First Draft of the Front Cover of my Music Magazine

Magazine Research

From looking at my questionnaire the most popular magazines that people said they read were Q, NME and Kerrang. I have decided to look into them further to see what type of audiences they attract. 

Q Magazine

• Q’s audience is younger and more wealthy than any other music monthly. 72% are ABC1 and have high disposable income.
• 97% of readers rate Q as a quality magazine. In research it outperforms competitors on measures such as best interviews, writing and awards winning photography.
• 68.3% of their readers are male.
• 35.5% of their audience are 15-24 years old.
• Q is a multi-media platform which attracts a wide range of people to the brand.

NME Magazine

• NME's target audience are 66% male aged between 15-34, the average age is 24.
• 72% of their audience are ABC1, 55% work full time.
• 91% go to gigs regularly and are music enthusiasts.
• NME is a multi-media platform, attracting a big audience. 
• 36% of their audience are still studying in college or university. Also, there are young adults who are starting their career.

Kerrang Magazine

• 56.1% are aged between 15-24, this magazine has a young target audience with 54.7% of those being male.
• Kerrang! readers are the heaviest music consumers purchasing over 6 albums per month on average.
• 51% of their audience are ABC1.
•  Kerrang's target audience are 8 times more likely to spend over £200 a year on albums.
•  The readers are 5.5 times more likely to attend a rock gig.

My Target Audience - Mood Board

By looking at my data from my questionnaire, I have decided that my music magazine will have an indie/rock music genre. I have decided to make a mood board on what reflects my target audience in this music genre.
I want to aim my magazine at the ages of 17-24, 50% male and 50% female. My target audience love listening to music and are regular listeners, they are into the leading fashion that fits in with the music genre. My audience enjoy going to festivals and like to listen to bands such as Franz Ferdinand.

Music Magazine Questionnaire Data

Music Magazine Questionnaire

I have created a music magazine questionnaire to give to a range of people so I can figure out what the audience would like to see from a magazine. I have included ten questions which will help me gain more information, which I can use for my magazine. I will record the data once it is all collected.

What have I learnt from Analysing Magazines?

Front Covers

• The main image is very important for enticing readers in. It needs to dominate the front cover and also needs to look good with the information on the page. The main image needs to have a story behind it and link with the splash, it needs to represent something. The front cover needs to looks interesting.
• A masthead needs to be catchy and memorable, it also needs to be to the point and fit in with the magazine genre. It needs to be the biggest text on the page so that it sticks out on a page.
• The colour scheme is extremely important as it can dictate who your target audience will be. Also it helps the magazine stick out on a stand.
• If a magazine cover is simple, it can sometimes work better.
• Subsidiary images let the reader know what is going to be in the magazine, they can't take the focus away from the main image.
• There is always a barcode, issue date, price etc. on a front cover.
• Sell lines don't need to include a lot of information.
• A header bar and footer line aren't always needed.
• The use of a pug lets the reader know about a competition which entices them in. 

Contents Page

• A contents page needs to inform the reader of what will be on each page of the magazine.
• Using a structured manor with columns makes the page more attractive. Also they are usually on a double page spread.
• It just shows the key information that is needed, it's to the point.
• Images are used to make the page look more interesting, also they link with the articles. It brightens up a contents page so it's not just writing, it breaks it up.
• By using questions and alliteration it entices the reader in because it makes the language amusing.
• Many codes and conventions are used on a contents page.
• Editors letters let the reader know what they're in for, it introduces the reader to the editor and makes them seem friendly.
• The colour scheme needs to be in keeping with the front cover, but by looking at my research they use mainly red, black and white.
• Writing usually isn't very big and different fonts are used for each section.                                                     

Articles

• Most music magazine articles include a main image on one side of a double page spread. It needs to represent something and link with the story. 
• The articles are written in columns, so that they are in a structured, sophisticated manor.  It is easier for the reader to read. It also looks attractive.
• By using language devices, it makes the article a lot more interesting and inviting. Without them, it can seem quite boring. 
• Attention to detail has to be used.
• The colour scheme is usually red, white and black. 
• The text in the story is quite small compared to pull quotes.  

