Planning Task 2 : Content Creation

In our lesson today, we went through the process of planning that has to be followed before a magazine is published.

The slides used during this lesson are below.

You will need to spend lots of time curating the content for the first two editions of your magazine which you now know will be published in January 2026 and February 2026.

TASK

Produce a post for your blog titled:

Planning Task 2 : Content Creation

In this post, provide information relating to the following 3 things:

1. How will your contents be organised into sections?
2. What will the contents featured in the contents page for each section be?
3. Which contents will you draw out to feature on the front cover as the main coverline and other coverlines?

Deadline : Friday 11th July

Planning Task 1 : My Magazine Title and Strapline

You have now finished the research phase of your NEA and will be starting the planning phase.

The first part of your planning journey is to consider the title of, and strapline for, your magazine.

Magazine title : this will be the masthead for your magazine. Most magazine titles are single words but this is not always the case.

Magazine strapline : straplines appear, conventionally, below the masthead and communicate a message about the magazine's identity. For example, the strapline for The Big Issue is 'A hand up, not a hand out'

You can look at other magazines to see how their strapline links to their brand identity.

Coming up with a magazine title and strapline can be a creative and challenging process and is not something that can just be plucked from the air.

For this task you need to take a sheet of A4 paper (or the digital equivalent) and complete a mind map of potential ideas.

It is essential that you do not show or share your initial ideas with other members of the class.

Here are some tips to help you:

1. Consider your target audience 

Consider the interests, demographics, and lifestyle of your target audience to come up with titles and straplines that resonate with them. Use your audience research to help you with this.

2. Brainstorm keywords 

Brainstorm a list of keywords related to your magazine's content, themes, and mission. Use a thesaurus to expand your list of keywords and synonyms.

These keywords could be the catalyst for potential magazine titles.

3. Use puns or wordplay if appropriate

Consider using puns or wordplay to make your magazine title more memorable and attention-grabbing.

4. Keep it simple and memorable 

Choose titles that are easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. Avoid using complex or obscure words that may be difficult for your audience to remember or understand.

Most magazine titles are 3 or less words with the majority being a single word.

When thinking of your potential strapline, keep this short and pithy too.

5. Check availability 

Before finalizing your magazine title, make sure it is not already in use by another publication.

6. Get feedback 

Get feedback from the people who assisted you with your audience research to see if your magazine title and strapline resonate with them.

Remember, a great magazine title should reflect the content and mission of your publication while also being catchy and memorable to your target audience. 

Take your time, be creative, and test out different options before settling on a name that feels right for your magazine.

TASK

Create a post for your blog titled:

Planning Task One : My Magazine Title and Strapline

In this post you need only to do the following:

1. Add your mind map of initial ideas to your post (make sure that this represents detailed evidence of your thought process)

2. Confirm the title and strapline for your magazine

Deadline : Friday 6th June

Wix Familiarisation

The purpose of this task is to ensure that you know how to use Wix in readiness for producing the website for your style magazine.

You can visit the Wix website by clicking here and then log in with your Google account.

Wix is a cloud-based website builder. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop tools and over will help you build your website without the need for any specialist knowledge of web design.

However, you need to learn how to use it.

There are a selection of links below that you can access in order to develop your knowledge and understanding of Wix.

My advice would be to sign up and create a website for yourself or for something that you are interested in. Use this to gain knowledge and understanding of how Wix works.

Do not start to try to produce your style magazine website as you will do this later.

Wix Resource 1

The video below provides a really useful introduction to Wix and walks you through how to build a basic website.

Wix Resource 2

You can access Wix's own YouTube channel by clicking here.

Wix Resource 3

WixLearn is a Wix site where you can find tutorials. Some of these are not relevant to your website design but there are still lots of other useful resources. Click here to access the site.

Research Task 7 : Target Audience

 The target audience for your music magazine and accompanying website is described as "A primarily 16–25 year old middle and up market audience of style-conscious people"

Your next research task is to conduct Target Audience Research And Analysis.

The media industry is highly competitive and all media texts are created with a target audience in mind.

If there isn’t an audience for your style magazine then it won’t be successful as a commercial media text. 

