Market Research

Magazine Analysis

Date and PriceThe Date and Price are positioned in a small white barcode

box in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This common feature tends to be used in all magazines. The date is to indicate to the reader, especially in cases when buying

a magazine of a shelf how new the issue is. The price is positioned in an area in which attention won’t be drawn to

it, this may be so the price does not deter the customer from purchasing the magazine. The size and subtly of the box is to fill the front cover with more features which will

persuade a customer to buy the magazine.

Sub Heading and Sub ImageThe sub heading is positioned in a banner across the top of the front page. ‘YEAH YEAH YEAHS + THE SROKES’ gives the audience an indication as to which artists are going to be featured in the issue. This links to the simplicity of the masthead title as the sub heading is very straightforward. This represents the readers of NME, they understand what the magazine is about therefore no over the top sub heading is used. A black background of the banner compared to the bright yellow of the text draws focus and attention due to the high contrast of the colours. The text underneath the sub heading ‘NEW YORK’S FINEST: BACK FROM THE DEAD!’ and the ‘+’ symbol are featured in white. This is the classic high contrast colour pairing and draws more attention than the use of the yellow text, which persuades the reader to read the full banner and emphasises how much the issue contains due to the attention drawn to the ‘+’ symbol. The sub images both feature the colour red, which ties the cover together. The images themselves are very simplistic and relate to the straight forwardness of the sub heading.

MastheadThe masthead displays the NME title in a classic font, similar to Franklin

Gothic Heavy. The font is heavy, strong and clear. The font and title is easily recognisable whenever it is seen, on a shelf or on a laptop/tablet/phone spread. The boldness of the title is featured in a classic red colour. The simplicity of the 3 letter masthead provides a classic trademark which is easily comprehensible for buyers. The idea of an unknown to many title ‘NME’ may intrigue buyers to purchase or even look into what the magazine itself is about and what it represents. The red font represents strength and power, which due to the 74% male readership is an intense colour a male audience will be drawn to. Even though the emotions the colour red connotes, it isn’t necessarily stereotypically tied to a specific gender, such as pink being drawn to females and blue being drawn to males. This shows the masthead can attract both genders due to its vagueness in a gender stereotype.

DiversityNME shows its diversity on this front cover by featuring very contrasting artists. The mentioned artists in this magazine include; Mick Jagger, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Dave Grohl and Foals. This suggests NME is a brand which offers something to everyone, which persuades the reader to buy the issue rather than featuring 2 or 3 artists of the same genre.

Cover LinesThese cover lines feature two different styles of writing. A more feminine writing style is featured in the words ‘Starring’ and ‘More’. This signifies and is very similar to a handwriting style, which again shows NME’s personal interaction with the reader.

PlugThis plug is positioned in a simple white ring around the text. The plug contains a controversial quote from Mick Jagger. The white ring draws attention inside the circle to make this magazine feature known to the reader. This quote also draws focus on the NME Awards, which gives an indication to the NME reader that they are getting as much ‘NME’ features in the magazine.

Exclusive to the issue / Buzz Word‘DAVE GROHL’S NEW BAND’… indicates this is something the reader does not yet know and they will be receiving an exclusive from NME

Main Image and HeadlineThese two features show how NME works as a brand to personally connect with the readers. The main image shows the 5 Foals members staring towards the reader. This provides a very intimate relationship with the reader and also implies honesty, especially from Foals, suggesting NME has respect and honesty from their artists. The centre of the main image shows a member of Foals offering bones to the camera. ‘FOALS, get close to the bone’ located in white contrasting text under the main headline draws emphasis on the story, due to the connection between the image and the headline. The main headline ‘TO MAKE THIS RECORD, THINGS HAD TO BE KILLED’ uses a pull quote. This quote has been pulled from Foals’ main NME interview. This again indicates to the personal relationship with NME and their readers. It shows simplicity and that they don’t go over the top coming up with catchy headlines to impress the reader. The main headline is presented in capitals, this again draws attention to the quote and signifies how extreme the quote is, making them want to read the full interview. ‘Get close to the bone’ can also encourage readers to buy the issue even not knowing who Foals are, as it indicates this interview will provide them with everything they need to know about them and they won’t miss out by not knowing who Foals are.