Article Analysis - Research

The Contents Page Analysis- Research

The Contents Page Analysis - Research

This contents page is taken from Q magazine. The function of a contents page is to inform readers what content is on each page. The readers can look at what articles they want to read. On this particular contents page it is giving the readers an offer of saving 37% per issue if they subscribe to the magazine. This is promoting the magazine and trying to get a wider audience. It uses special features on the contents page such as 'The Q Review' to show a glimpse of what the audience can expect.
The contents layout is in columns, it is in a formal and structured manner, this makes it easy to locate the information. There isn't a lot of information that goes in depth on the contents page, it just states the key points about each article that is being shown, it is to the point. There are some images to make the pages look more interesting, it brightens it up and it gives the reader imagination. They link to stories featured in the magazine, also, pictures attract the reader to the story because it looks attractive.
The language on the page gets the reader involved by asking them questions, it makes it thought provoking for the reader. By using questions and alliteration it entices the reader in because it makes the language amusing.
The colour scheme is white, red and black and this links with the front covers colour scheme. It is basic, yet effective as it is easy on the eye. On this contents page they have used several codes and conventions such as setting the writing out in columns, have a main image to link with a main story, featured articles, deals for subscriptions and many more.

Magazine Front Cover Analysis - Research

Magazine Front Cover Analysis - Research

The magazine 'Kerrang!' has a huge audience of people around the ages of 16-30, it focuses on rock music. By looking at figures, in Decmeber 2012, 54.7% of their audience was male.
The masthead 'Kerrang!' is in capital letters and is bold. It is unique as the font is shattered and cracked to portray the hard rock bands that are being spoken about in the magazine. The font looks like glass and so this could suggest that the rock bands' loud music has shattered it. The exclamation mark emphasises the noise these bands are making.
The main image is of the band Blink 182, they all have their own pose which is presenting each of them in a different way. Only one band member is smiling, the others have a straight look on their face and this suggests that they enjoy the music they make and they take their job very seriously. This is also shown by the hand gesture the man pictured on the right is showing. On his hand there is what seems to be a wedding ring, which shows that this man has a life outside his music. Their stance shows that they are all friends, they are grouped together and the one band member has his arm around another, it suggests that they are all very close. There are tattoo's on the man pictured on the left and it shows a stereotypical rock musician.
The subsidiary images are all made up of males, there are no females to be seen on the page. This suggests that this issue of the magazine is predominately for males. They are placed at the bottom of the magazine so they don't take the focus away from the main image.
Most of the information on the front cover is shown in the header bar and footer line, it mentions different bands that the audience can read about such as 'Linkin Park'. The font is white and very small, it doesn't stand out on the page as much as the splash. The splash has a colour scheme of red, white and black, I feel it fits in with the magazines style and it looks good on the page. The text is in capitals which symbolises how big the band are.
The colour scheme used is black, red, white and blue. The light blue is different compared to what I have seen on the previous magazines I have analysed, I feel it makes it more attractive for the male audience. The black background fading into white in the middle makes the page quite dark but I feel it is quite effective because it focusses on the main image.

I wanted to look at a genre of music that is the complete opposite of rock and pop, and so decided to look at the classical music magazines. The magazine 'Classic fm' is mostly read by people aged 35 and above, it doesn't have a massive audience though.
The masthead of the magazine looks sophisticated and gentle, which symbolises the type of music they talk about. The first five letters of the title, 'Class' is in black and this emphasises what they believe classical music portrays. Also it links in with the main image which is a medium shot of Myleene Klass.
The main image fits half of the page, she is smiling down the camera and at the reader which is inviting. She looks feminine wearing a hot pink, it makes her look attractive.
The layout of the cover is very formal, it looks structured which fits in with the calm approach this magazine is trying to show. The subsidiary images are taken of classical composers and Kate Royal, they are all medium shots. The two composers aren't looking at the camera, they are both looking away from each other, this emphasises the story that the magazine have made up about them which is 'Composers at war'. The colour scheme is white, red and black. The amount of white makes the page look refreshing and gives it a clean feel.
The magazine entices the reader by saying that there is a free CD with the magazine, it makes people want to buy it.

