Chloe Hannah Stranger Magazine Portfolio
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University Project / Stranger Magazine
An online lifestyle magazine for girls in their teens, aimed to create a space where experiences are shared giving insight into lives of others a-like & to openly discuss issues the young demographic face. Its cause is to promote ethical consumption as well as resourcefulness within the teen market by provideing as a unique apparel exchange service.
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Swop Shop
The overall aim of this assignment is to design a magazine that differs from others currently on the market. Its purpose is to carry an original idea forward based on research to create a solution that will benefit a young demographic, as well as enlightening young people about ethical consumption and changing perceptions of the fast fashion in industry. The objectives are to create a space where experiences are share to connect with an audience, bring something new to the standard magazine structure and to outline the components, process and application of factors needed to produce a magazine.
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Observation
Exploitation and expectations of a young audience with sparse income.
Necessities
A platform to openly discuss worries and concerns. Consumers want alternative ways to purchase clothing and items without spending a sizeable amount.
Trend
Supportive platform for personal discussions and outlet for alternative shopping online experience.
Essence
Values
Personality
Action
Unique Value
Online magazine focusing on a young demographics lifestyle as well as providing a clothes swapping service.
Provides entertainment specifically catered for audience’s lifestyle and content interests. It vows to stay away from mainstream structure, promises to provide entertainment specifically focused on audience’s interests while spreading a positive message even in difficult situations, using correct tone when addressing sensitive subjects.
Brand personality has a combination of young, fun, considerate, practical, upfront, open and reassuring qualities.
Provides the audience with small articles for short attention spans, with an informal tone set throughout the site. It encourages personal unique style as well as keeping price points low.
A swapping service that provides an unlimited amount of garments available to swap, allowing a potential new wardrobe from previously owned merchandise. It promotes sustainable fashion and individuality through attire.
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Attributes Appealing, empowering, unique, innovative, sustainable and affordable.
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What’s the hardest thing to deal with during your teens? “Being individual and finding the borderline between being fashionable, being modern and mainstream, the “before it was cool” complex. If people continue to wear and buy the same things as everyone else, it looses its uniqueness and it somewhat kills the essence of why it was fashionable. Peoples fashion style should differ based on who they are, not on what is popular, it helps judge someone’s character". Niamh Do you feel like magazines create an expectation that girls your age are expected to conform by? “Yes, I do feel pressured into dressing a certain way at this age, everyone is walking around in expensive clothing. I wonder if others know that not everyone can afford these brands of clothing. I do feel self conscious that other teens will judge”. Natalia
"Encourage different ways to define your own style".
Do you think the market price range for teenagers is overpriced? “Brands, make up, band ticket websites target teens a lot but we don’t have an income yet we are expected to afford it without sponging off dad. It would be great if these companies took that into account when it comes to their pricing”. Melody
"Magazines should encourage teenagers to be different, unique and not like everyone else who’s wearing the same trend". - Sophie
Sources from a primary research survey revealed what teenage girls want to see in magazines. The survey gave an insight into the girls lives and expectancies, currently they’re aiming and achieving high, valuing themselves, realising potential plus taking time to organise themselves and their work accordingly. This observation of a mature lifestyle and attitude development, this demographic proves attitudes are changing regarding education and everyday life.
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E x p e r i m e n t a t i o n & I l l u s t r a t i o n s
Some illustrations made using a graphics tablet and others were made by outlining photographs then edited on Photoshop.
Using milk combined with drops of coloured ink created these marble effects. This process was effective and created visuals suitable for backgrounds. Screen printing also worked well, two designs were exposed onto the screen then printed using colours similar to the palette.
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strangermagazine.com Swap Shop Homepage
The Homepage features a price range slide bar meaning the user can define their price range. A search bar when looking for specific items can be used. A description of what the application is and how to use it. To v i e w d e t a i l s o f a p r o d u c t h o v e r o v e r t h e i m a g e a n d d e t a i l s w i l l a p p e a r a l o n g w i t h t h e u s e r, t h e i t e m , i t s o r i g i n a l r e t a i l e r, p r i c e a n d s w a p p e r s price bracket.When a user swaps an item with another user the exchange will be confirmed via email. The annual fee of 15.00 will cover delivery c o s t s t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r. U s e r s w i l l r e - c e i v e packaging and address stickers once an order is confirmed.
Product
An online lifestyle magazine that provides a relatable, positive and empowering online retreat from the day-to-day pressures of teen life, with a contemporary narrative discussing real issues surrounding growing up. The magazine brings innovation to the market by adding a swapping platform in magazine format. Its purpose is to provide an alternative to spending with limited allowance, yet fulfils the desire to shop regularly. This content promotes ethical consumption and slow fashion, by encouraging buying classic investment pieces for quality and longevity, reducing damage to the environment and supporting a fair, ethical slow production system. The site is simple to navigate around teamed with a minimal aesthetic and layout.
