Initial Design magazine front page 3

On this front cover initial design the sub-stories are separated  into 2 columns on each side of the page, either side of the main image. The magazine name is situated at the very top of the page in the centre, just underneath it is the main title of the focused on story. 

Initial Design magazine front page 2

The magazine name is placed in the right hand corner of the page and the sub stories follow as well on the right hand side of the page starting halfway down the page. The main image will take up all of the page and the main title will be in the centre of the page. 

The barcode is placed in the bottom right hand corner of the page. 

Initial Design magazine front page 1

On this front page design the skyline s situated at the very top of the page and covers he entire width of the page. The magazine name is placed at the top underneath the skyline on the left hand side. The main title of the main story is placed towards the bottom of the page. Sub stories are placed on the left hand side, half way down the page, this gives quite a lot of space for the main image to be displayed fully as there is just one column of sub stories.

The PUG is to the right of the main title. The barcode is situated in the bottom right hand corner. 

Initial Ideas for Front Cover

Magazine Names:

• Soundz


• Pulse


• New Rock Times


• Rebellion

Magazine Title Fonts

Colour Schemes:

• Purple/Blue/Black



• Red/Orange/Black



• Green/Purple/Black



• Red/White/Black



• Black/White/Grey



• Pink/Purple/Black

Main Image

• Close up



• Medium Close up



• Medium Long Shot

Questionnaire results

Overall i managed to get about 30 people to answer my questionnaire on magazine related questions. People were able to answer the questions via a poll that i created which is placed on the right hand side of my blog. 

Question 1 - Are you male or female? 

-76% -male

-24% - female

Question 2 - How old are you?

- 0%- 0-10

-100% - 11-20

- 0% - 21-30

-0% - 31-40

Question 3 - Favourite genre of music?

- 36%- Rock

- 0%- Pop

- 20% R&B

- 6%- Dance

- 0%- Hip Hop

- 0%- Rap

- 16%- Indie

- 10% Metal

- 0% Country

- 10% Other

Question 4 - How often do you buy a music magazine? 

- 31%- Never 

- 3%- Once a week

- 3%- Few times a week

- 27%- Once a month

- 13%- Few times a month

- 20%- Once a year

Question 5 - What features do you buy a magazine for?

- 30% - Articles

- 26% - Pictures

- 16% - Posters

- 3% - Headlines

- 0% - Advertisements

- 23% - Interviews

Question 6 - What features in a magazine do you dislike?

- 0% - Headlines

- 3% - Articles

- 20% - Advertisements

- 13% - Posters

- 0% - Interviews

- 16% - Quizzes

Question 7 - Which colour combination would you prefer?

13% - purple/blue/black

3% - red/orange/black

20% - green/purple/black

36% - red/white/black

13% - black/white/grey

13% - pink/purple/black

Question 8 - How much would you be willing to spend on a magazine?

70% - £0-£2

30% - £3-£4

0% - £5+

Question 9 - What type of shot do you prefer for the main image of the front page?

23% - close up

56% - medium close up

20% - medium shot

Question 10 - Which magazine name do you prefer?

13%- Soundz

53% - Pulse

13% - New Rock Times

20% - Rebellion

Question 11 - Which style of font do you prefer for the main headings and titles?

33% - Masterplan

33% - Younger than me

11% - Punk kid

11% - Prozak

11% - Revolution

Target Audience

This is Nick, he is my typical audience member, he is 17 years old and lives in Hertfordshire. His dress code is usually jeans, a shirt or polo shirt, black jacket and trainers, usually wears dark clothes e.g. black, grey

He enjoys going out with mates and playing football and going to the pub most fridays.

He listens to variety of music but primarily Rock, R'n'B and rap, he likes anything really thats high up in the charts, so the radio stations he listens to are KISS and Capital.

Nick goes out shopping a lot of the time, he enjoys purchasing new clothes but hardly ever goes food shopping, he usually buys the music magazines 'Q' and NME as these magazines focus on the type of music that he likes e.g Rock and the occasional RnB

Nick rarely goes to concerts but if he does it would be be to see his favourate artists, he likes Usher, Jason Derulo, Nickelback, N-Dubz. 