NME are a massive music magazine in Britain, the core target audience for NME are indie/rock fans ranging from the age of 18-30. 73% of the magazines audience are male.
I really like this magazine front cover, I find it extremely attractive. The masthead is bold on top of the main image, the white font really stands out on the page and makes it look fresh. It makes an impact on the page even though it is simple.
The main image is a close up of Florence, from the band Florence and the Machine. Her vibrant red hair contrasts with the white font and it symbolises her dynamic personality. The facial expressions are minimal, she is staring at the audience with her pale face, it is striking.
The sell lines are also in white, they are a list of musicians and bands that will be spoken about in the magazine such as Rihanna and Foals.
The pull quote is "I would never have got through the X Factor auditions", this shows that Florence has a very unique voice and she feels she is lucky to be where she is now. The splash is just the name 'Florence', it shows that she makes a statement and it is the only text in black which emphasises the fact that she is different to others.
The colour scheme is black and white, it works really well because it is simple yet effective.

Magazine Front Cover Analysis - Research

School Magazine Front Cover Analysis and Evaluation

The name of my magazine is 'BreakTime'. I chose this name because it fits in with school life and it is something people can read in their free time. 'BreakTime' can make people think of relaxation and a time to chill out. It is a catchy name that people can remember. The colour scheme of my masthead is yellow and black. The bright yellow attracts the reader and makes it stand out on a page. The stroke around the text is in black, it makes it bold and contrasts with the bright yellow. It originally didn't have a stroke around the text but I felt it looked lost on the page without it. I believe these two colours work well together. The masthead is big on the page, this makes it stand out and lets the reader know it is the name of the magazine.


For my main image I chose to take a picture of a girl named Emily. My main image dominates the cover, it is a medium shot of Emily with the background removed so it solely focusses on Emily. Emily's gaze is at the audience and she is smiling which indicates she is a friendly person, her smile is inviting. The main image fits in with my story of 'new head girl', even though Emily is wearing comfortable clothes it shows that she is relaxed in a school environment. My main image originally had a brick background but I felt it didn't fit in with my magazine, therefore I removed it using Photoshop, I believe it has improved the image because the brick work was detracting from Emily herself as the main image.

I decided to have three subsidiary images of equal size, I made them a lot smaller than my main image so as to not detract from the main story whilst fitting as much content as possible on the page to draw readers in with different articles. I have placed my subsidiary images at the bottom left corner of the page all together because it gives my page a grid structure and a busy feel. Furthermore the layout of the subsidiary images are overlapping and tilted which creates a balance against the formality of other aspects of the page.
The image on the left was meant to represent a swimathon, it was pictured outside a leisure centre. I don't feel I have captured this image as well as I could have, ideally an image of a swimming pool or a swimmer would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless the boy taken in the photograph stands proudly and                                               has the physique of a swimmer.



The next image regards exam results. The image was taken outside the main entrance of upper school which is where pupils collect their results. I believe I have captured this image well since the boys are showing relevant expression as they open their results.






The final subsidiary image is showing a glimpse of the choir's activity in the school. It was taken in the music room where choir is held, the piano and the music stands fit in with the environment. The music teacher is in between the two pupils pointing towards a sheet of music highlighting the practical nature of the work they're doing. The boy on the far left is shown to be singing which gives a clear indication of the story that it is representing. Also the boy on the right is smiling, which indicates how fun and enjoyable choir is.

I used six sell lines on my front cover, they give a clear indication about the contents of the magazine. They are straight to the point and informative. The way I have designed my sell lines draws comparisons to a school notepad to fit in with the nature of the magazine. I used red bullet points and black text so that it broke up the page, I introduced red to make the page more interesting and less plain. I didn't use any puns or alliteration because I felt it wasn't needed, I thought it would be a little unsophisticated on a front cover. I wanted to use a variety of different fonts to make it eye-catching, each section of the page uses different fonts so that it doesn't look boring. In addition to this, I made sure that the font size was clear and appropriate and legible for the reader. I wanted to find a balance, because too big would crowd the front cover and too little may look empty. Also I didn't draw away from the masthead, which is the main focus on the magazine cover.

I wanted the pug to visually reflect the information shown on it, and so I decided to make the pug look like a paint pallet. I chose two different fonts, the font I used for the word 'art' looks as if it has been created with a paint brush which links to the fact that it is about an art club. I chose yellow and black because yellow itself attracts attention and black stands out on top of it, a crucial aspect of a pug is that it has to stand out.