BrandingThe branding used on this cover page uses very subtle techniques. The logo itself is only featured on 4 small

images of NME magazines. The words ‘NME’, used in the classic font, are shown in a small red rectangular box

located in the bottom right hand corner of the page. The text is featured in a plug for NME, in which they are

advertising for a saving of 42% if readers subscribe. This simple, minimal branding reflects NME’s front covers.

The title used on the front covers, specifically in the Foals cover I have previously analysed, is very simple. It is

shown once on every cover in bold, block letters. This mirrors the simplicity on the contents page as the

branding is only shown in small print. If the branding on the contents page was over the top and featured in large

letters, it would take away the impression the reader gets when looking at the front cover. This almost

suggests to the reader that NME as a brand is very consistent in the way they present themselves.

LayoutThe contents page is split into 4 main segments

separated by border lines. The segments are spaced into 3 columns and 1 large bottom right rectangular box. This layout is reasonably simple and presents the information

into a format in which the reader can easily see the contents, page numbers etc. 7 main, page numbered

stories are featured around the page.

FreebieThe contents page of this issue gives the reader a

freebie. ‘SUBSCRIBE TO NME TODAY AND SAVE UP TO 42%’ is presenting the reader with a possible discount if

they choose to subscribe to NME’s issues. The use of image is balanced to the use of text in this red box. The

image shows 4 completely different issues of NME, which shows the diversity of the brand. The

representation of these images persuades the reader to subscribe to NME alongside them reading the text. The hierarchy of this contents page has structured the most important part of the feature, in the largest text shown in a bright white font. This draws the readers attention to this area straight away due to the larger contrast the

white text has on the red background compared to black text on the red background. The ‘NME’ letters are featured in black alongside the web address to claim the freebie. This highlights the most important information in the feature, second to the freebie itself, and almost draws these parts of the text out from the majority of

the white text.

White spaceThere is some small areas of white space in this contents

page. All the features are located on a plain white background, there is no background image etc. which is usually featured in music magazine contents pages. This is a key part in creating a simple image for the reader.

There is white space wherever in between the page numbers and images which shows the reader clearly

where a new image starts and ends.

BalanceThis contents page has a much larger ratio of images to text. An image is used underneath every page number. The images used tend to be clear and show what the particular article they are offering shows. This creates

simplicity for the reader as like in most other magazines, they do not have to analyse the picture to work out what it is trying to portray. The text located

under every page number and image uses a pull quote. This quote is taken from the article to show the reader exactly what they will be reading in this specific spread. A brief summary of the feature is located underneath the quote. This hierarchy is used to show the reader

NME is a personal magazine and likes to get straight to the point rather than using over complicated cover

lines.

LayoutThis double page spread is divided into thirds. The first left hand two thirds feature 1 block image. The right hand third features the article title and the article itself. The right hand third is the only segment of the spread which features writing. The ratio of balance on this spread is as follows; 33% text and 67% image.

CreditsThere are two references located on this spread as to who is responsible for the making of it. ‘Jamie Fullerton finds they’re more than happy with the plaudits’ is a line featured in the subtitle directly underneath the heading. This shows the magazine is giving direct credit to the interviewer and writer within one of the most significant parts of the page. This differs to most magazine spreads in which a small credit is given to the writer, usually separate from the story itself. This shows NME writers and the artists associated with the brand are all as one and that NME is a people’s magazine.

FontThe heading of the page, read simply as ‘THE VACCINES’, uses the same font as used in the bands logo. This shows that NME really get to know the artists they feature and are willing to adapt to them rather than changing them. The font used in this article is a classic, straightforward easy to read choice. It is common to see this style of font in a British newspaper. This almost reflects the British background and origin behind NME magazine, rather than them using over the top fonts typically seen in American music magazines. The font used in pull quotes and the subheading uses a rounded font. This gives an informal feel and suggests the magazine itself is again all about the NME brand connecting directly to their readers and reaching them in an informal, friendly like manner.

