Research-Target Audience
1/27
Target Audience VS Target Market






Fitness Lifestyle
I have conducted some background research. All fitness lifestyle magazines have four main components, the first one is they all have the physical activity section. In this section they provide basic "structured" workouts, they usually we go over cardio, strength training and flexibility. The next one they always have is nutrition, they focus on the saying "food is fuel". They write about healthy balanced meals like protein and carbs to maximize your workout. The third core component is recovery time, a basic fitness lifestyle prioritizes 8-10 hours of rest, making you are ready to crush your workout. Lastly, the focus on mental health, your body is only as strong as your mind. They include stress-relief techniques like mediation and journaling.



FASHION



TRAVEL
My second topic that I decided to explore is Travel. It is recommended to focus on the specifics, even though there is a lot to talk about in a certain travel destination like Paris, if you list a lot of general information it can scare off the reader, it you must identify a niche. You will need to come up with unique angles for articles and coverlines. Unlike fashion there is not constant new fashion trends, for a travel magazine you really need to deep dive and to be able to hook your reader. I have decided to look specifically at Traveler Magazine.
The photo chosen for the cover is always a breathtaking photo of nature with little to no distractions. (people) The cover is very minimal, the fonts are very thin and gives off an inviting feeling. I have also been noticing a lot of these magazine do not have any puffs or banners. The cover is meant to get a relax vibe like the one you would get on vacation.


The content inside of the magazines usually includes travel tips like (where to get the best hotel) (what to avoid well visiting) (what to pack), as well as culture and cuisine. These types of magazines are usually VERY detailed, they list of a lot of what seems irrelevant information. Overall I like this genre and is one my top choices.
Like I did for fashion I decided to research continuity between every travel magazine. One big example of this is through the theme, most travel magazines choose a very similar message to convey. For example they choose adventure, culture or relaxation. They do this to promote mental well being and the humans natural desire to travel. Another common continuity is "show us don't tell us". This is where magazines this is the KEY into getting people off the coach and on the way to the airport. Instead of doing a basic boring long article, designers will use beautiful nature photos to sensory detail and use specific moments to let the reader imagine if they were really there.
FITNESS
The third topic I would like to explore is Fitness. I feel like this one of the less popular genre so I could have a niche perspective. On the front there is always a person who is very in shape and healthy. Unlike fashion or travel magazines the cover is very crowed with puffs and coverlines. There are banners everywhere, overall a lot of information on the cover. On almost every fitness magazine I have looked at there is a positive quote or phrase written somewhere, I really like this contribution it makes it feel genuine to the reader.
Most of the magazines that I looked over had the same couple of topics: nutrition advice, workout routines and expert reviews. Another similarly between all Fitness magazines are there seasonal cycles, for example depending on what season you are in, the editor will add seasonal motivation "New Year, New Me" and "Summer Shred" this is meant to match readers lifestyles and is a successful sales tactic. The last continuity I researched and explored was the visual style used on covers. For example bold headlines they used make the magazine easily identified as fitness. Next is quick consumption, easy to read tricks for weight loss and easy to make meals.
Overall I really like how these covers are NOT minimalist they are fun and engaging to readers.
I am unsure if I 100% like this genre I really like the creative freedom that it gives me there are so many possibilities.
SOURCES
MAGAZINE COVER CONVENTION
11/14
Our learning of magazine conventions was pretty simple and easy to understand. We were given a paper cutout at the door, which was a practice magazine with arrows pointing to certain wording and visual elements. Then, as a class, we went over the vocabulary and learned things like coverlines, masthead, and direct address. After finishing the vocabulary, we then filled in the corresponding vocabulary term for the element on the magazine cover. Personally, I really liked how we were given a fill-in chart. I feel like it made it easier to understand and helps to identify.
I knew right away that for my assignment, I wanted to do some kind of travel magazine, mostly because I love traveling and have lots of cool photos of the world. Honestly, it was pretty difficult to decide on a photo just because I had so many to choose from. I was going back and forth between a photo I had taken from the Eiffel Tower and a photo of this amazing food I had (which would have made it a food magazine), but I ended up choosing the Eiffel Tower because I liked the dark, strong background the photo had. My magazine cover contributes to the genre because it is a photo taken from one of the most beautiful vacation spots, which many Americans aspire to visit.
I used a variety of magazine conventions, I used: 3 coverlines, a feature article, a puff, and a banner. I made sure that all coverlines had to do something with traveling, for example, I did "How to Avoid Scams" and "Eat and Drink Like a Parisian." I used the puff to create a circle where inside it says "Win a Trip Pour Deux." I wanted to use "Pour Deux" instead of "For two" because I wanted to create the illusion that they were already there, and also to use diversity of wording on the cover, the readers' eyes immediately go there because it's words they are unfimialr with. I color-picked the Eiffel Tower, and it gave me this really pretty glowing yellow/orange. I used that color on words I wanted to EMPHASE. I think it's a good way to add diversity to the cover.
Next, I plan to use the "file" "open" method instead of dragging it onto the screen, that way I save myself time and do not have to deal with a pixellated photo. I think I am better at doing design than editing video, so I plan on doing a magazine cover, and learning InDesign was super helpful.