The layout of my front page is clear and well organised, it doesn't look messy, it is very presentable. I believe that my front page is suitable for my target audience which is school children. It addresses topical information about school life and this would appeal to the wide tastes of school pupils. My design of the front cover is recognisable as a school magazine if looked closer at, but from a first glance it could be mistaken for something else.
I am extremely happy with my final front cover design. I believe that it looks attractive and inviting which would appeal to people of a young age. The layout of my subsidiary images is effective and I like how the pictures overlap and are tilted at slight angles because it looks engaging. Also I am pleased with how my main image turned out once I had edited it on Photoshop, I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I believe it made the picture look more professional. I felt I made the size of the text appropriate for each section of the magazine.
To improve my magazine further I feel I could have used subsidiary images that better represented the content, for example I could have used a picture of a swimming pool that better highlighted a swimathon. I need to pay attention to detail more when I complete my school magazine, as I haven't put the price, the issue date or a barcode on the magazine. Also I could have improved my text colour scheme so that it stands out more. Another target for improvement would be to more effectively show it is a school magazine through design. I could have used a literary devise such as alliteration to make my sell lines more memorable. Overall I am pleased with my front cover but recognise there is always room for improvement.

School Magazine - Completed Front Cover

This is my completed front cover for my school magazine. To finish it, I made the text on the header bar and footer line smaller so that it didn't distract from the rest of the page. Also I changed the bullet points from yellow to red which I feel has made a massive difference, it breaks it up on the page so each section looks right together.
I am happy with how my cover has turned out, I have stuck with my original design and I feel it has worked very well.

School Magazine Cover - Further Progress

I have given the pug a thick stroke so that it stands out on the page and informs the reader of the information. I have created the shapes of paint on the pug, this is because it links with the art club opening and it represents a paint pallet.
I have nearly finished my magazine cover, I need to make the sell lines stand out a bit more so I will probably change the colour of the bullet points. I am happy with my magazine so far, and I now have to just add the final touches so that I am satisfied with it.

School Magazine Cover - Further Progress

I have now added the subsidiary images to my magazine. I believe that because I have tilted my images it has made the page look more interesting. There is now an obvious grid structure to my page. Also I have moved up my sell lines because I felt it looked too cramped with it squeezed next to the subsidiary images.
The swimathon picture was taken outside a leisure centre with a boy who has the broad shoulders of a swimmer. He is standing smartly with his posture very straight to make him look like he is proud of his hard work. The results picture was taken outside the school hall which is where students collect their results. It's of two boys getting their results, they are looking at the paper, not the camera. It shows their emotions whilst reading what they've achieved. The boys smiling shows that they have done well, and it shows the school in a good light. The school choir picture was taken in a music room, it shows a teacher helping the boys to sing a new song. The teacher is pointing towards the music on the music stands, and one of the boys is singing whilst the other is smiling, this shows that they enjoy choir.
I have nearly finished my magazine, I now need to start looking at individual sections on the front cover to improve it.

School Magazine Cover - Further Progress

This is the updated version of my magazine with my main image on the front cover. I have changed a couple of things on my front cover such as the masthead and the splash. I have made the stroke on the text bolder so that it stands out more, this is because they're the main text on the cover, so they needed to be seen before the sell lines. I like the positioning of my main image, it dominates the page which is what I wanted. I also like how the pug overlaps Emily because it makes it gives it more texture.
I still need to work on my magazine cover to improve it further, also I need to add my subsidiary images. I am happy with my progress.

Editing my Main Image

 After choosing my main image I decided that it needed to be worked on. I didn't like the brick background because I felt it distracted from Emily's face and also, I wanted the colour to pop, and just have a bit more life. I decided to edit this photo on Photoshop.

I feel now that this photo has been edited, it just brings it to life a bit more.It enhances the picture greatly, I made sure that the shadows were darker to give it more clarity and contrast.Also there are more highlights on the face just to brighten Emily's face.

I really didn't like the background in this picture so I decided to edit it out using Photoshop. The one problem I have with the picture now, is that removing the background has caused some of the hair to disappear, leaving a rigid effect around the outline. I feel like it looks presentable though. I am very pleased with how my main image has turned out after editing it because it was my first time of editing out a background and also, I have added effects into the image which I believe have improved it greatly. I am now ready to use this picture for my school magazine.