• Your magazine has to make money. If it is to make money, people will need to want to buy it.
• If you are to attract advertisers to your website, people need to visit it.

Research and Analysis

Media producers use audience research and analysis to find out as much as possible about their target audience and use that research to ensure their production will appeal to them.

Research is the process of finding information, while analysis is the process of evaluating and interpreting that information to make informed decisions.

TASK

Start by identifying a range of people from within your target audience profile.

These people must have an interest in aspects of style and must be a mix of ages (16-25) and a mix of genders.

I suggest at least 10 people. 

You need to find out what these typical members of your target audience would want to see in a new style magazine.

This could be done through interviews, questionnaires, feedback via social media channels, etc.

Questions could cover things such as, in no particular order:

• Do they buy magazines? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• Do they visit magazine websites? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• What aspects of 'style' are they most interested in?
• If a news lifestyle magazine aimed at 16-25 year olds was being published, what would they want to see in it?
• What would make them want to buy it and/or visit its website?
• How much would they be prepared to pay for a magazine?
• Are there any things that would encourage them to buy the first edition of a new style magazine?

The list above is not exhaustive - you may be able to think of other things that you would want to ask to find out further information.

After conducting your research, create a post titled:

Research Task 7 : Target Audience 

In this post, explain what you did in relation to finding out about your target audience (research) and what you learned as a result of this (analysis).

Your post could include results from questionnaires, interview questions and sample responses, etc.

Online Survey Tools

Several free online survey tools are available, offering various features and capabilities. SurveyMonkey, SurveySparrow, Typeform, Jotform, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, SurveyPlanet, and LimeSurvey are among the popular options. 

Here's a more detailed look at some of the top free tools:

• SurveyMonkey:

  Offers a free plan with basic features like survey creation, distribution, and analysis. It includes a drag-and-drop builder, AI-powered guidance, and templates. 
• Typeform:

  Known for its engaging and interactive survey experience, Typeform allows you to create visually appealing surveys and capture diverse data. 
Jotform:
Provides a drag-and-drop survey builder with various question types and templates. Jotform also offers real-time reporting and data analysis. 
Google Forms:
A simple and user-friendly option, Google Forms is part of the Google Workspace suite and is ideal for quick survey creation and data collection. 
Microsoft Forms:
Similar to Google Forms, Microsoft Forms is part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and offers basic survey, quiz, and poll creation capabilities. 
SurveySparrow:
Offers a free plan with unlimited surveys, questions, and responses. SurveySparrow also provides AI-powered survey creation and analysis. 
SurveyPlanet:
Another free tool offering unlimited surveys, questions, and responses, SurveyPlanet includes question templates and AI-powered survey design. 
LimeSurvey:
A simple and quick survey tool, LimeSurvey is suitable for students, professionals, and businesses seeking to gather insights. 

Research Task 6 : Style Magazine Websites

So far, you have undertaken research tasks which should have developed your knowledge and understanding of style magazine covers and their contents pages.

This research will be something that you will refer back to at a later stage when it comes to planning your own covers and contents pages.

The second part of your NEA will involve you having to produce the accompanying website for your Conde Nast style magazine. This will need to be made up of the homepage plus one linked page.

So, Research Task Seven asks you to undertake research into the websites that accompany the 4 magazine titles you have analysed.

Task

Visit the website for British GQ magazine. You can access this by clicking here.

1. Work your way through the homepage of the magazine's website. How is the website's homepage set out and what can a visitor to the website find?

Take some screen shots of the homepage and add these to a Powerpoint. Make some notes around the images setting out your observations about the way that the homepage is set out and what can be found by visiting it.

2. What pages are linked from the homepage via the hyperlinks at the top of the homepage? What can be found at each of these links when clicked on?

Take some screen shots of the linked pages (two should be enough) and add these to your Powerpoint. Make some notes around the images setting out your observations about what can be found by visiting these linked pages.

3. What evidence can you find of digital convergence between the website and the magazine? 

This means how do the website and the magazine work together to create a sense of brand identity?

