CCR #1 (Draft)

Creative Critical Reflection #1 Draft:

1.) How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

      My product follows many of the conventions used for magazines, the first of which being a large, bold and dominating masthead. This convention is seen in many well-known magazines such as Vogue, Vanity fair, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar.

Another convention that my magazine follows is editing the masthead behind the model's head. This is very commonly done by very popular magazines with very well-known names. I mirrored these conventions within my own work because I wanted my magazine to feel chic and professional. I based my basic design off that of Paper magazine, which has a bold, striking and easily recognizable design for their covers.

 Another common theme among the magazines listed is the usage of a color scheme. Aside from a bold, striking and easily recognizable cover, Paper magazine also makes use of simplistic color palettes, which give the magazines a nicer, more pleasant overall aesthetic- essentially making them easier and more pleasant to look at than a magazine with the entire color spectrum on it. The usage of a color palette also makes magazines look more refined and professional, and creates a central point of focus that entices the reader to want to read more and ultimately buy an issue of the magazine that they're looking at.

My magazine also follows conventions by including a synopsis for each article on my table of contents. The synopsis is usually one or two sentences long, and in a smaller text underneath the main title. Here are examples from Elle Magazine and Marie Claire:

Also shown in the above examples is the next convention, which is scattered images on the table of contents that provide even more insight into what the featured articles are about.  This convention is displayed at the bottom of my own magazine's table of contents:

In the example from my magazine, you an also see how I have listed a synopsis under my featured article's title. In the lower left corner I have a picture with the model featured on the cover, which is also a common convention in fashion magazines. Usually, the models featured on the cover of the magazine are referred to in an image larger than the rest with a small caption underneath that gives the name of the model and the page he/she is featured or interviewed on. 

Another way in which my magazine follows conventions is through the pullout quote. The pullout quote is a quote from an interview that is singled out, made larger and positioned in a way that marks its significance. Here is an example from Vogue magazine UK, where Emma Watson is being interviewed.

My magazine employs the convention of a pullout quote as well, placing it in the center of the magazine article's page:

I decided to use the pullout quote to bring the reader's focus to the center of the page. I chose to do so because I feel that it adds spice and variety to what the reader is looking at, and because the specific quote chosen best vocalizes the core message of the interview and  model's beliefs.

 The conventions employed throughout my magazine represent social groups and issues by reaching out to my target audience, which are lower to upper middle class women of all races and education statuses aged 18-50 years old. (Younger Millennials to older Gen Z).  This is done through our usage of a bold masthead that gives our magazine a sleek and luxurious feeling to it that middle class women typically enjoy.