Maslow's Theory

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory which was created in 1943 and was included in his paper 'A Theory of Human Intervention', it's purpose was to show what people really need for example, "physiological factors" are placed at the bottom of the pyramid as they are the more most important influences in human life, needs for this include ; Breathing, Food, Sexual Activity and Homeostasis, "Safety" is the next stage up the pyramid, this must be considered before the stage of "Love and belonging". Next is Esteem and at the very top of the pyramid is "Self-actualization" as it is the least important selection of needs involved in human life. This theory very much applies to people who buy a music magazine, because according to it the person must be secure in the 4 stages in the pyramid from Physiological up to Esteem before they can think about buying luxuries.

Uses and Gratification Theory

The uses and gratifications theory is also known as the needs and gratifications theory. This theory focuses on why people use specific media. It is not a single approach, but a large wide spread approach to a media analysis. The common theme of uses and gratifications is that people use certain media products to get specific gratifications or needs. There are for stages to this. 

The Uses and Gratifications Theory follows a basic model. It is an audience-centered approach. When an audience actively seeks out media, they are typically seeking it in order to gratify a need. For example, in social situations, people may feel more confident and knowledgeable when they have specific facts and stories from media to add to conversation. By seeking out media, a person fulfills a need to be informed.

3rd double page spread analysis

Magazine: Q

Colours for this page consist of a dark red, black, white and a small amount of blue, these colours makes the reader feel relaxed and contrasts with the usual look of 50 cent, where the audience may usually associate him with with more vibrant colours.

The overall design of the page give an impression of maturity and respect, we are shown this through the colours used in the main image, the layout of the text and style of font for the article.

The main title 'Who the hell does 50 cent think he is?' is the biggest text displayed on the spread, the word 'hell' is in italics, this emphasis the word and makes it have more of an impact therefore it catches the readers eye. '50 cent' in the title is highlighted in blue whereas the rest of the text on the page is highlighted in black, this gives a more contemporary look as the rest of the page portrays a more respectful look, so the hint of blue keeps a modern feel and will therefore still relate to youths but in addition an older audience, the blue text is still easily readable on the white background. The text in the main article is highlighted in black, this allows the reader to read it easily as it is on a white background, and is significantly smaller than the title, selected words have been typed in italics and again this could be done to emphasize that word. Two letters have been made as large as the the main title, this is to show the reader that it is not just the start of a new paragraph but a new topic is being talked about. A sentence from the article has been copied and placed onto the image of 50 Cent near the bottom right hand corner so it does not block the reader's view of the main image, this text is surrounded by a white box.

The main image displays famous rapper 50 Cent, a close up shot of him is used, and he is looking directly at the camera making eye contact with the audience. We can see that he is wearing mostly dark coloured clothes, the cap he wears shows a more respectful and mature look, an impression that most people don't associate at all with him. The dark red colour in the background works well as this emphasizes the more mature look but still keeps it contemporary.

Overall i think this is a good quality double page spread, the use of colour, the design and image all work together to make a contemporary but still respectful looking spread.

The language used in the article mostly appeals to the more youthful audience, older people may find it difficult to understand certain phrases used such as 'Low slung and box fresh himself', some more mature people may not find this language either appropriate nor understandable.

3rd contents page analysis

Magazine: Q

These two pages consist of mainly the colours red, black, grey and white, this corresponds with the usual colour scheme Q magazine has, and the magazine's logo (the letter Q highlighted in white, placed onto a red background). Black is used to highlight the majority of the text over the two pages, it is also used in all the images, this colour stands out on the white background and makes it quite easy for the reader to scan through different bits of information without much difficulty. Red is the least used colour out of the four, it is mainly used to underline sections of text and to highlight the skyline, this ensures the general colour scheme of the magazine is continued. White is used primarily for the background and occasionally to highlight page numbers, but not all of them . The use of these colours aid the reader to switch from one part/section of the pages to the other as it is quite busy and in your face due to the number of the images and the layout of them.

