Research into similar product

I have chose to look at these two magazine because of their mastheads. It appears to be the boldest and brightest . The masthead on the Q magazine fits in the colour scheme on the page, which makes it look organised and neat. The 'Q' stands out against everything else, catching the attention of the reader. It is also placed in the left third, which is important as the magazine needs to be seen from the shelf. However, the rock sound masthead is placed in the middle of the page under the skyline, which makes both the masthead and skyline visible. It isn't covered by the cover stars, therefore it is easy to spot on the page. For my magazine i have to consider the style and placement of the masthead in order for it to look like a professional magazine. I think that Q and Rock Sound magazines are good examples as their mastheads are bold and visible.

Research into similar product

I have chosen to analyse this contents page because it looks like the type of contents page that i'd like my magazine to contain. I like how the image is spread onto the whole page. It makes it seem important and i can link the image on the contents page to the main headline on the cover page. This will show that the cover artist is important and the focus of the issue of the magazine. I like how the list of contents has the same background as the image, as it fades into the background and looks neat. The contents are all on the right side of the page; therefore they are easy to find Furthermore, the quote from the cover artist can hook the reader and persuade them to buy the magazine in order to read the article. I like the black, red and white colour scheme on the as it contributes to the rock/punk theme of the magazine. I can use this as inspiration for my contents page as Rock Sound magazine is a good example of a rock magazine. 

Research into similar product

I have chosen these two front cover for one main reason, which is body language and facial expressions. A magazine like Rock Sound focuses and rock and punk genres, as well as their sub-genres which is the type of music i want my magazine to focus on. It is clear that both of these cover artists contribute to the type of the magazine by their body language. For example, Green day on the right are standing looking very sure of themselves and give the vibe of being tough. This is important as the music that Green Day play is labelled as rock/punk, so their body language expresses the kind of music they play. Furthermore, Oliver Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon on the left has a very tough facial expression, and he is making eye contact with the reader which can make the reader feel almost intimidated and feel that he is very important. On the front cover of my magazine, i want the cover star (whether it is me or a friend) to imitate the music genres that my magazine focuses on. I can use these two magazine covers as guidance as they tell me that looking tough and confident is very likely in cover stars of rock magazines.

Research into similar product

I have picked this front cover of Kerrang magazine for a number of reasons. First of all, my magazine will have a pop-punk/rock genre, and i feel that Kerrang magazine reflects these music genres the best, therefore, i can use it as a guide for my magazine. Secondly, this issue has a similar colour scheme to what i'd like my magazine to have. I like the mix of colours such as red, white, black and yellow as the compliment each other. A red cover line is very likely to stand out, like on this magazine front cover where the main cover line stands out nicely because it is in bold, red letters. Secondly, yellow text or black text on a yellow background catches the attention of the reader as yellow is a bright colour. Things such a puffs, pugs and screamers could be done in yellow as they need to catch attention. This way, the reader will recognise the important features. Also, i feel that a white background is important so that the main image can be clearly seen. In this Kerrang magazine cover page, the 3 cover stars are dressed in black, and are layered onto a white background which is effective as they don't blend in with any other colours. This is important as the cover stars have to be seen clearly.

Research into similar products: Cover, contents and double page spread 3

Research into similar products: cover, contents and double spread 2

Research into similar products: Cover, contents and double spread 1

Preliminary task

Drafting and Planning: investigating typography

In this task I had to identify the font that is the most effective for the theme of the magazine. I have decided to look at each one of these magazine covers and see why the font works, or why it doesn't. The purpose of this task was to investigate fonts in order to notice the importance they have. If a font does not match the theme, then the magazine looks unprofessional. For example. the font on front cover D does not match the theme of the magazine at all. It looks too professional and fancy, while the theme of the magazine is machine-like and robotic. The font is also not very clear to read, and does not catch the attention of the reader. On the other hand, the font on front cover E works best as it adds to the robotic theme of the magazine because the font is bold, clear and looks machine-like. This shows how important fonts are because they help to establish the theme of the magazine. Magazine cover F could also work, however it is not bold enough and looks too plain compared to font E; it does not catch attention as much as E. Furthermore, font A is the opposite of the theme. It is generic and plain, it is too simple which makes it very inappropriate. This task will help me in the future as it shows the importance of fonts, as well as it helps me see how to match a font to the theme of the magazine. I can come back and use this task when creating my final magazine.

Research into similar product - double spread 3

I picked this double page spread because the colours stood out to me. The bold 'Arena Land' in the title of the article caught my attention as it is written in a bright yellow colour. The title also stands out against the darker background of the picture. What also stood out to me was 'the big story' written in a bright yellow box. This links to the title and shows that this is the main story. I also like the headline 'somewhere in arena land' and is it a play on words of one of their songs 'somewhere in neverland'. I like the picture and its position on the page as it takes up most of the page, showing that the article is about the band in which he is in. He is also stood with his arms out, which could show that he is embracing the 'arena land' stated in the title. The white font stands out against the darker background, making it clear to read. Some parts of the text are bolded, this shows the important parts of the article. For example, in the subheading underneath the article, 'Alex Gaskarth' and 'All Time Low' are bolded, which shows that they are important and relevant to the article.

Research into similar product - double page 2

I like how Nicki Minaj is positioned on the page. She is positioned sligthly to the left, which gives more space on the right for the article. She is pictured to be leaning over her name in the title, which shows that this article is about her. She is also looking directly at the reader, making eye contact and bringing attention to her. The font of 'The gospel according to' makes the article look fancy, and the 'Nicki Minaj' in bold pink writing not only catches attention but also matches the baby pink background. The black font of the main article stands out which makes it easy to read.  Some quotes from her have the same background as the 'Nicki Minaj' in the title, which show the reader that the quote links to her. The title of the article links effectively to the article as it appears to be written like a bible verse with the numbering of different sections of the article. The text is placed around Nicki, effectively filling the page. The colours (pink, black and white) compliment each other as they make each other stand out.

Research into similar product - double page 1

I like the layout of this page as it looks well organised. The picture of the band on the right side links to the article on the left side. The band is looking directly into the camera, making eye contact with the reader. This makes the reader feel more engaged in the article. The headline next to the image of the band stands out and gives the band their credit. Some text in the article is bigger than the other, therefore it shows key quotes from the band. The headline also links to the article content on the left side of the page. There are three different fonts which are used for three different types of text. There is a font for the band's name, then one for the headline and key quotes and another one for the main article. The white colour of the article text compliments the black background, making it easy for the reader to be able to read. The article starts with a bold drop cap, making the article stand out on the page and catching the attention of the reader.