Options for my Main Image

For my main image, I wanted it to be a medium close up of a girl to fit with my splash which is 'New Head Girl'. The picture had to be of a sixth form pupil so they would wear their own clothes. The pictures are of Emily Brown, I feel like she had the right image to be on the front cover. I took a number of photos so that I could choose the best one. 

As this was the first picture I took, I feel like it wouldn't look right on a cover of a magazine. I wanted Emily to look happy to show that she was ecstatic about getting Head Girl, but this doesn't show in this picture.  I took it horizontally which I feel didn't work that well.

I took this picture horizontally again to see if it would look any different with Emily pulling a happier face, but again I didn't feel like it worked so I decided that for the next picture I would take it vertically. 

This picture is better than those above, because it cuts out more of the background and focuses more on Emily. I feel like this picture still doesn't express her emotions like I'd like it to. 

I really like this photo of Emily because she has shown her emotions more. The clothes she is wearing shows that she can be relaxed with school life, and also her hair looks nice put to one side of her face. I chose the brick background just so it was a plain background and didn't distract from Emily but I think I would remove this background so that it focuses solely on Emily.

I have decided to use this picture for my main image because I feel it is the best one out of what I have taken. It shows school in a good light and represents happy pupils in the school, which is what I wanted to show.

School Magazine Cover Progress

I have started putting my design ideas together to create my front cover for my school magazine. I have kept with my original idea but I feel that as I go along, I may change some of the layout because at the moment it looks quite basic and doesn't stand out like I'd like it to. I feel like I need to make the writing a lot bolder so it catches the eye because at the moment its very faint and wouldn't stand out on a shelf. I like the colour scheme that I have chosen because the colours work well together.
I will now start working on the main image and the subsidiary images to give the page some life. I will also enhance some of the things I have already done as I go along. Overall I am pleased how my magazine is turning out.

School Magazine Cover - First Draft

I created two first drafts so that I could choose my favourite design and develop it. The draft I have chosen is shown on the left but I am going to use the main image and splash from the design on the right.

The masthead of my magazine is "Break Time".  I chose this masthead because it links with school life and it is very catchy. I decided to use the colours black and yellow because they are the school colours, the bright yellow lets the masthead stand out. I wanted the font of my masthead to look quite formal so that it stays in the theme of school. The 'K' in 'Break Time' overlaps the 'T' because I wanted to emphasize the work 'break'. It shows that the magazine is something that the reader can read in their own free time. 

I wanted to have subsidiary images on the front page of the magazine so that the reader knows what to expect. I chose three different stories for each image. I have tilted the images at an angle to make the page look more interesting. Also I have kept the colour scheme of black and yellow running throughout. I used black capitals in a different font for the writing so that it varies from other things on the page. It is bold which catches the readers eye. The stories would appeal to the target audience of 11-18 years old as each story has something in common with the pupils. The readers would be more intrigued.  The pictures are of pupils in the school so that people know it is solely a school magazine, it gets pupils more involved.

I chose to have a header bar and footer line so that more information could be shown on the front cover. I thought that using a black background would contrast with the white writing to make the words stand out. Also, the arrows encourage the reader to turn the page.

The pug I have designed is quite creative, with it being like a paint pallet, it corresponds with the information about the art club. It shows more opportunities for the reader and it draws them in. The bright colours really stand out on the page.

The sell lines I have chosen are meant to appeal to the reader as there are some interesting stories. Some, which include a comedic factor. These stories are there to make the reader more intrigued to read the rest of the magazine. The way I have designed the writing is meant to look like it has been written on lined paper, which again, emphasizes the school life.

My main image dominates the page. It is of a sixth form student who has become the new head girl. I haven't drawn the face of this person, neither have I gone into detail with the clothing, but the student would be wearing clothes which expressed her personality so the reader would get an idea of what the new head girl is like. I chose this splash because it's a story that comes every year and it is a big responsibility for the student so it should be acknowledged, many people would be interested in it. The font size is a lot bigger than other writing on the page to show it is the most important story in the magazine. Also I slanted the writing to give it more of an effect. It really stands out when looking at the front cover.