Price
As the magazine is online the price of domain name strangermagazie.co.uk is an estimated ÂŁ6 price per annum. Consumers must have a subscription of ÂŁ15.00 per annum (to cover postal service costs) to access in the Swap Shop feature.
Place
Stranger Magazine is based online reaching a worldwide audience, the Swap Shop application will be UK only initially to avoid worldwide shipping..
Promotion
To launch a new digital magazine in the market a promotional strategy is needed to generate attention to the site. Firstly, promoting the site through social media in preparation to the launch creates an online presence and community. With a direct link on socials, this directs traffic to the site.
Process
The process the consumer encounters when first accessing the site will be the homepage, where links to pages from home, about, issues, articles, tutorials to Swap Shop are displayed. In order to make exchanges the user must select Swap Shop to log in; providing their delivery and e-mail address. Once logged in they upload photos of items they wish to swap, fill in garment details and indicate the price category they are willing to accept. Successful swappers will be e-mailed to confirm their order, then delivery bags and address stickers are sent to relative addresses.
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Swop Shop
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Online magazine & Swop Shop
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Online magazine & Swop Shop
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Online magazine & Swop Shop
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Online magazine & Swop Shop
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Magazine & Swap Shop
Magazine & Swop Shop
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These logos were designed using Illustrator, I used colours similar to the palette but added some bolder colours to capture attention. I also focused on deciding on the title of the magazine and font type beforehand using TypeKit and dafont. This helped grasp an idea of what kind of font would be suitable, something bold and minimal but explains what to expect from the magazine. Stranger was the most fitting title due to the magazines known focus of uniting readers and turning strangers into more.
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A quote from my fifteen-year-old sister when being interviewed. The remark was made by a teacher at her school, I found my sisters answer aligned with the personality of the brand, having a positive, sassy attitude. Designed on Photoshop and Illustrator then placed in InDesign.
Discussing sensitive subjects was an aim of the magazine, to talk openly about past experiences was another. Interviewing a friend about her personal experience with an ex is a fitting subject relating to the ethos of the brand and is a common issue among teens.
As suggested in the previous presentation, touching on consumer behaviour in terms of educating a young demographic of how fashion is affecting the planet. The article contains facts about the fast fashion industry and how they impacted lives, the environment and waste.
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Pinpointing an individual consumer by a pen portrait home in on what type of person would be interested in the content of the magazine. Amelia is an 18-year-old girl living in Bristol, currently in college studying graphic design as well as working on weekends as a waitress earning £2,000 per annum. She balances her workload and job well, also known for having an intelligent and outgoing personality while emitting a casual, basic, 90s inspired aesthetic sticking to a neutral colour palate with some statement, vibrant pieces in her wardrobe. She is interested in creative subjects and listens to an array of music genres.Valuing personal style over trend is a trait which adds to her individuality. She is inspired by her nature, fashion culture, photography, astrology, books, films, artists and her friends. She emits a mature attitude for her age but expresses a young, exciting and interesting personality with quirks. She appears open, individual and lucid in encounters, judging her character as down to earth, spontaneous, supportive and has a positive outlook. Occasionally she attends activist protests for enjoyment and fulfilment. Her conscious consumer behaviour reveals she’s particular about how and what her money is spent on. This individual wears brands including a mixture of basics and modern classics from H&M conscious collection, American apparel and vintage stores. Her lifestyle consists of meeting up with friends, interacting with them through social media and being online regularly, reading fashion lifestyle magazines such as Dazed,Wonderland and Garage, attending music events in the area, trying new food and taking in culture of placed visited. She likes to explore and indulge in culture, enjoys eating healthy food.
Political
The distribution of items from the Swap Shop section will be run on user’s subscription of £15.00 will cover postage. Once two users have confirmed a swap a postage bag will be send to the opposing address of the users. Once the bags and stickers have been received the users must post their item with a stamp to deliver it to their swappers address. This distribution method will take place in the UK.
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Economic
Experie nce
Social
Technological
Current prices of domain names will be paid annually to keep the magazine available to access. A factor effecting the Swap Shop exchange are the current postage prices in the UK.
Being online effects society by encouraging virtual reading rather than physically reading, therefore interacting online causes viewers to spend more time on the internet. ‘Social media has continued to become more visual with pictures and video becoming more important. Networks are starting to provide consumer with ways to buy directly on social channels, integrating commerce in a much more successful way.’ - www2.deloitte.com/ uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/ retail-trends-2016.html Social media will be an important factor advertising the site and generating a base. ‘The subscription model is changing consumers’ approach to ownership – for younger shoppers in particular, attitudes towards owning things are changing, and a significant number say they are interested in renting clothes and other products from high street brands’. - https://www2.deloitte.com/ uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/ retail-trends-2016.html This developing lifestyle trend for the young demographic will impact the magazine in a positive way due to this change in consumer behaviour, young consumers are becoming interested in renting or wanting inexpensive clothes.
