My magazine cover uses a variety of conventions so that it follows what is expected of a typical magazine. For example, it has a masthead directly at the top so that you know what the name of the magazine is, and a skyline above the masthead which promotes the magazine in a good light. It also has cover lines to show snippets of what is inside the magazine and most importantly a main image that relates to what the magazine is about in the specific issue - so in this case a student because its a student magazine.
My magazine represents different social groups due to the fact nothing is being specified in terms of who it's aimed at apart from the fact it's for sixth formers. Other than that it has a a wide range of pictures that consists of all sorts of people interacting, therefore representing all sorts of social groups instead of just one in particular.
I think the type of media institution that would distribute my magazine would be one that specialises in school magazines. For example, the SPC (School Publications Company) would probably consider my magazine as I have made sure that it has everything that is looked for in a school magazine and more. They are probably looking for new and well put magazines to publish and I feel that my magazine meet that criteria.
As I've mentioned before, the audience for my magazine is sixth formers. I've made this clear through the conventions on my magazine cover. The name of the magazine is 'iStudent' and since the 'i' stands for independent. I feel this is a good way to reach out to my target audience because then sixth formers are going to relate to the fact that they are now independent learners. Also, the cover lines consist of things that sixth formers are going to see as interesting or helpful. One of my cover lines promotes a double page spread on a sixth formers journey through to A2, and I'm sure sixth formers would like know what happened because then they will feel that they can relate to any struggles along the way or just out of pure curiosity as to how some else's sixth form years went.
Looking back on the preliminary task, I feel I have learned a number of things. One of the main things being how to go about designing the front of my magazine cover. Throughout the weeks I've learned exactly where to place things on the page and about colour scheme and typography. During of the early weeks of being set the task, I wasn't sure on where to place things and I had a very vague idea of what I wanted but had no idea of how it was going to be created as the end result. Though as the weeks have gone by I have managed to learn skills that have produced the end result of my magazine cover.
