this also acted like a simplified airbrush, but only to a certain degree.
The name of my magazine is called ‘Advance.’ I chose this because ‘A-Level’ is an abbreviation of ‘Advanced Level.’ This bares an encoded meaning, and is also polysemic. You could interpret it as the magazine being advanced, and, therefore, better than others. You could also link it with A-Levels and immediately establish it is a school magazine for A-Level students. And, in order to make this stand out, the colouring is black due to the contrast between that and the bright background. I then used a simplistic font in order to portray the magazine being straightforward. I also implemented spaces between each character in order to make the masthead spread across the top without having to increase the font and taking up too much of the main image and overtaking the lures too much. Finally, I added an underlining in order to show its importance.
My slogan states ‘One step ahead...’ This links with the masthead because when you advance you are essentially ahead. This just reiterates the fact that the magazine is of quality. I chose to put this in black also so it is easily identified with the masthead. But with this I chose a script font. I did this to create a range of fonts to make it seem more interesting, but mainly to add subtlety to the front cover.
The typography of my cover lines uses simple fonts and simple colours. I did my cover lines in gold. I did this because it blends very nicely with the colour scheme of the front cover, but also because the main connotations of gold you establish are quality. The fact you are reading what the contents of the magazine are in gold you will think that everything written inside are of quality, and this will definitely appeal to my target audience. For this I used a simple font so I can use a range of fonts but without it looking to overcomplicated and overwhelmed. I placed it in italics so it would like quite slick, making it look quite modern, showing the audience it is up to date. The cover lines are also placed very close to the main image so when you notice the model, you inevitably read the cover lines and see what’s inside. Furthermore, I added a headline in the same font and colour but in a bigger font and it is underlined, so it immediately catches your eye.
I added a lure which is a free disc and placed this on the front. The free gift will entice the audience and make them feel they are getting something they aren’t paying for. I placed this in black as it is very striking in comparison to the bright background, so you automatically see it. Again, I put this in a simplistic font so the front cover wasn’t overwhelmed and the italics to keep it the whole page flowing.
The strap line at the bottom of the page is another slogan, but it does not link with any other text on the front cover. It is directly speaking to the audience, making it personal to them. The word ‘you’ will make them feel a sense of importance, making it more appealing. I put this in white, as it is completely different to any other colour used for wording on the page. This way it sticks out, so if it is the first thing people see they will feel it is a good magazine. I used the same font as I did for the masthead and put spaces between the characters to give it a sense of importance, but it clearly isn’t as important as it is at the bottom of page and has slightly smaller font size.
The magazine has used Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in order to appeal to the target audience. The way it is a young, attractive young girl makes it very relatable as she looks like a friendly girl who is approachable. It gives a sense of safety because it is giving you help towards school. Self esteem is introduced because since it is an attractive young girl on the cover at school, and she is relatable to other girls in sixth form. This will give my target audience a sense of self satisfaction and comfort. It deals with social needs as since she looks like an approachable young girl, you feel reliability with her, thus, making you feel a part of her social group. It deals with the basic psychological needs of a human being because she looks healthy and happy, which are basically the essentials of life. Finally, it promotes self actualization because the magazine is giving you the opportunity to achieve, and if this magazine is saying it can gain you success you are going to want it.
The contents page I kept simple. I dark, bold grey border around the text just to make it interesting, but at the same time simple. The ‘box’ effect is modern and attractive, further promoting the magazine’s up to date look. The font is the same as the slogan at the top of the front cover. I used this as it is too attractive, and the script gives it a handwritten effect, making it link more with school life.
When planning my magazine front cover I had to consider the different types of magazines I could create. If I was to narrow the magazine down and make it specific for a certain year group, aspects of the front cover would change such as the main image, symbolism, typography and a host of other things would determine the effect my magazine front cover would have on the audience.
I decided to create a sixth form magazine. I chose this because it is a specific age group and also will have more specific symbolism; and will require different typography etc. as opposed to a magazine aiming at a younger audience, which will, for example, have more ‘laid back’ fonts used. Furthermore, I wanted to go for a more ‘mature’ approach, and a sixth form magazine would allow me to do so due to the difference between compulsory education and voluntary.
My target audience is irrevocably sixth form students. I then decided to aim it more towards females. I looked to achieve this by initially selecting a female model. This is going to immediately allow females to find common ground with the model in the magazine, making it more appealing to them rather then males. I then thought by finding a nice subtle blend between the colours throughout the front cover, and also not using any fonts or colours too boisterous or exiting with could represent males. But, I didn’t want to completely eliminate the idea of the magazine appealing to men, so I selected quite neutral colours that do not bare connotations specific to gender.
The main image consists of my model standing upright holding a concoction in a test tube over a Bunsen burner. Her eyes are focused on the task at hand. I felt that the use of lenses and colouring would be essential in my cover. I decided to use a lens which had specific focus. As you can see, the camera is focusing on the model, but the background and the Bunsen burner are out of focus. This is to suggest that the model is the focal point of the image. The mode of address shows the model looking away from the audience. This emphasises the importance the student has towards her work. This is an indexical sign, suggesting that the magazine is a more mature magazine – linking with the adult outlook of sixth form life. Moreover, the fire is symbolic. It signifies awareness and brightness, portraying the magazine as being understanding and easy to understand.
I chose my model for the main image due to the hair colour, and I asked her if she could include orange or yellow into her outfit. This is because I decided to use a Bunsen burner flame in my image, which was to be very significant in my image. I did this because the warm colours which are so similar, (orange and yellow,) have connotations of warmth, and are very inviting; thus, making my magazine seem warm and inviting.