The main title 'Contents' is placed at the top on the left hand side, it is highlighted in black and looks as though the font style is in Times New Roman. It is the second largest text on the contents pages, second to the pages numbers of certain articles and features throughout the magazine, it is made large to ensure the reader takes notice of them and therefore makes it easier for them to see which main stories are on which page. The contents are situated on the left of the first page and on the right of the second page, the text is highlighted in black and is significantly smaller than the title, some is in italics, and the font alternates between bold and not bold. One section of text located on the second page at the bottom is highlighted in red, another is placed on the first page almost midway down, these still correspond with the general colour scheme of the contents pages and the general colour theme of the magazine.

There are many images used on these two pages, some have been rotated slightly to give it a more attractive look, a few also overlap each other a little, so the reader can still see mostly the whole of the images. The majority of the images follow the colour scheme as nearly all of them consist of only black, white, grey and red. The image of Cheryl Cole on the first page is the biggest, this again reminds the reader that the main story inside the magazine is about her, it consists of the colours black and white, a sepia tone, which coincides with the image of her on the front cover where the magazine is showing a different more rock and gothic look about her, the use of the sepia tone also catches the audiences eye because all the other images on the two pages consist of three main colours, white, black and red.

2nd contents page analysis

On this contents page the colour scheme consists of 4 main colours, white, black, red and green, all of these work together to produce an attractive and contemporary page. White and black have both been used as they are basic and simple, yet still effective, the majority of the text on the page is highlighted in black which is placed on a white background, this makes it relatively easy for the reader to read and quickly identify important pieces of information. White is mostly used for the background colour and a minimal amount of text, where the colour of black and white have been alternated, this still allows he text to be easily read, this is done on the main contents title. Red has been used in a small amount, it has been used on the brand name logo in the top left hand corner, for page numbers and for 2 highlights. Even though red has been used minimally it continues the general colour scheme of Q magazine. An element of green has been used, in the main image of the contents page of the band, and also to highlight the text 'Oasis Special', this separates this from everything else on the page.

In the page deisgn the title 'Contents' is situated at the top of the page, the text is in bold and has been highlighted in white on a black background. This is the largest piece of text on this page and therefore stands out to the reader and straight away lets them know what they are looking at. The date of the magazine issue is situated to the right of the main title, it is also highlighted in white on a black background, but is significantly smaller than the title, although the text is smaller it still stands out on the page due to the colour combination. The sub title 'Features' is placed on the left hand side of the page just underneath the main title, the text isin block capitals, is highlighted in white on a red background of the small banner and is slightly smaller than the main title. All features are displayed on the left hand side in a column, the majority of it is highlighted in black on a white background allowing all of the text to be easily read, the page numbers to the left of the features is however highlighted in red, which continues the constant flow of the general colour scheme of Q magazine. The main image of the band takes up almost half the page, but there is space left underneath the picture where a box has been added which is highlighted in a separate colour ( light blue), this contains information about reviews, therefore by the use of the separate coloured box, it tells the reader that this is a completely separate section.

The main image displays the 4 members of the band standing side by side at the top of a hill, it has not been edited very much in terms of of the colour because the images used on a contents page are only meant to inform the reader of what and who is featuring in the magazine, therefore doesn't have to be eye catching. Each band member is standing either with their hands by their side or in their pockets, and the are facing the camera making eye contact with the audience.

There language used on this page is quite simple, there is no the use of fancy headlines or names of features, it just simply tells the reader the contents of the magazine and nothing else. Some of the text is made slightly bigger or made in bold, this tells the reader that it is important.

Overall this is a good contents page, the design is basic and simple, the colours are also simple but all work well together to produce a clear contents page which can be easily read, and the reader can pick out specific information without too much effort.

2nd double page spread analysis

This is my second double page spread analysis, we can clearly see that the main focal point of the magazine is about the main member of 'The Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am, this displays an interview with the artist.

colour scheme

On this double page spread the colour scheme consists of 4 main colours: white, black, grey and gold, these colours are included in the main image, the main title and the article itself. White is used for the background to ensure that the main image of the 4 people stands out, it also gives the spread a modern yet basic look.

The main title of this article is placed on the left hand side just below the waistline of the group, half of it is highlighted in gold, the other half is in grey, this gives it a more attractive look and also makes the reader more interested in reading on as it shows that Will.I.Am is going to be answering an important question, therefore the audience would want to find out what it is. The main text of the interview is displayed on the right hand side of the spread, the font is highlighted in black, making it quite easy to read, also some of the text is made slightly bigger and bolder which may be telling the reader that this is an important section, some of the text also has a black box highlighted around it, the text is made slightly bigger and is highlighted in white, this makes it stand out to the reader and gives the impression that this is an interesting and main point made in the interview.

