Magazine Cover/Contents/DPS

AnalysisOliver Brayshaw

Date & Price: This is a common convention to have the date and price in the bottom corner. It is written in a small font so it doesn’t dissuade a potential customer.

Images: This image uses direct address through some of the band members looking into the camera; this creates a sense of interaction with the audience. Julian is in the foreground, highlighting his importance in the image, the fact that he is looking wide of the camera, gives the impression that he is wise and in deep thought. With Julian Casablancas on the front, the magazine appeals to people who are interested in him and his music. This also increases the status of the magazine with large feature artists.

Masthead: The font is Gotham Ultra, which is bold, along with the white text which stands out on the red background, this draws the reader’s attention to the magazine’s name. This also makes it easily recognisable, creating brand awareness. The capitals of ‘NME’ give a sense of authority to the masthead.

Barcode: A convention to have the barcode in the bottom corner.

Layout: Most of the space is filled with text and images. The faces on the image are not covered by anything to allow for direct address.

Sub-Heading: The text includes the name of “Liam” and the band “Beady Eye”, these are large names in the music industry, intriguing potential readers to buy the edition.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine.

Images: Direct Address is present with all of the people on the cover, in the main image and the smaller image (plug) in the top right corner. The featured band, The Libertines, are well-known in the music industry, making the magazine appealing to more people, this also increases the status of the magazine. The main image is in the foreground, covering part of the ‘Q’, this suggests that the artists are of high importance and it looks as though the magazine respects the band.

Masthead: The font used for the ‘Q’ makes it look intricate and professional, suggesting that the magazine is fairly formal for a music magazine.

Sub-Heading: This cover has various sub-headings that take the form of plugs; they include the music industry’s well-known names such as Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. These names are representative of pop music, whereas, The Libertines represent alternative rock, this gives this issue of Q magazine a wider potential market.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine.

Plug: This plug includes an image of the band ‘The Jam’ and a subheading suggesting that the three featured people will reveal something. ‘New Interviews!’ and ‘Unseen Photos!’ are buzzwords to draw in readers and make them feel as though they are consuming exclusive information.

Date & Price: As is common with magazines, the date and price is in the bottom corner. It is written in a small font so it doesn’t dissuade a potential customer.Barcode: Allows the consumer

to purchase the magazine.

Masthead: The font is rough, which could represent the grungy music style the magazine is famous for featuring. The black and white colours are a contrast to the busy reds and yellows on the cover, this could be to draw a consumer towards the featured stories as soon as they look at it.

Images: Direct Address is used to connect to the audience and make them feel as though they are being invited to read the magazine. The image of Haley Williams, a well-known singer in the punk/rock music scene, is used to appeal to listeners of this style of music, it also increases the status of the magazine with large feature artists.

Buzzwords: The use of the word “Exclusive!” will interest readers who want to find out more about the artist, this exclusivity can give the reader the feeling that they are of importance.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine.

Columns: There are three main columns in this contents page, with one column dividing into two, with a list of bands.

Fonts: The font sizes vary depending on the hierarchy of topic significance, for example, the main headings are in a larger font, with the sub-headings in a smaller font. Also the headings are highlighted black and in a white font, this makes it stand out, this makes for easier navigation for the reader, so they can find the articles that might interest them.

Image: The only image in the contents page is of a featured artist. This will draw the readers attention to the article, exposing the artist to a wider audience.

Text: The text is kept to a minimum in the first column, this means that nothing is revealed so the consumer must find the article and read it. This also keeps the reader’s attention as they are not having to process too much text, it makes their navigation easier.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine. This correlates to the cover, creating a brand identity.

Numbers: The page numbers are written next to the main headings for easy navigation.

Fonts: The font sizes vary depending on the significance, for example, the main headings, such as “also in this issue”, are in a larger font, with the sub-headings/the artists’ names in a smaller font. This makes the articles’ topics obvious, meaning easier navigation for the reader, so they can find the artists that interest them.

Numbers: The page numbers are written next to the main headings for easy navigation.

Composition: The colours on this contents page consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine. This correlates to the cover, creating a brand identity.

Layout: There is no consistent structure to this contents page. You have to separate the two pages for the page numbers to be in order.

Image: Each heading is accompanied by a relevant image, almost all of the images use direct address to grab the reader’s attention.

Text: Each heading is followed by a brief synopsis of the article, not too much is revealed so the consumer must find the article and read it. This also keeps the reader’s attention as they are not having to process too much text. It makes their navigation easier.

Fonts: The font sizes vary depending on the significance, for example, the main headings, such as “REVIEWS”, are in a larger, bolder font. The sub-headings, such as “On the Cover” and the artists’ names are in a smaller font; this makes the articles’ topics obvious, meaning easier navigation for the reader, so they can find the artists that interest them.

Column: There is one column on this contents page, acting as a list which is, for the majority, in chronological order. This makes it easier for the reader to navigate the magazine.

Image: The main image uses direct address to grab the reader’s attention and engage them. The first picture in the column features a major artist, making the magazine look credible and exclusive. The last picture gives an insight into what the reader might expect from that section of the magazine.

Text: Each heading is followed by a list of what will feature in the articles, nothing is revealed so the consumer must find the article and read it. This also keeps the reader’s attention as they are not having to process too much text. It makes their navigation easier.

Numbers: The page numbers are written next to the artists’ names for easy navigation.

Composition: The colours on this contents page consist of red, white, yellow and black which are consistent with the cover, creating a strong brand identity.

Colour: The colours are all mild and easy on the eye, this makes it easier to read without being distracted by harsh contrasts and bright colours.

Point of Focus: The author makes the letter form of the ‘S’ large, this is to attract the reader’s attention to the beginning of the article. The start of the text is not in the top left, which would make the beginning obvious, but because it resides below an image, the letter form indicates where to start.

Balance: Around 80% text to 20% image.

White Space: There is little white space on this double paged spread, however, an effective use of it is the border between image and text. The white space is minimal, but clearly separates the text and images. This is also evident with the separation between paragraphs.

Images: The images in this article don’t have borders, this makes them seem to fit in with the text, it allows the reader to look at the images while reading without having to cross over a border. This is also achieved through cropping images to fit around the text and not the other way around.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of red, white and blue; this symbolises the British nature and culture of this magazine. This correlates to the cover, creating a brand identity.

Point of Focus: The author makes the letter form of ’Into The Wild’ large, this is to attract the reader’s attention to the beginning of the article. This also means that the first thing the reader sees after the image, is the artist’s name, exposing the artist to a larger audience.

White Space: There is white space surrounding the title, ‘Into the Wild’; this makes tells the reader who the article is about and also exposes the artist’s name. There is also the effective use of white space between image and text. The white space is minimal, but clearly separates the text and images.

This is also evident with the separation between paragraphs.

Balance: Around 50% text to 50% image.

Image: The main image takes up the centre of the double page spread, making it the first thing scene by the reader, making the artist identifiable.

Point of Focus: The author makes the letter form of ‘The Big Story’ large, this is to attract the reader’s attention if they are flicking through the magazine. The questions in the article are written in a bolder font, making them easily distinguishable, so a reader can look for the questions/answers they are interested in.

White Space: The white space in the photograph is used to place a quote, this means less of the page is wasted and also brings the reader’s attention to it. Other than this, the white space is minimal, wasting no space on the page.

Composition: The colours on this cover consist of yellow, black and white; this correlates to the cover, creating a strong and recognisable brand identity.

Balance: Around 50% text to 50% image.

Images: The images are relevant and add context to the text in the article; they work to tell a story with what is written. All of the images feature the artist, making them identifiable to the reader, while also showing their personality.