TypographyThe leading and tracking of the main article uses very small spacing in between individual letters and lines. This due to the

small font, when looking at the page, suggests there is a lot of information on the page. This impression is also created due tothe lack of white space and the good use of space. This appeals to a reader as they feel they are getting their money’s worth in

terms of the content in the magazine. The small font, leading and tracking makes the page look elegant and simplistic. To a reader the typography may appeal as having a similar look to a British newspaper article, as they also use similar techniques.

CompositionIn terms of colour, the spread gives a warm toned feel with slight cool toned blues featured around various areas of the page. The colours used in the main image give a bleached, dusty vibe with a good range of harmonious colours, which work together well due to the similarity in their hues. The band look pale which almost makes them look slightly stripped back. This relates to

the article as it suggests to the reader the band have been completely stripped back in terms of their interview. The point of focus is centred on the face of the lead singer, this shows readers who do not know the band who the frontman is clearly.

Main ImageryThe main image shows a high angle shot of the band showing the back 3 members in a medium-long shot and the front member in a medium-close-up shot. This is due to the composition of the image. This very clearly separates the front member from the back 3 members, clearly showing the readers who is the lead member of the band and gives an idea to those who do not know much about the band who the frontman is. The image shows all members looking directly towards the camera or in audience form, directly to the reader. The bands direct eye gaze emphasises the band’s confidence and makes them appear powerful and fearless. This technique creates a direct connection between the reader and the band.

The use of the colour blueThe colour blue is spread around the magazine in various lines and shapes. The colour is also used in the font of letter forms, quotes and the writers name. This breaks up the large blocks of small text and offers a cooler tone to the rather warm colour scheme. The use of this colour pulls the spread together.

Feature Headline and Main ImageThe main headline, image and story of this particular issue features on the British Rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The colour scheme and the most heavily used colours on this front cover include whites and blues. A brighter, more vibrant colour is used on the features in which the editors want to draw attention to, for example the bright yellow being used in the plug. The main headline is featured in a bright red font. This draws attention to the headline itself and also the band. The font used on the main headline is nothing that has been chosen from the magazines selection of fonts, it uses Bring Me the Horizon’ logo font. This implies RockSound as a company are very heavily involved with the artists they feature and suggests the magazine respects and is willing to adapt everything they can to respect the band. This almost gives the readers a guarantee RockSound will always provide them with music, which is the most important thing. The main image features all 5 members of Bring Me the Horizon featured in a format which shows the lead singer, Oli, featured at the front. All of the band members are positioned to be staring directly at the reader, this creates a sense of intimacy and suggests we need to learn more about the band to understand why one of the members is positioned at the front and particularly to readers who are unaware of the band. This creates another opportunity to persuade the reader to buy the magazine.

Cover Lines/Sub HeadingsThe cover lines on this front cover are positioned around the sides of the page, featured in bold writing in front of a white background. The text is featured in black, red and yellow. The high contrast in these colours, tends to be used in many front cover’s on many different magazine companies, to draw attention to the stories and highlight the text so it is one of the first parts the buyer will read. The cover lines are mainly shown in capital letters with some form of attentive punctuation featured afterwards, such as ‘LOOK WHO’S BACK!’. There are many cover lines featured around the magazine, which doesn’t necessarily cram the magazine but can make certain sections of the page hard to read. For example, the top third and bottom third of the cover are rather full and have fitted as much information in as possible whereas the middle third only features the main story, which in this case is Bring Me the Horizon. This shows the composition RockSound uses, a lot of attention is created around the sub-stories etc. and an equal amount is used on the composition of the feature story, showing a lot of attention is based around the main story.

FreebieRockSound are offering a free CD and sevenfold poster in this October 2012 issue. This freebie attracts buyers to the magazine straight away, mainly due to the physical layout of the freebie. ‘FREE CD’ is featured in bright yellow writing on a red arrowed background, this creates a contrast and catches the readers eye. This banner also creates a buzzword with ‘free’. Although many other magazines give freebies etc. in their issues, this creates a USP for RockSound as it is unlikely any other brand are giving away the same bonuses. The CD and poster that are giving away relates to the genre of the magazine. The poster features on a band in the heavy rock industry. This presents fluidity for the reader and shows the brand have clearly listened to their target audience rather than giving away a freebie the classic RockSound reader would not like. The simple wording and the attention ‘FREE CD’ draws indicates to the reader RockSound is all about the music and that they want to reward their loyal customers with the reason they buy the magazine; music.

