School Magazine First Draft

This is our first draft of our magazine HGS Uncovered.

We decided at first to just experiment with certain fonts and pictures to see what we could come up with.
We settled on using one picture as a stable background for the front cover with relating information around it. In this case, the image is representative of the fact that there are 'New Clubs for All Years'.
This shows the type of content that would be included in a school magazine.
My criticisms of the page would be that it looks too cluttered and some of the font is difficult to read.
For our next draft, we need to arrange the logos and text better, while also looking at making the magazine look more professional with a proper masthead and information.

Names for our School Magazine

eXtra curricular

Lifting the Lid

HGS Uncovered

After a few discussions, my partner and I decided to narrow down a list of possible names to just three and see which name best fitted the style of a school magazine.
First of all we felt that 'eXtra curricular' was more reminiscent of a name for a gossip magazine, which ours is not. We settled on HGS Uncovered for several reasons, the first being that it retains the formality of the school (HGS), but also shows a more relaxed tone, which should encourage kids to pick up and read.

Who Co-ordinates/Edits the articles?

The articles will be co-ordinated and edited by the Editor, in a school magazine this could be a range of different people from a teacher to an elder pupil, and this is because it requires responsibility as you have to select which articles should go in the magazine, while also editing the articles for any mistakes or misleading information.

Who Writes the Articles?

In a school magazine, the articles are predominantly written by students of the school who have a particular interest in journalism, with the teachers or elder students acting as editors.
The writing style is usually very casual and relaxed, but will have a formal layout and use standard english.

Who are the Audience/Consumers?

For a School Magazine, the audience/consumer is the pupils or parents of that school.
Therefore, when designing the magazine we need to be conscious of the language and content included as we want to be able to fit our magazine to the target audience.
Our main target audience will be 12-16 year olds, as they are the main proportion of the school and are more likely to be affected by activities and events in the school.

What Type of Articles go into a School Magazine?

A school magazine’s primary function is to relay information on up and coming events and the school itself. For example, Hitchin Boys’ School releases a magazine at the end of every term, featuring various articles that relate specifically to the school and the pupils of the school.

Typically, articles in a school magazine will be very formal, with a standard use of English and no popular terms or colloquialisms. Also, the articles in the magazine will be predominantly read by the pupils aged 12-16, therefore the information and language used in the magazine will be aimed at this age group.

Design of Magazine front cover.

Before I start the design of my front cover, i need to take into account several issues:
1. What Type of Articles go into a School Magazine?
2. Who are the Audience/Consumers?
3. Who Writes the Articles?
4. Who Co-ordinates/Edits the articles?