Repeat tasks 1-3 for Tatler magazine

Repeat Tasks 1-3 for Vanity Fair Magazine

Repeat Tasks 1-3 for British Vogue magazine

Once you have completed the tasks above you should have a Powerpoint presentation which covers the websites for all four of the Conde Nast style magazines.

NOW

Create a post titled:

Research Task 6 : Style Magazine Websites

Add images of your Powerpoint slides to this post.

Research Task 5 : Style Magazine Contents Page Analysis

I have provided images of the slides shown in our lesson on Friday 4th April.

Use these to help you complete Research Task 5.

Research Task 4 : Style Magazine Front Cover Analysis

In our lesson on Friday 28th March, we started by discussing the different elements that make up the design of a conventional, mainstream magazine such as masthead, main image, main coverline, other coverlines, puff, content plugs, date line, price line, bar code, web address, etc.

We then watched a video (embedded below for you to watch again if you wish) in which Mr B. explains how to analyse a magazine front cover.

I then asked you to download and save the presentation I have added to our Teams channel. Again, I have added an image below to let you know what you should have downloaded.

This presentation has 5 slides.

Slide 1 has a title only whilst slides 2, 3, 4 and 5 have images of recent front covers of the 4 Conde Nast style magazines that you researched for Research Task 3. An example can be seen below.

On slides 2-5, you should analyse each front cover and add notes around the image accordingly. 

Top Tip: If you do a Google image search for 'magazine front cover analysis' you will find examples of how other students have done this task in the past. 

Once you have completed your annotations, you then need to go to slide 1 and add a text box in which you answer the following question:

What have you learnt about the design of style magazine front covers from your analysis of 4 Conde Nast style magazine covers?

Once all of this has been done:

1.    Take a screen shot of each of your slides.

2.    Create a blog post with the following title:

Research Task 4 : Style Magazine Front Cover Analysis

3.    Add the 5 images you have captured to your blog.

Deadline: Friday 4th April

Research Task 3 : Conde Nast Style Magazines

Your set brief tells you that you work for an independent media production company and that you have been given the task of producing the front cover and contents pages of the first two editions of a new style magazine that is being launched by Condé Nast and two pages for the working website for the magazine.

After having completed Research Task 2, you should now have an understanding of who Condé Nast are and, hopefully, the magazine brands that they currently publish.

Your next task is to conduct some independent research into existing style magazines that are published by Condé Nast.

According to their website, the following magazine titles are Conde Nast's UK brands.

"Style magazines typically have a focus on an area of style such as fashion, beauty, grooming, or interior design.  While a style magazine should have a clear focus on an area of style, they often also include content on related areas.  For example, a style magazine with a focus on fashion may also include some content on celebrity, trends, and popular culture."

You are going to  conduct some independent research into existing magazines that are published by Condé Nast which fit this definition of a 'style magazine'. 

The magazines you are going to focus on are Vogue, British GQ, Tatler and Vanity Fair.

Here is a brief overview of each magazine.

Tatler is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle classes, and people interested in relevant society events.

British GQ is a monthly men's magazine. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, celebrities' sports, technology, and books are also featured.

Arguably the world’s most influential magazine brand, Vogue UK monthly magazine is often viewed as the forerunner of fashion magazines wherever it is published in the world. Keeping an eye of the major fashion labels, Vogue will also provide the reader with high street fashion and the best in accessories. 

Vanity Fair features stunning and controversial photography, and fascinating and groundbreaking features on celebrities, fashion and current affairs. It has run some of the most notable exposés of the last 30 years, and is both artistic and intellectually satisfying, with news and interviews from celebrities but also featuring other topics of interest. 

1. Conduct your own independent research in to the 4 magazine titles above that are published by Conde Nast. Make notes and save images as you browse.

2. Create a post for your blog with the following title:

Research Task 3 : Conde Nast Style Magazines

In this post, set out what your research has told you about the 4 Conde Nast style magazines. Remember that you are interested in the UK/British versions of the magazines.

Your post should include images that help to illustrate your research.

Deadline : Friday 28th March

Research Task Two : Who are Condé Nast?

The requirements of your set brief state that:

"You work for an independent media production company. You have been given the task of producing the front cover and contents page(s) of the first two editions of a new style magazine that is being launched by Condé Nast and two pages for the working website for the magazine."

