Here I have asked three people from my target audince to evaluate my magazine and pick out the good and not so good points. I used females and a male to give a fair view from both genders

1. Front cover<br />Jade Weedon (20): <br />Overall I like the look of Amy’s magazine front cover. This is for a number of reasons, one is the use of colour. I love the dark purple as it is bold and dramatic. This would make me more inclined to have a closer look at the magazine. I think the name of the magazine is ironic because ‘UP BEAT’ is linked to music and is a very appropriate choice of title. I like the fact it is in the same colour and large to draw attention to it. I think the image of the artist is good because it looks professional and the way she is posing is good. I like the way she is dragging the guitar behind her and looking at the camera because it makes her look important. The text on the side is good because it tells you what is in the magazine which I like to read. However I think the price is in a small font and is difficult to see. When I look at magazines I want to know the price straight away. I am not too keen on the ‘Katie’ text on the wall as it is a little off putting. If Amy was to improve the magazine I would suggest making the price larger and using more text to show what is inside the magazine.<br />Katie Robb (15):<br />I like Amy’s magazine front cover because it looks interesting. I like the text along the top in a purple box because it instantly grabs my attention, I like how an article title is shown in it. I particularly like the ‘Katie’ text because it stands out and I look at it straight away. This then makes me look at the rest of the magazine. I like the colour it is as it makes it stand out. I like the title ‘UP BEAT’ because it stands out and sounds like a real music magazine. The purple colour is good because it stands out and is bold, it catches my attention straight away. I like the image because it is the whole background of the front cover which is good. I like the artist because her pose looks domineering and important. She looks like a real artist. However I do not like the way there is grass poking up from the ground as it ruins the look. I also think the price is too small and should be bigger.<br />Todd Ashton (17):<br />When I first look at the front cover the thing that stands out is ‘Katie’. It looks good because it is in a graffiti style so it looks trendy, it stands out grabbing my attention leading to me looking at the rest of the magazine. One big thing I like about the front cover is the title, I think it is very appropriate to use as ‘UP BEAT’ is linked with music. I like the use of text at the side because it tells you what is inside the magazine. I like to read this because this is the part that determines whether to buy the magazine. I like the text at the top in a purple box because it stands out and most professional magazines have this therefore good for Amy. However I think more could be used as only a little information is given. I think the price should be made larger as it is very small. I also think it should be moved to a different position so I’ll see it straight away.<br />Double Page Spread<br />Jade Weedon (20):<br />Overall I like Amy’s double page spread for ‘UP BEAT’. First of all I like the way the title is spread across two pages, I find that is grabs my attention because it is unusual. It is very large and bold creating a dramatic impact which looks good. I like the way the actual article is on purple boxes, this makes it stand out looks interesting. When I was reading the article I found the use of bold very effective as it breaks up the interviewer and interviewees responses. I think the images are good because the background has been taken away, I like the image of the artist sitting down looking at the camera. However I do not like the way the pull quote is positioned, when I looked at the draft I told Amy to move the position of the quote. However now it does not stand out. To improve I think Amy should put it on top of a purple box to keep it the same.<br />Katie Robb (15):<br />One thing I like about Amy’s double page spread is the background, I love the bricks because it looks trendy and fun. I haven’t seen this style in magazines and I really like it. I like the way the title goes across the page, it looks good and grabs you attention. I like the way the magazine is consistent because the purple has been used throughout. I like the use of the pull quote because it is interesting however it does not stand out, it is in a plain white and against the background is dull. I think Amy should put it in a purple box like the rest to make it stand out. I like the images because the background has been cut away, this first of all makes it stand out and second of all it looks professional. <br />Todd Ashton (17):<br />I like Amy’s double page spread because it looks good. I think the overall look is dramatic and looks trendy. I like the use of the purple boxes because it stands out and makes you want to read the article. When reading the article I found the bold font useful as it splits up the speeches. I like the fact the article is an interview because they are what I like to read. I think the overall look of the double page spread is good because it looks professional. This is because the images are cut so there is no background. the interview is also set out in a standard way. I like the page numbers in the corner because they are big and bold. This is good because when flicking through a magazine the page numbers need to be big. However one not so good point is the pull quote, it does not stand out. I think Amy should change this because I like to read the pull quote as it is a personal touch.<br />Contents Page<br />Jade Weedon (20):<br />I like Amy’s Contents page for many reasons. One is the fact it looks similar to the front cover, the same background is used which is really good. I can see the same font has been used too, this makes it look professional. I like the use of images because it gives a visual insight into what is in the magazine, I find that this makes it look a lot more interesting and doesn’t look boring. I think another good thing is the editor’s note, I like this because it adds a personal touch to the magazine, I personally enjoy reading this. I like the block purple boxes because it looks dramatic and stands out attracting my attention. However Amy has not placed page numbers on the images to give reference to the corresponding article. I think if Amy was to improve the contents page she should do this. I also think the image of the girl needs some text on it to tell the reader what it is about. <br />Katie Robb (15):<br />I really like Amy’s contents page for ‘UP BEAT’. I like the images used because it tells you what is inside the magazine which is a very good aspect. However they do not have page numbers on them so you do not know what page the article is on. Amy should change this if she wants to improve. I like the editor’s note as well because I enjoy reading them, I think it makes the magazine seem less formal which is good for me. I think the way the actual contents is split up into categories such as ‘reviews, interviews and features’ is good because it is easy to find a certain article. For me I like reading interviews so I can quickly look at the section. I think the text next to the images is good because it really stands out grabbing your attention. This then makes me want to read it.<br />Todd Ashton (17):<br />Amy’s contents page for ‘UP BEAT’ is good. The editor’s note is good because it makes the contents page look better and more fun. I think this is a good point as most people like to read them. I particularly like the actual contents and how it is split up into sections. This is a very good thing because it makes it much easier to find something to read. Another thing I like is how the background of the bricks is used again this makes it look professional. Finally I like the images because it tells you what is inside the magazine, this is one thing I like to see in contents pages. However no page numbers are shown which isn’t a good thing, if Amy was to improve she should change this.<br />