Industrial Context

 Brief timeline of magazines 

1600s – The first magazine, Erbauliche Monaths Unterredungen, was published in Germany in 1663.

1700s – Magazines became more popular, with The Gentleman’s Magazine in England and the first U.S. magazines launching in the mid 40s

1800s – Magazines grow even more, with famous ones like The Saturday Evening Post and National Geographic (1888) launching.

1900s – The “Golden Age” of magazines; major titles like TIME (1923), Playboy (1953), and People (1974) debut and we start truly seeing the uprise of magazines and hem being a weekly purchase for many individuals 

1980s-1990s – Digital magazines begin; Word, launched in 1993, becomes the first online magazine, opening the market up to a whole new audience an also helping to deal with the technological convergence that was happening at the time.

2000s-Present – Many print magazines decline as digital takes over, with some going fully online but, those that are still around from early on still have popularity with celebrities being featured  on the main front covers. eg. Harry Styles on  the cover of Vogue. He is a very current  figure that most of the target audience would recognise, helping a company such as Vogue to continue getting revenue. 

Generic Research and inspirations

Researching Condé Nast brands such as Glamour has provided valuable insight into high-end editorial design, branding, and audience engagement. Glamour is known for its bold yet sophisticated layouts, striking imagery, and a strong balance between fashion, beauty, and cultural commentary. The magazine effectively uses typography, color schemes, and photography to create a visually compelling and cohesive identity that appeals to its target audience. When creating my own magazine, I will take inspiration from Glamour by incorporating dynamic layouts, eye-catching cover designs, and a strong editorial voice that resonates with my chosen demographic. Additionally, I will study how Condé Nast publications structure their content, using engaging headlines and high-quality visuals to maintain reader interest and create a polished, professional look.

One of the pages i like on Glamours web page is this article called 

                            6 people who found love without dating apps share how they did it

followed by this photo as the main image: 

I like this picture as i feel it resonates with the target audience as this particular style is very popular at the moment. It is something i am looking forward to recreating in my own magazine/ website.

I looked at some other Condé Nast front covers that I would like to take inspiration from multiple eras, ranging from 1940s editions to current editions. Looking at how they have changed has helped give an insight into how as society has changes, brands identity has changes to fit with the social context of the time. Some examples include: 

 

Audience research- focus group

 PRIMARY AUDIENCE 

Subject 1:

My first subject is Liv. She fits my target demographic as she is a 19 year old uni student, part of the ABC1 audience and has an aesthetically pleasing life and an interest in higher end fashion, which can be seen in her own style. She is a creative individual who spends her free time reading and spending time with her friends, who also all fit this target demographic. Liv has a noticeable online presence, this is possibly a result uprise of social media that has happened in her childhood, as Instagram was created in 2010 the platform grew the more she did, leaving Instagram as her go to social media app. 

Subject 2: 

My second subject is Gracie. Gracie is 16 years old and also part of the ABC1 audience. She is interesting in fashion and lifestyle which is something that my magazine will cover. In addition she is currently a reader of Vogue and Glamour, both of which are Condé Nast magazines- further fitting my target audience. 

Subject 3:

My third subject is Loren, she is 24 years old and currently spends her time travelling. Along with travelling Loren has a presence on social media, regularly posting her recent travels and events with friends. She is a very fashionable individual and i believe her style to be influenced by the current trends in the media, making her an ideal reader of my magazine. She is also part of the later end of the age range making my magazine open to more people from the 16-25 age range.   

Audience research- average reader profile

 candidate name: ALICE TRAYNOR

candidate number: 2170

centre number: 16607

Audience research:

Primarily 15-25 year old middle market and up market audience of style conscious people.

—> usually a reader of other Condé Nast magazines such as Vogue and GQ

reader profile:   

NEA magazine brief

 

Shelter advert analysis

 Shelter advert analysis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr7Y-ddGzew

The advert depicts a little girl doing good dees for the purpose of getting her wish fulfilled to Father Christmas. At th end of the video it is revealed the girls Christmas wish was to have a proper home and Shelter reinforces that no child should have to wish of a home. 

I chose this advert as it is shown through the eyes of the little girl and causes us- the audience- to empathise with people that are in this situation. 

The act of helping others, like the girl did in the video, presents the idea of altruism. As the girl is doing all she can she is helping others but in reality she is the one that needs help and Shelter is trying to get children like her the help they need. 

Upside down triangle