1. Use the internet to conduct some independent research into Condé Nast.

This research should include visiting the Condé Nast website as a primary source alongside other secondary sources.

Whilst conducting your research, you should make notes and save images that you feel are useful in understanding who Condé Nast are.

It should include the history of the company and, of course, information about the magazine brands that they publish.

2. Create a post on your blog with the following title:

Research Task Two : Who are Condé Nast?

3. Use your notes to write a response to the question in the post title. Your response must not include 'copy and paste' and should be a minimum of 250 words.

You can include images in your blog post. I will show you how to do this in our lesson on 7th March.

A montage of Conde Nast magazine covers

Deadline

Friday 14th March at 8:30am

Research Task One : How has the UK consumer magazine industry evolved?

 Research Task One

1. Make notes from the information found at this link to help you produce a summary of the ways in which the UK consumer magazine industry has evolved in the last twenty years.

This article comes from the Press Gazette website and was written by Aisha Majid in 2022.

2. Create a post with the following title:

Research Task One : How has the UK consumer magazine industry evolved? 

3. Use your notes to write a response to the question above. Your response must not include 'copy and paste' and should be a minimum of 250 words.

Set Brief for June 2026 Examination

OCR released the set brief for June 2026 on March 1st.

Details of this are below.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Do not reproduce an existing media product.
• Group productions are not allowed. Others may act in or appear in the production and/or may operate lighting, sound, recording or other equipment under your direction.
• Use original footage, images and/or text within your production.

Requirements of the brief

You work for an independent media production company. You have been given the task of producing the front cover and contents page(s) of the first two editions of a new style magazine* that is being launched by Condé Nast and two pages for the working website for the magazine.

Contents pages should be single pages.

The web pages must promote the new magazine to its target audience and enable fans to interact with the content.

*John Hibbert, the Subject Advisor for Media Studies, has provided the following information about what a 'style magazine' is.

"Style magazines typically have a focus on an area of style such as fashion, beauty, grooming, or interior design.  While a style magazine should have a clear focus on an area of style, they often also include content on related areas.  For example, a style magazine with a focus on fashion may also include some content on celebrity, trends, and popular culture"

Summary of brief requirements

• Statement of Intent (approx. 500 words).

• Style magazine covers and contents pages: Two pages for each of the first two editions (based on choice of single or double page spread).

• Magazine distribution method: Content must be suitable for retail distribution.

• Number of web pages: One homepage and one linked page.

• Cross media production target audience: A primarily 16–25 year old middle and up market audience of style-conscious people.

There must be a clear sense of branding across the two elements of the cross-media production.

Production detail that must be included

The production of the magazine covers and contents pages must include (as a minimum):

• At least four different main images using original photography across the magazine covers and contents pages.

• Editing of magazine covers and contents pages (including photos, text, graphics, typography and layout).

• Written text including elements such as the masthead, main coverline, other coverlines, content plugs, puffs, headlines, captions, subtitles and copy.

• Barcode, date, edition and price information on each front cover.

• A different use of mise-en-scène for each cover.

• At least two models representing at least two different social groups (e.g. as defined by age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality).

• A call to action pointing readers to the website.

The production of the web pages must include (as a minimum):

• Original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the online website.

• Use of original images. Each webpage must include at least one image that is different to those used on the other webpage and those produced for the magazine.

• Appropriate conventions of website design, including an original masthead and logo and a menu bar.

• Text introducing the main features of the magazine.

• Working links from the home page to the other page.

• A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts, backgrounds, logos, etc.) as appropriate to the purpose of the website.

The Importance of your Blog

Your blog is the record of all of the work you undertake in relation to your NEA.

This will be accessed by the moderator at the end of the course when your mark is submitted.

You will hear me use the following phrase over and over again with regard to evidence of work related to your NEA:

"If it's not on your blog, you haven't done it."

In your lesson on Friday 28th February, you will learn how to use your blog. 

This will include things such as;

• the design and layout of your blog
• how to make and edit a post, and 
• how to add a link from your blog to my blog so that you can access work that you are required to complete.