Preliminary Task - Research and Planning


In this section, you will document the research, planning, construction and evaluation of your Preliminary Task - the creation of a School Magazine

Look at the Assessment Criteria PLC to see how you will be marked.  The yellow section of the PLC indicates the research and planning element, the blue section indicates the construction element and the green section, indicates the evaluative element.  QWC is vitally important in every area of your work also.




1. Research and Planning - Existing Product Research
Include 3 annotated existing school/college magazine covers and contents pages in your Planning and Research Section as an example of secondary research – ensure that you use appropriate media language.  Think about how you can display this research creatively using digital technology.

Detail 3 options for the main image on the front cover


Write the text for 4 cover lines/articles you may be including on the front cover.


Draft a rough, hand drawn or sketched flat plan of the cover and contents page (flat plans)



Scan in and upload this initial planning onto your Blog.




2. Research and Planning - Audience Research


Question a range of people about the product that you will be creating.

How could you determine what your target audience wants?

Design a 10 question Qualitative and Quantitative Questionnaire: (student questionnaire/Survey Monkey/Audience Focus Groups.  Examples below)

1.   Identify and record (with justification in your Blog) the target audience of School/College Magazines (pupils/students, parents and guardians, local employers and businesses).

2.   Ensure the questionnaire has a visually interesting design and does not use a pre existing template (try and avoid using Word).
3.   Include open and closed questions e.g. closed = “how many times a year do you think a school/college magazine should be published?” Open = “comment on my front cover images, what does it tell you about the college?”
4.   Submit electronically via social network links your early sketches and ideas (link your Blog to Facebook etc.), plus your Questionnaire - send to a sample 10 of your target audience as evidence of primary research.
5.   Collate the responses on your Blog.
6.   Analyse the results graphically using a graph on Excel for quantitative responses and as a summary paragraph for qualitative results (350 words).
7.   Include one blank Questionnaire in your Blog.

3. Research and Planning - Pre-Production


1.   Draft 3 alternative titles for a new school/college magazine.





Exemplar Flat plans:



Created a 'mock up' design using found images:














1 comment:

  1. I really like your front cover. It is clear and not too busy. The main image is relevant and a good mid shot. You also use a number or recognised codes and conventions such as a Pug, barcode, Anchorage text and punctuation for meaning.

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