Conventions

Conventions

Conventions are features we would typically expect to see in a media product. *********** For example, in magazines the conventions we would typically see can include; images, headlines and mastheads. Every genre of media products has its own individual conventions. As I am making my own charity website at the end of the year, I need to consider which conventions I will use and which I will subvert to make my product seem original.

After conducting lots of research and looking at lots of charity websites I have decided that there are pros and cons to using and subverting conventions. By subverting conventions you can attract a larger audience as you can easily make your product appear unique and original.  This can also be risky as sometimes a lack of conventions can make a product seem odd and hard to understand.  Conventions are also closely linked to making a product seem professional.

In my opinion, I will be best using and then subverting some conventions. I hope this mix will make my finished website seem both professional and creative.

 The conventions most commonly associated with websites are;

1. The name of the website- the name of the website is important as it shows the audience they are in the right place as well as identifying the website.
2. Text- this is important as it can educate/ inform the audience. This relates to the Uses and Gratifications theory proposed by Blummer and Katz, their aim was to find why people found appeal to media content. One of the reasons they suggested was that media content can educate us.
3. The navigation bar- the navigation bar is important as it’s a common convention within websites. The navigation bar is useful and helps the user find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently.
4. Hyperlinks- hyperlinks are links that allow you to be directed to different websites related to the same topic.
5. Videos- videos on websites can make them more educational and personal. By putting them on a website it can appeal to more people rather than just reading text.
6. Adverts of other famous people- these can be included on websites to draw an audience in to seem inspirational to get a bigger target audience.
7. Message boards or comment sections- this convention is used for socialisation purposes. Being able to socialise can encourage a wider target audience as the audience can talk with others about the selected topic.
8. Social media icons- these are included so that the audience can ‘like’, ‘share’ or ‘tweet’ things like pictures, videos or articles with their friends.
9. Images- images are used on websites as it can help the audience identify themselves as well as making the website more attractive.
10. Very little space is left blank on web pages as it can be off putting and look plain. If a website doesn’t look interesting it may put people off.