The design of the spread is quite basic and simple, there are no different elements on the pages of other stories, features and varying pictures, this allows the reader to focus entirely on the main story/article of Will.I.Am. The spread does not look cramped full of different pictures and banners but it still looks as though all the pace on the page is being utilized fully.

Image

The main image is of the 4 members of The Black Eyed Peas, they are standing side by side and all are looking directly at the camera, this image takes up about two thirds of the spread, all apart from Will.I.Am have been faded slightly/ made slightly transparent into the background, whereas Will.I.Am is clearly displayed, this would automatically tell the reader that the article is not about the whole group, but is just focussed primarily on him. The colour of the clothes they are wearing links with the general colour scheme of the spread, Will.I.Am's clothes are mostly gold, and the rest of the group are mainly wearing black and grey.

1st double page spread analysis

Magazine: Kerrang

This is the first double page spread that I will be analysing.
The general colour scheme of this spread consists of mainly 3 colours, black, white and red, these colours have been used for the text , the background and the different images giving it a general theme. White is used to highlight the text for the main article, also used for the box surrounding the text informing the reader of the some of the bands song and a description of each of them, on the right hand side of the spread, and white is included in the images. The red used for parts of the text e.g. in the main title and for small banners and boxes catch the audiences eye, it contrasts with the black and white which is used for the majority of the spread but it does not look out of place and the three colours work quite well together. The use of the red also allows the reader to easily switch between different sections of the article and information as it stands out.
The main title of the article is placed just right of the center of the spread, it is in block capitals and is the largest piece of text on the two pages. The first two words of the title is highlighted in red, the next three are in white and have been made slightly bigger than the other words in the title, this is done to stand out and emphasize the importance of these words to the reader , and finally the last three are back to red. Most of the text of the main article is highlighted in white to stand out on the black background except the first letter of the first word. The text in the white box alterantes between red and black, the red displays the name of the song and the black is used to highlight the description of the song, this makes it easier for the reader to pick out different bits of information.

The are four images used on the two pages, all show members of the band during a live performance or recording songs in the studio, a sepia tone has been used on the images which complements the black background used. 

1st contents page analysis

Magazine: V
The colour scheme of this page consists of mainly white, grey and black, there is also a small amount of red used which contrasts. The white, black and grey colours make the image look old, however the use of red makes the image seem more modern. The black and grey colours compliment each other very well, they make the page easy on the eye and easier for the audience to read the article.

The title 'Contents' is what will automatically attract the audience to it, it is the largest text on the page, is in block capitals and highlighted in black, however it is the design of the title that will draw attention, it is displayed with the word separated, into the first two letters, then the next four underneath and the final two words beneath that, this also gives a modern impression and would appeal to teenagers much more than to middle aged people.

The contents are positioned on the right hand side of the page and start about half way down the page. The colour of the text alternates at times between bold/black and a light grey which almost blends into the background, the bigger text highlighted in black will attract the readers eye as it will seem that they are more important. The style of the font also alternates throughout the contents, this could tell the reader that the genre is changing and alternating.

The image on this page is a medium shot of rapper Kanye West, this image takes up about two thirds of the page. The clothes that he is wearing coincides with the general theme e.g. grey shirt, grey jacket. There is a woman's arm reaching around his right shoulder and holds a heart in the position where his heart would literally be, the heart that she is holding is red which beholds the meaning of love and a warm feeling, this is the only contrasting colour and although it is only a small amount of this colour used, it immediately draws the readers eye to it and the impression of love is emphasized, this relates to the theme of Kanye West's album that he brought out at that time "808's & Heartbreaks". There are no other vibrant colours used on this page as the designer does not want the reader to be distracted from the main theme being portrayed.

The general impression we get from this page is a contemporary look, we also get the feeling that Kanye West has matured. Fans of the rapper would most definately be enticed to read further into the magazine about the man and to view more pictures of Kanye's more matured look.