Date, Price and BarcodeThe date and price of this magazine is located above the standard bar code. The price of this magazine, issued in October 2012 is £3.99. This number shows us that RockSound price their magazines to a middle class of affordability. The price is not too cheap nor too expensive. This magazine represents the average pricing of a British music magazine. The price, date, barcode and issue number are not necessarily of importance in a magazine, specifically to the editor who’s main aim is to fill the cover with as many components as possible to make the magazine sell. This is why these are located in the bottom right hand corner of the cover in a small black box.

Plug‘EXCLUSIVE!’ creates a pull for the readers. Again by the feature of the bright yellow writing against the

black background attention is drawn to the plug straight away. This plug worded in capitals featured with an exclamation mark draws a sense of urgency

to the magazine, almost creating the feeling the reader needs to find out exactly what this exclusive

is, which persuades the reader to buy the issue.

BrandingThe branding on this contents page is very simplistic. The

branding is featured in the top left hand corner of the page. ‘ROCK SOUND’ is featured in the classic white text, as

featured on all RockSound covers. This links the contents page to the front cover and creates a running colour

scheme and theme throughout the issue. The issue number and date is featured in white, also, underneath the logo.

There has been hierarchy used on this page to clearly remind the reader what they are reading and inform them

of the date the magazine was issued. This shows how straightforward RockSound is. This is shown through the text being positioned in clear, bold, large writing and a bright white font. This shows the typography used in

RockSound is very significant.

HierarchyThe hierarchy of the main articles uses 2 different font

colours. The heading of the stories.. ‘MAIN FEATURES’ is written in white text presented on a red background.

The text alongside the article headings features a rather heavy weight font. The headings are featured directly on top of the background image. The colours also contrast,

as does the red and white, therefore the text is easily read. The article headings are featured in a much larger text than the article descriptions which shows the text has been ordered as of importance of the information,

which draws the readers eyes to what is going to persuade them to read the issue the most.

Background ImageThe background image features a musician, probably in a

RockSound associated band, performing at a live event. The background image uses a long shot however because of the

composition of the image it is still rather close up and rather intimate. The background image, excluding the

artists top, upper body and hair uses dark, deep colours, such as darker greens and dark greys. The background

image has also shaped and formatted the rest of the contents page layout.

Article Photos The article photos are positioned behind the page

number. The page numbers are featured in heavy, bold, red writing which balances the attention rather than the

readers attention being solely focused on the images. The photos are positioned in the area they area because of the composition of the background image. There is a reasonably blank space in the bottom left of the image, which if not covered would probably waste the use of

paper and make the page look rather empty. There are 2 boxed photos surrounded by a thick white border. These

images stand out to the reader as they contrast to the dark toned background. The 3 separated photographs

are positioned in rough cut outs on top of a white mirrored background. These images stand alone and

creates the affect that the magazine is featuring a large amount of articles. These images almost give the

impression that the contents page has been hand made. This is due to the 3 bottom photos looking as if they’ve

been cut out and stuck on. This gives RockSound a personal touch and implies a lot of work has gone into

making the magazine specifically for the reader.

BalanceThe ratio of images to text is heavily favoured in images. The balance stats are around 15% text and 85% images.

There is 1 main background image, 2 boxed images and 3 separate cut out images. The images take up the majority of the page and the text itself is featured on top of the images.

This shows RockSound like to make as much use of the space they have and that the magazine itself features more

imagery than long paragraphs of text.

LayoutThis double page spread is shaped around the background image. There are two text box’s and 1 free standing quote. The two textboxes are presented in the bottom left and top right hand corner and the quote is presented in the bottom right hand corner of the page. The page could be divided into thirds with the first and last third featuring text and the middle segment only featuring the background image.

