What I Have Found Out Through My Front Cover Research

Through my front cover research I have found out that the model on the front cover of my magazine is best located in the centre of the page with the writing situated around it, therefore the attention is focused on the model on the cover. Also the title of my magazine should be located at the top in the middle therefore following the usual conventions of the front cover layout.

After analysing different front covers of the same genre I am following I believe that my front cover should not be over crowded with information and that only relevant catchy information about my articles should be presented. Therefore my audience will be aware of what is inside without being over crowded with information at the first glance.

The colours used in my front cover should complement each other and should not clash, otherwise the magazine will look unprofessional and put my target audience off from reading it. To see what colours compliment I should refer to my colour wheel. The colours used should also be readable against the background of my front cover.

Now I am ready to start planning my own front cover for my regional magazine.

Elle Magazine Front Cover Analysis

 

Above is an analysis I have conducted of Elle magazine front cover. By doing this I am able to see what other magazines of the genre I am following have done, to ensure my front cover reaches its best potential.

The front cover follows the usual conventions with the model being the main focus point in the middle of the page, however what makes it different to other magazine front covers that I have looked at is that the title situated conventionally at the top is not in bright bold colours like the others, instead it is simple and almost transparent with aspects of the model coming through and it is also separated between the two L’s to allow more attention on the model, however this fits completely with the nude colour scheme and stands out against the darker background.

What else is different about this magazine to other magazines front covers I have analysed is that the page is not over crowded with writing, such as the Company magazine front cover that was very crowded, I believe that this front cover is much more effective in grabbing the target audience’s attention as it does not look tacky but instead classy with more attention paid to specific advertised articles; the colour scheme also complements this idea of class as it is not bold and in your face but instead subtle and easy on the eye.

I really like how this front cover has taken the less is more approach, I think it is really effective with the overall layout of the magazine complementing the colour scheme.

Magazine Colour Schemes

The overall look of a magazine should be consistent throughout all pages. Less is better. Colours that complement each other should be used otherwise the magazine would look tacky and no one would want to read it. There is a simple way of doing this by looking at a colour wheel.

As you can see from the image above, certain colours will look better together.

The colours of the magazine above The starting point was the blue sky. Now look at the colour wheel and find the blue. Directly opposite the blue is the colour which best compliments it, Orange. If you use the colour in the images on the page your magazine will flow better. Always pick the complimenting colour and use it throughout the design, for example, headlines, colour grab boxes, and boarders.

The colour choosing colours for my magazine I think I will use pastel colours, they are minimalistic, classy, and easy to blend in together, also as they are fashionable at the moment I believe it will gather more attention and be more appreciated from my target audience.

Typography

When you have a lot of text, as you usually do in a magazine, typography can make a huge difference between a boring article and one the target audience would like to read. Hierarchy is one of the important concepts, what is important is always larger and maybe with another colour, which has a higher contrast with the background so it is more visible. If a front cover is organized properly, then the titles will always stand out and the most important information will be easy to find.

Therefore with my magazine will be limited to the text that is important, therefore it will not be overcrowded and the relevant information per article summary will be together and organised, otherwise it will confuse the target audience and put them off from reading it

Company Magazine Front Cover Analysis

Above is an analysis I have conducted of Company magazine front cover. By doing this I am able to see what other magazines of the genre I am following have done to ensure my front cover reaches its best potential.

The front cover follows the usual conventions of any magazine cover, with the model as the main focus point and the writing situated around it, because the brand Company is well known the models head is covering part of the letters, this means that the magazine is still instantly recognisable.

The colour scheme if the front cover is different shades of purple, therefore they have used white writing for the text. White writing is not normally used unless of very dark backgrounds, however with this one being not too dark the white was unexpected, however if they were to have used a darker font then the overall look of the magazine would have been a lot darker, using the white font brightens and lightens up the front cover making it a little unusual and edgy.

The font is not continual throughout the front cover, it is of different types and sizes. The usual conventions are that the font is usually the same throughout so this goes against that, although it looks confusing at first and very over crowded, this gives the front cover a more unusual eye catching look.

For my front cover I think I will make sure that my font is all the same, as at first this front cover did look a little over crowded and confusing and would put me off from reading it, I do not want my target audience to feel the same way about mine.

Vogue Magazine Front Cover Analysis

Above is an analysis I have conducted of Vogue magazine front cover. By doing this I am able to see what other magazines of the genre I am following have done to ensure my front cover reaches its best potential.

The front cover follows the usual conventions of any magazine cover, with the model as the main focus point and the writing situated around it, because the brand Vogue is well known the models head is covering part of the letters, this means that the magazine is still instantly recognisable.

The font is the same throughout the front cover creating the idea of the magazine cover flowing and gives it a touch of elegance. The font colour, red and black, is also continual throughout creating the same effect. The colour scheme contrasts against the light blue background making it readable and clear, with whatever is in red, like the title and part of the main article, to stand out the most drawing in the target audience’s attention.

The way that this title page is set out is the same way I will set mine out, with my billboard being in the form of a front cover page, I will use the same image and title to create continuity for my target audience so that it is instantly recognisable.

What a Front Cover should consist of

Below is a list of what a typical magazine front cover should consist of, by using this list I will ensure that my magazine cover fits the right criteria and consists of what is required to draw in my target audience’s attention.

·         Plugs – information about the contents of the magazine to get the audience’s attention

·         Cover Lines – information about the articles features in the magazine

·         Puffs – a word of phrase that is used to boost the status and engage the audience

·         Masthead – the logo or design of the company that issue the magazine

·         Main cover line

·         Price

·         Issue number

·         Feature article photographs

·         Barcodes

·         Type Face- the type of writing style to which the magazine company uses

By using this criteria my front cover should reach the best of its ability in securing the attention of my target audience.