Final Magazine Analysis

Luke Tanner

Front Cover

The central image plays a huge part in the front cover; I originally intended to use an image of a group, but due to problems with the photos I took I found that they became too pixelated after being fitted to the size I wanted. So I opted for the best quality picture of one person which could be manipulated well and decided to focus on that image as a basis for the rest of the magazine, I would have liked to have the model holding eye contact to create a more personal link with the audience but it was the most appropriate image. The model in the central image is also within the categorise for my target audience which would appeal more personally to them, hopefully making them want to read the magazine.

The colour scheme of the front cover have only 3-4 base colours and are maintained throughout the magazine; I mainly used darker colours such as red and black as they are associated as more appealing to males which will appeal to my target audience, but the white contrasts against the darker colours in order to make text stand out and easy to read in areas like the masthead, buffs, anchorage text and the title.

The advertisement on the cover is used to grab the audience's attention and draw them in, using the buzz word "Inside!" to initially grab that attention.

The graphics feature of the rewind symbol is used as the magazine's logo which clearly links to the name; this will make the magazine immediately recognisable at a glance. The price of the magazine itself is clearly displayed to appeal to the target audience, acting as a lure to purchase the magazine.

As for the text itself, the fonts are all simple and clear which are always contrasted to the background colour in order to make it easy to read. Larger more bold fonts are used for things such as the masthead, titles and anchorage text to catch the audience's eye because they are more important features of the cover.

The overall layout of the front cover is clear, neat and well-spaced to make each feature distinguishable and aesthetically pleasing. The banner at the bottom of the page is also used as a lure because it advertises further interesting topics inside the magazine which will make the audience wish to find out about those topics.

Layering was used for the headline to place it at the front of the page, to emphasise the importance of it and of course to address the target audience.

Contents Page

The colour scheme of the contents page is the same as used in the front cover to maintain continuity, used for the same reasons to appeal to the male target audience and also to contrast with each other distinguishing each feature and the text making it easy to read.

The masthead is the same text as the masthead for the front cover and magazine name again to maintain continuity, the font is also large and clear to make it easy to read for the audience but also to clearly label the page.

Sub-headings are used on the left side to categorise the articles in the magazine and make it simple to navigate and locate specific articles. The articles under those sub-headings have titles and are clearly labelled with page numbers in a larger, brighter font which is again used for simple navigation and reading.

The images on the page (especially the main image) are use as lures for more interesting articles in the magazine which is used to encourage to audience to read further in order to find out about those articles. The main image also has a puff with a small explanation layered over it in a contrasting text for easy reading; this gives some insight into the article encouraging the audience to read it.

The offer advertisement is also used as a lure; advertising a prize and a discount for the magazine should appeal greatly to the target audience as money may be an issue for them.

Just like the front cover of the magazine, the contents page has a simple but effective layout used in conjunction with the colour scheme in order to distinguish each feature on the page, emphasising the most important features with layering and fonts.

Double Page Spread

The masthead of the double page spread is again the same font as the other mastheads in the magazine, used to maintain continuity. The masthead head is also a clear large font in contrast with the background colour making it easy to read and emphasises the fact of its importance.

The article itself is about a musical artist within the categories of the target audience, which is used to appeal to them as they can relate to the article. The text used in the article is a simple, clear font which colours contrast with the background in order for easy reading.

The main image on the right page is of the band which hare featured in the article, the image is used for aesthetics purposes but also cleverly used to break up the double spread in order to save space and avoid cluttering the layout. With text layered over the image related to it, the audience can learn more about the subject of the article.

Just like the rest of the magazine the layout of the double page spread is quite clear, simple and spacious; this is used to emphasise each feature making them easy to see. The layout is quite symmetrical which adds to this design feature.

Important quotes are highlighted and layered over the rest of the page, they are used as lures which will encourage the audience to read further and find out why these quotes are important.

A design feature of the page is the section in the right corner showing the band and their roles in the band itself, again used as a lure to encourage the audience to read further through curiosity.