FontsThe font used for the title and the quote is a very squared, classic font. The font is very heavy in terms of the weight. This font represents the rock genre of the band ‘Love Amongst Ruin’. The use of this font gives the reader an indication into the type of music the band produce. The font used for the sub-title is a similar shape however uses a smaller size and has a very thin weight. In terms of hierarchy the font used draws the reader to the title and the quote first. This may be created to give the readers an idea straight away of what the article is about. The quote, which the reader should read first alongside the title reflects on the lead singer, Steve Hewitt, being back to a place in which he can enjoy music again however the sub-title is worded simply as ‘THE BITTER END’. This contrast may encourage the reader to carry on reading as it almost suggests the Steve Hewitt has been on a life changing journey which has directly affected the bands music.

TypographyIn terms of leading and tracking, the two article style text box’s use very small spacing. The size of the font on both the

segments is very small and has a thin weight to it which also enables the small spacing to work well. The use of this technique uses the space available in each textbox and makes the look appear finished, full and neat. This affect wouldn’t have as much

of an affect on the reader if the font was featured in a larger, bolder text with large spacing in the leading and tracking.

CompositonThe use of colour on this spread creates the whole feeling of this story. The colours used are deep and dark. The lighting

used is low key and creates a dingy atmosphere in the image. These tones and hues represent the rock genre of the band. The most heavily used colour in this image is black, all band members are wearing this colour. The 2 band members with

black hair stand out more than the others due to the fact they are corresponding with their outfits, also due to their stance. Main ImageryThe main image shows the 6 members who were in the band at the time. The image shows, due to the composition, some of the members pictured in a long shot and others pictured in a medium-long shot. The photoshoot has been set in an old fashioned, medieval style, church like building. The image shows the rooms grungy, stripped walls and large windows. The image shows 3 of the 6 members captured in a direct eye gaze shot, looking directly into the camera. Their facial expressions and arrangement almost makes it look like they are all staring at something in particular, this creates a stronger connection to the reader than most other direct eye gaze shots as it creates more intimacy and intensity. The image shows 5 of the members stood in what can be analysed as unnatural positions, for example the 5th member along, from left to right, is hunching his fists with his legs far apart. This makes the band also look uncomfortable which makes the reader want to know more about why they are there and what it might be that is affecting the ways they are stood in the image. The 6th member along is positioned in a chair. This also creates a contrast with the rest of the members as they are all stood in a similar way. This highlights another reason in which the reader would be encouraged to read on to find out more.

Fact FileThe fact file used on this spread is a slightly unique feature for RockSound and it gives the reader amusing facts.

Positioning and CompositionThe Q logo is iconic and simplistic. It is unmistakeable for many to guess what the magazine is as soon as you see it on a shelf. The Q logo is the only feature on this page that largely breaks up the background, completely focused on the feature story, the band Muse. The three members of muse are all positioned in medium-close up shots, with the lead singer looking directly towards the reader. The positioning of the band members comes in front of the logo, the logo is now the background when looking at the band. This suggests Q always puts the artist's they work with before the brand itself and that the readers getting the stories they want is more important than the customers just buying the magazine for the name ‘Q’.

Feature Headline and Main Image The feature story for this issue is centred around the band Muse. The whole front cover shows the reader exactly what the issue is about, in a clear and bold way. Muse’ signature font is used to display their name in large text which creates an even bigger impression the reader will get the most out of this feature as possible. ‘BOLDLY GO WHERE NO BAND HAS GONE BEFORE’ suggests this issue is offering something other magazines don’t offer with their feature stories and that they will learn and read as much information on the band as possible. ‘EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW’ is featured in black text in front of a, what connotes, as an exquisite, royal shade of grey. This again highlights the point that Q are offering almost a premium service compared to other magazine brands, by giving their readers as much as they can. The main image of the 3 band members is positioned on top of a galaxy background. The blues and purples are reflected in the front members’ eyes specifically, which ties the physical aspect of the front cover together. The use of the galaxy, due to the pure scale of it, suggests this issue contains a large amount of information. The band members looking up at the stars almost suggests they will be uncovering some secrets in this feature as the band are out of space. ‘WHERE NO BAND HAS GONE BEFORE’ signifies the importance of the image being set out of space.

Cover LinesThe front cover of this issue has positioned the 3 most significant cover lines across the bottom of the cover. One of the cover lines includes a ‘NATIONAL BLUR MONTH’. This feature appeals to the slightly older average Q reader of 34 years age. The issue features bands such as ‘The XX’ which will appear to a slightly younger audience. The editor has used this diversity to appeal to a wide range of readers. The cover lines are also featured in a bold, heavy red and white text. This ties the cover lines in with the rest of the front cover.

