Focus Group Analysis

I started my focus group of by saying.. Hi, my name is Shauna, this is my focus group for a pop magazine. I have got two representatives that fit the ideal target audience.

My two representatives are in the higher end of my target audiences, as they are both 16 years old.

Front Cover QuestionsI asked six questions regarding the two girls opinions on two different front covers.

The first question I asked was “what do you like about these front covers?” the first thing one of the girls said was that they are “bold and exciting”, this could be in relation to the layout, font and colour scheme indicating that they are important factors to consider when making a front cover, as they have to be physically attractive in order for someone to purchase the magazine.

The next question I asked was “do you like the colour scheme?” it was said that the one on the right looked more “exciting” (Top of the Pops) showing that because the colours are bright and attention grabbing. This is a convention of pop magazines in itself, and the two girls illustrated that bright colours are popular with young girls and this should be taken into consideration when creating my own music magazine.

The third question I asked was “what other artists would you expect to see?” The artist names I got back was “Taylor Swift and The Saturdays”– female artists the girls can look up to and aspire to be like. This shows that the expect to see a mixed genre on the front of a magazine and should keep this in mind when taking my photos.

Front Cover

The fifth question I asked was “which one is your favourite?” both of them said Top of the Pops. This gives me an idea of what type of cover my target audience like, so I should take this into consideration when making my own front cover.

The last question I ask regarding these two front covers were “which one would you be more inclined to buy?” they both said Top of the Pops.

Throughout these questions it is clear to say that the Top of the Pops front cover was the girls favourite. I am going to look further into the presentation of Top of the Pops front cover layout and conventions and apply it to my own as I know my target audience like it.

The forth I asked was “how would you improve them?” one girl said that she would put more images, in order to see who is going to be inside of the magazine, rather than just writing the artist names.

Contents Page Analysis

I asked four questions regarding these two contents pages, asking the two girls their opinions.

The first question I asked about these two contents pages was “what do you like about these content pages?” the response I got for the Top of the Pops contents page was that it had arrows pointing to the front cover, which was something that my target audience liked.

The second question I asked was “what layout do you prefer?” The Top of the Pops contents page is the one that they preferred because of the simple layout and the idea that it is grouped into different categories making it easier to find relating articles. I agreed with this and have to decided I am going to follow a similar style when it comes to making my own contents page.

The third question I asked was “how would you improve them?” ways to improve the contents page could be to “add more pictures” which is something I need to remember as contents pages are conventionally 50/50 regarding image and text - this was about the Top of the Pops contents page. As for the We Love Pop contents page, the audience said it should be more clear, as the layout is quite confusing.

And lastly I asked “which one is your favourite?” there decisions were still split when it came to answering the question - informing me that perhaps either style will be success if I use something similar with my own contents page.

This was the first double page spread I showed the girls, I asked them three questions related to this double page specifically.

The first question I asked was “what do you think about this double page spread?” comments such as the “pictures stand out” were made. This shows that the layout of the article is enticing as the first thing you would see when opening this page would be the images. Allowing the audience to be aware of the artist in the article before they read anything.

The second question I asked was “what do you like about it?” the girls mainly liked the layout of the article. In the sense that it is question and answer, instead of an article about the artists, you get to know them more and get the feel that it is actually them talking.

The third question I asked was “do you think the colours of this represent the pop genre?” they both agreed that they was.

Double Page Spread Analysis

Double Page Spread Analysis

This is the second double page spread I showed the girls, I asked them two questions relating to this double page spread specifically.

The first question I asked them was “what do you think about this double page spread?” the images are “big” and therefore “close up” making it feel more personal for the audience.

The second question I asked was “do you prefer the layout of this one or the other one?” both girls agreed the other one. Suggesting that when making my double page spread the question and answer layout would be more appealing to my target audience.

Overall Conclusion

By conducting a focus group I will able to retrieve vital information of of my ideal target audience. This was important for me as I can take on board their feedback and apply it to my own work.