To create a women's magazine that can be considered feminist and appeals to a wide selection of women. To choose content that will educate and inspire women in a positive way, rather than focusing on vanity issues such as the other available magazines for the target audience do. (18-25 females)
The brief will run alongside my dissertation question, which is:
Can women’s magazines, focusing on the case study of Cosmopolitan (UK edition), ever be considered feminist?
This brief would therefore be a research brief, but would allow me to concentrate on improving my publishing & editorial skills.
Background / Considerations
What is feminism? And how can a magazine be considered feminist?
How does feminism effect the design decisions I will make?
How many units and what would the budget be?
Where would the magazine be available to purchase and how would it be promoted?
Mandatory Requirements
The magazine must be able to be considered feminist.
The magazine must be affordable and accessible. (This may effect design decisions)
The magazine must be designed and containing content to appeal to the target audience.
The magazine should be tested by the target audience and research done to see if it has achieved its targets.
Deliverables
To design and print a first issue of a women's magazine.
To consider how this magazine would be promoted.
To plan ideas for possible future issues.
Deadline
This will be decided at a later date, but I am considering this brief for my final major project.
_______________________
Rationale
What is the problem you intend to solve?
I intend to... (inform/instruct/persuade/direct/educate/promote to)
- I intend to persuade women to buy this magazine over its competitors, which focus on vanity issues and lowering women's confidence in order for them to buy the beauty products it advertises.
- I intend to educate women about topical issues with relevance, rather than focusing on celebrity affairs/ what men want, as other magazines do.
- I intend to create a magazine which women can enjoy.
- I intend to educate women about topical issues with relevance, rather than focusing on celebrity affairs/ what men want, as other magazines do.
- I intend to create a magazine which women can enjoy.
Who needs to know?
A group of... (identify your specific audience or context)
- The target audience will be the same target audience that other magazines with opposing intentions (Such as cosmopolitan, more, glamour etc) are aimed at. This is 18-25 females, particularly students and those just starting out with their careers.
What do they need to know?
That... (state your message, idea or concept)
- They need to know that they should be allowed to feel confident with their body, fashion sense, life choices etc without having to live up to the 'ideal' woman presented in magazines
Why do they need to know?
- There are many other magazines out there for the target audience that are lowering their confidence, and patronising their intelligence, so they need a magazine that makes a change from this
What will they respond to?
In order to achieve this I will produce... (specify at this point in time what you aim to produce, the method of delivery/distribution/the context in which it will be viewed)
Producing a printed magazine which can be considered feminist, but that appeals to a wide audience of women.
Producing a printed magazine which can be considered feminist, but that appeals to a wide audience of women.
This will be produced using... (at least two print processes you intend to use)
The magazine would be produced in large quantities, so litho printing would be best, but stock and definite printing processes will be considered later on in the project when exact numbers are known.
The magazine would be produced in large quantities, so litho printing would be best, but stock and definite printing processes will be considered later on in the project when exact numbers are known.
What research is required?
Primary
- I should gain an understanding of what it means for a magazine to be feminist, by talking to feminist women
- I should gather evidence of what women (not necessarily women who consider themselves to be feminist) would want in a magazine, so that this magazine is appealing to the target audience
Secondary
- I will need to research magazine design to gain inspiration to create an attention grabbing editorial
- I will need to research existing magazines aimed at the target audience to see what they include and what should be changed
- I will need to research existing magazines aimed at the target audience to see what they include and what should be changed