PlugThe use of the words ‘BONANZA!’ and ‘NEW’ create a buzz about this certain feature of the front cover. The feature is printed in bold white and black capitals on a

bright red background. This draws the reader in straight away to this particular part of the cover as the only other section featured on a red background is the Q title. This suggests to the reader that this feature is significant in this issue. The words used shows to the reader what Q

offer, a wide range of artists in every issue.

Content The front cover offers features which include both extremely popular, older artists and new and upcoming acts. This is signified in stories such as ‘THE SOUND OF YOUNG LONDON GOES GLOBAL’ and ‘A SOUVENIR FOR YOU TO TREASURE’. This shows to possible buyers of Q and current readers, the magazine is diverse and covers all aspects of music.

Date, Price and BarcodeThese 3 common components are featured in a small bright red box in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover. This particular issue is dated as October 2012 and priced at £3.99, an average price for the UK music magazine market. The date and price are presented in a very thin, classic font. This is very straightforward and relates to the simplicity of the ‘Q’ logo. The date, price and barcode are positioned in the red box next to a plug for the issue. This differs from magazines as these 3 components are usually featured in a box by themselves, which tends to draw the buyers attention. ‘ALBUMS BONANZA!’ is positioned to the left of these, in which the editors have created a very clever selling technique. The buyer will check to see the price, and occasionally date of the magazine and will then see the exclusive feature Q is offering, which is a new albums bonanza article. This probably will suggest in the buyers heads the issue is worth buying due to the exclusive content they will receive.

LayoutThis contents page is divided into 3 main columns. The first left hand third features the most text. This third presents the page numbers, article headlines and article descriptions. The second third features 1 large long shot image. The third segment shows images and magazine covers. This segment presents the most imagery of all the contents page. A red rectangular box is positioned along the top of the page which features the ‘Q’ logo, the ‘Contents’ title and the Issue number.

Branding and Article FeaturesThe branding and main article features are presented in the first third column. The branding is simple and uses the word ‘Q’ in the companies signature font. This reflects the layout of branding on the Q front covers, it is simple and easy for a buyer to spot exactly what they are looking at. ‘Q’ is shown in the classic white font on top of a red background. This creates a USP for Q magazine because their aesthetics are the same across all platforms; magazine issues, websites, apps etc. A title is positioned next to the logo, which reads ‘Contents’. This is also very straight forward and again lets the reader know exactly what they are reading. The title is shown in a classic black, ‘Q’ style font. This contrasts to the red background as well as the white logo, making it easy to read. The hierarchy of the logo and title are amongst the largest text on the page. This draws the readers attention in straight away and ensures these 2 features are 2 of the first they’ll read. The main article features are located underneath. The ‘FEATURES’ title is positioned in a red text box which creates an easy to understand flow throughout the page rather than the different segments featuring opposing colours. The first 2 article headlines feature a small image on the page. This is to draw a slightly larger significance to these 2 stories as they feature the most popular artists in this issue. The headlines are underlined by a thick red line followed by a brief description of the articles. This again ties the page together due to the consistency of colours used. The article headlines clearly show the reader the page number, making it as easy as possible for them to use the magazine. The branding, title and article headlines are all featured in this third segment to provide the most informative information of the page. The positioning of these features has enabled the editors to fill the rest of the page with images etc. whilst also leaving some white space making the page appear simplistic.