View the magazine is free globally, to engage in the Swap Shop exchange component there is a subscription fee of £15.00 per annum for the Swap Shop service.
Users will need to provide information of their e-mail address and delivery address when engaging with the Swap Shop. The need for this information, processing and confirmation of swapping data management will be gathered, for distribution purposes. ‘Crowdsourcing is helping to make delivery cheaper providing new services that tap into a freelance workforce or make use of journeys consumers are already making. Retailers are offering ever-quicker deliveries – as little as an hour for many.’ - https://www2.deloitte. com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/ articles/retail-trends-2016.html This applies to the postage and delivery service utilising cost effective cheaper rates.
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The market segment is the shared characteristic of magazines aiming and appealing to a young demographic. Stranger brings a new approach to understanding the needs, lifestyles and personality of the consumer therefore solving the underlying issue of lack of disposable income available to adolescents.
Strengths
A unique clothes swapping platform that differentiates itself from opposing magazines and websites. Being based online reaches a wider audience and content is available to the masses. Magazine content is regularly posted as well as a consistent flow of new items being added on the Swap Shop. Content relating to consumer catering to the gap in the market for affordable shopping while consuming ethically and sustainably. Inside knowledge of target markets wants from primary research. Promotes empowerment among young individuals, body positivity, slow fashion, sustainability and eco friendly solutions.
Opportunities
Demand for affordable ethical fashion; the rise of ethical consumption has grown due to environmental issues the planet is facing. The growing trend of subscriptions over owning is an advantage for the swapping platform, appealing to a young demographic.
Weaknesses
Targeting an impressionable young audience means being cautious about what content is discussed. The magazine is niche; therefore, it doesn't appeal to everyone. Some consumers wouldn't feel comfortable with previously owned clothes. Distribution of clothing will not apply outside of the UK.
Threats
Launching a magazine into the market will face overpowering competition, as well as needing to generate a base. Consumer attention is split between popular brands, usually towards well known brands.
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Run by a teenage blogger, due to her age she has a better understanding of audiences concerns being in that position herself. Visually pleasing with a strong appeal to their audience’s taste. Promotes body positivity for girls along with covering race, age, and class authenticity. Collaborative articles with celebrities of similar age range such as Willow Smith, Lorde and Emma Watson drives their website activity following this strategy of celebrity advertising. The exclusivity of annual yearbooks creates a desire for print, however having an online version filters towards their market by being online. Converting content to physical form, yearbooks increase sales due to demand for printed additions.
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Selling to clothing and lifestyle stores is a great platform to expand your market and increase the publicity, image and reputation of the brand. Clothing stores with gift, home and lifestyle sections in store such as Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Forever 21, book shops and exhibitions are all potential spaces to sell. Hosting several events in cities across the US ranging from zine-making workshops, reading and signings to dance parties are actively promoting the brands philosophy. Events across countries in future would reach out to global markets.
Yearbooks could be viewed as a weakness due to their annual release, high demand for physical products rather than just being an online presence is likely within their market.
Further collaborations with young celebrities with reach to a wider audience and increase attention and custom from social media coverage.
Being a niche brand comes with not being of interest to all, and meeting the consumer’s tastes will not appeal to everyone.
Threats
Many publications targeting this market cover similar themes and play on similar aesthetics due to past success in attracting their target market in this approachable way, making competition fierce. Clothing stores with gift, home and lifestyle sections in store are affecting customer’s decision to purchase due to the array of products available.
Based on many factors Stranger’s strongest competitor is popular online magazine Rookie; it too focuses on subjects impacting the lives of teens. Rookie presents areas of interest regarding fashion, pop culture music, photography, feminism, promoting designer’s collections to social issues. With regular contributions from their teenage following as well as featuring guest contributors, Rookie likes to communicate directly with their substantial following. A collective of articles, interviews, editorials, DIY tutorials, stickers and pintables combined with graphical and illustrative themes capture viewers. The website emits a distinct and recognisable aesthetic appealing to their target audience therefore catering for their common interests in a kitsch, contemporary design. It stands as a main competitor due to related brand values, personality and message. Promoting empowerment for teenage girls and providing a safe heaven for discussion. Editor Tavi has stated that its purpose is not to ‘extract pocket money’ or ‘fit the mould’ fashion wise. In terms of popularity, the magazine is a moderately popular site and one of the most popular publications for the online medium of its nature. It is one of the top competitors for similar magazines, its popularity is subsequently due to its unique selling point understanding the consumer, creating connection which has proved successful.
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The magazines target market are girls ages between 14 - 21. This is due to the content included the age range will vary based on personality, maturity, interests and values. The site is a relatable, positive and socially engaging online retreat from the day-to-day struggles and pressures of being a teen.