The initial image I took had poor lighting, and this made it look quite yellow. So, I used Adobe Lightroom 4 as my processing software as I think it is the best software. I began by increasing the general brightness. I did this because white is a polysemic sign. It has connotations of happiness, which would make my model seem like she is in a happy environment, consequently making sixth form magazine seem happy and enjoyable. But, it also suggests that the model is in a professional environment, as you immediately establish she is doing a science experiment, and you most likely will establish science with white; due to the idea of a white lab coat, for example. This way, my magazine will be portrayed as being professional and top of the range. I also severely reduced the clarity in order to get a blend between things that lie nearer or closer away. To finish I sharpened it more in order to still maintain the contrast between the in focus and out of focus objects and persons. Doing this also acted like a simplified airbrush, but only to a certain degree.
The name of my magazine is called ‘Advance.’ I chose this because ‘A-Level’ is an abbreviation of ‘Advanced Level.’ This bares an encoded meaning, and is also polysemic. You could interpret it as the magazine being advanced, and, therefore, better than others. You could also link it with A-Levels and immediately establish it is a school magazine for A-Level students. And, in order to make this stand out, the colouring is black due to the contrast between that and the bright background. I then used a simplistic font in order to portray the magazine being straightforward. I also implemented spaces between each character in order to make the masthead spread across the top without having to increase the font and taking up too much of the main image and overtaking the lures too much. Finally, I added an underlining in order to show its importance.
My slogan states ‘One step ahead...’ This links with the masthead because when you advance you are essentially ahead. This just reiterates the fact that the magazine is of quality. I chose to put this in black also so it is easily identified with the masthead. But with this I chose a script font. I did this to create a range of fonts to make it seem more interesting, but mainly to add subtlety to the front cover.
The typography of my cover lines uses simple fonts and simple colours. I did my cover lines in gold. I did this because it blends very nicely with the colour scheme of the front cover, but also because the main connotations of gold you establish are quality. The fact you are reading what the contents of the magazine are in gold you will think that everything written inside are of quality, and this will definitely appeal to my target audience. For this I used a simple font so I can use a range of fonts but without it looking to overcomplicated and overwhelmed. I placed it in italics so it would like quite slick, making it look quite modern, showing the audience it is up to date. The cover lines are also placed very close to the main image so when you notice the model, you inevitably read the cover lines and see what’s inside. Furthermore, I added a headline in the same font and colour but in a bigger font and it is underlined, so it immediately catches your eye.
I added a lure which is a free disc and placed this on the front. The free gift will entice the audience and make them feel they are getting something they aren’t paying for. I placed this in black as it is very striking in comparison to the bright background, so you automatically see it. Again, I put this in a simplistic font so the front cover wasn’t overwhelmed and the italics to keep it the whole page flowing.
The strap line at the bottom of the page is another slogan, but it does not link with any other text on the front cover. It is directly speaking to the audience, making it personal to them. The word ‘you’ will make them feel a sense of importance, making it more appealing. I put this in white, as it is completely different to any other colour used for wording on the page. This way it sticks out, so if it is the first thing people see they will feel it is a good magazine. I used the same font as I did for the masthead and put spaces between the characters to give it a sense of importance, but it clearly isn’t as important as it is at the bottom of page and has slightly smaller font size.
The magazine has used Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in order to appeal to the target audience. The way it is a young, attractive young girl makes it very relatable as she looks like a friendly girl who is approachable. It gives a sense of safety because it is giving you help towards school. Self esteem is introduced because since it is an attractive young girl on the cover at school, and she is relatable to other girls in sixth form. This will give my target audience a sense of self satisfaction and comfort. It deals with social needs as since she looks like an approachable young girl, you feel reliability with her, thus, making you feel a part of her social group. It deals with the basic psychological needs of a human being because she looks healthy and happy, which are basically the essentials of life. Finally, it promotes self actualization because the magazine is giving you the opportunity to achieve, and if this magazine is saying it can gain you success you are going to want it.
The contents page I kept simple. I dark, bold grey border around the text just to make it interesting, but at the same time simple. The ‘box’ effect is modern and attractive, further promoting the magazine’s up to date look. The font is the same as the slogan at the top of the front cover. I used this as it is too attractive, and the script gives it a handwritten effect, making it link more with school life.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Media
Hello, I'm Joe. I took media at GCSE and managed to get a grade A. This strongly encouraged me to take it at A-level. It is a very enjoyable subject and you can gain a lot from it. The analysing of text is very interesting, and I thrive on the challanges that the subject holds.
I consider myself to be very capable when using photoshop, and I think it is also very fun when editing and experimenting with the software. Also, I have a great passion for music. Playing the guitar and having studied music technology for GCSE and now taking it for A-level, I feel that knowing about music will help me during the course.
Looking towards the future I would consider studying media at university. However, this would entirely depend on the grade I come out with at the end of the course. But, I hope to do well over the next to years and enjoy studying the subject at the same time.
I consider myself to be very capable when using photoshop, and I think it is also very fun when editing and experimenting with the software. Also, I have a great passion for music. Playing the guitar and having studied music technology for GCSE and now taking it for A-level, I feel that knowing about music will help me during the course.
Looking towards the future I would consider studying media at university. However, this would entirely depend on the grade I come out with at the end of the course. But, I hope to do well over the next to years and enjoy studying the subject at the same time.
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