Main ImageThe main image on this page shows Dave Grohl; Foo Fighters frontman. Foo Fighters are the main feature headline for this issue of Q. The main image shows Dave Grohl pictured in a long shot, walking towards the camera with a guitar over his shoulder. There is also a slight low angle technique used in this image. These techniques make Dave Grohl appear to be very large and powerful. This relates to the small image of the front cover featured next to this image which shows his mouth open with fire alongside the headline ‘THIS WILL KILL ME’. This makes Dave Grohl appear again, as in the front cover, powerful and almost undefeatable. This gives the reader the idea that Foo Fighters will bare all in this interview and the height and power Dave Grohl has in this picture, could reflect the size of the news they are giving in this interview. The use of a guitar, featured so closely to him in this image suggests the idea that ‘Q’ is all about the music. This persuades readers to turn straight to this feature as they are going to receive what Q readers like to read the most about; music itself rather than gimmicks etc. Dave Grohl is shown wearing a red t-shirt, black jeans and black and white trainers. This pulls in every aspect of the page so well as the colour scheme is represented in this image of Dave Grohl. The position he is featured in, right in the centre, shows the importance Foo Fighters have in this issue. The page number ‘72’ is featured in large letters next to the image. In terms of hierarchy of the page, this is the largest text shown. This draws the readers attention to this page straight away, really enhancing the feature story. The main image itself provides a central point for this contents page and draws the readers in straight away due to the classic feel the page gives.

Sub ImagesThe smaller images featured in the right segment of the page show previews of several pages in the magazine. This gives the reader a good all round indication to the issue.

FontThe fonts used on this spread are the same throughout however there is a range of different sizing techniques. The font used is a very feminine like font. It is squared and is a slightly more traditional version to the Lana Del Rey’s signature font, used on her albums etc. This is to signify who the feature is about. Lana Del Rey is known for being a very elegant musician, the font used reflects her character. The font used in the first 3 paragraphs is a reasonably small to medium font, in which if this was the only size used for all the text, a lot of the page would be taken up. The font size used in the rest of the feature is of a much smaller size. The size is slightly smaller than what would be used in a traditional British newspaper, this shows the page itself has been used well and this specific feature contains a lot of information for the reader.

Exaggerated Letter FormsThere are 2 large letters used on this spread. A letter ‘S’ takes up the majority of the right hand page. The ‘S’ is assumed to signify the starting letter, which is ‘she’, of the first paragraph. This letter draws attention to the text straight away and as there is a little confusion as to what the letter actually represents, it urges the reader to carry on reading the article to find out. The letter has been positioned to the back of the text box which increases the appearance of it’s size. The large letter has increased the amount of white space to the top of the right hand page, this makes the page as a whole look more simplistic and modern. The letter ‘A’ is used at the start of the 11th paragraph. This letter uses a slanted, larger sized font. These letter forms draw attention to the article text and make the presentation of the double page spread slightly more aesthetically pleasing.

House StyleThe large letter forms are a technique used in most, if not every, Q feature article double page spread. The largest ‘S’ is changed depending on the name of the artist or the starting letter of the first paragraph, for example, in Jay Z’s October 2010 issue, one of his dedicated double page spread’s showed a large red letter ‘J’, signifying his name, just like the letter ‘S’ in this issue. Another similar house style feature is the bottom banner stretched across the spread. This banner features the logo, page numbering, issue date and usually a plug for the brand, such as a Q web address. This same banner is featured in every Q issue, on every page. Even the page numbering is printed in a white font on a black box which is used in every issue also.

Main ImageThe main image shows Lana Del Rey in an intimate, close-up shot. The image alone takes up the left side A4 page. The size and shot of the image add to the simplicity created on the right hand page as the pages aren’t crammed with over the top, overpowering images. Lana Del Rey is captured in a non-direct eye gaze shot. This enhances the intimacy of the photo alone, as it shows Lana Del Rey as a whole captivates the readers without direct eye gaze. Her eyes are also closed which adds to the intimacy even more and creates a sense of uncertainty as, although we can work it out, it isn’t perfectly clear who the image is of. Lana is digging her nails into her neck which indicates to the reader a sense of danger and urgency.

ColourOn the main image of Lana Del Rey there is a red light reflected on her right hand side which shows danger, pain

and blood which adds a feel of sultry to the image. The blues and purples on her left hand side represent tranquillity, coldness, femininity and romance. These colours contrast to the reds in terms of the coolness it

brings to the warm tones. The colours used in the rest of the spread feature a classic white and black.

TypographyIn the first 3 paragraphs the leading and tracking gives a reasonable amount of space. The words are separated slightly wider than text in most double page spreads, this may be due to the larger font size. On the rest of the

paragraphs, featured in a much smaller text, the leading and tracking gives a tiny amount of space and is distributed evenly. This technique means even the smaller text is easy for the reader to read.