My Front Cover Evaluation

My front cover for my regional magazine has taken the same form as my billboard advertisement, this is so my target audience who will have seen the billboard will be able to recognise it instantly on the selves. The title of my magazine is at the top of the page following the conventions of other magazine front covers and also so that if it is on the self behind another they will still be able to see the title to find the magazine. I have used Tahoma bold font for the word Teen and Times New Roman italic for the word unique, this is so that both words stand out both together and separately, this is an idea I have continued with the bottom of the page with the word Ella in Times New Roman italic and Natural is Best in Century Gothic.

Although I originally wanted all black font, I decided in the end to have my double page spread article on the no makeup selifes in white, this is because as the model takes up the majority of the page I wanted to be able to see the writing clearly and where this writing is located on top of her hair the black did not show up very well, hence I decided on white.

I have chosen to place the issue number of the magazine and the month of the issue above the title to the left. This is because although they are normally situated under the title, I wanted to create more space for my article information and by placing it above the title I have created space to do so. Also where the letter Q in Unique comes down to there is not really enough space between the top of the models head and the edge of the page to place it. Also I have put the bar code in the bottom right hand corner so that it doesn’t obstruct the rest of the page.

Finally I decided on my font Century Gothic because of the clean cut edges I thought looked really modern, therefore appealing more to my target audience, the parts about the article I have written in italic to show a clear difference, and have made the number 30 larger than the text on the article so that it grabs instant attention and stands out on its own as well as part of a feature.

My Front Cover

 

This is my finished front cover for my regional magazine. I have used the format from my billboard so that it is instantly recognisable to my target audience.

White Text

I have been moving text around on my front cover to see what looks best where, then I decided to move my main story up the page. However because the models hair is dark the writing is not very clear making it difficult to read. Therefore I think I will stick to black font and just move the writing unless I can find a way to make it work.

Positioning the Issue Number and Date

I have chosen to place the issue number of the magazine and the month of the issue above the title to the left. This is because although they are normally situated under the title, I wanted to create more space for my article information and by placing it above the title I have created space to do so. Also where the letter Q in Unique comes down to there is not really enough space between the top of the models head and the edge of the page to place it.

Looking at Font for my Front Cover

 

I have started to look at font to include on my front cover for my articles. Here I have used Tahoma font in size 30, I have chosen this font because it is clear and concise and is also the font used as part of my magazine title. However this font is not very eye catching and does not stand out as much as I thought it would.

I then went on to thinking that if I moved the number 30 to above the text and have it separate in a larger size it would attract more attention, I think that this looks really effective and the 30 has become eye catching. I have now also changed the font to Berlin Sans FB and the font size for the writing has increased to 36. I am still not 100% satisfied with the font to I will continue looking for another one.

 

I continued my search for a professional looking font and have found Century Gothic, I really like this font because I believe that it looks modern through its sharp cuts and slim text, this will then reflect upon the ages of my target audience, teenagers, by being modern.

A Second Title?

I really want this issue of my magazine to focus on the confidence in teenage girls, hence why I am planning to do my main article on the no makeup selfie campaign. Therefore this issue will be called, The Confidence Issue. When designing my front cover I want to put this somewhere on it and look to see where it would go best and with what font and if it should be completely separate to other text on my front cover. Therefore I will look into the option of having this as a second title, or maybe not even featuring it on the front cover at all and saving it for my contents page.

Ideas of Articles to Feature on the Front Cover

Below is a list of ideas of articles to advertise on my front cover. From my article research so far I would really like my main double page spread to be about the no makeup selfie campaign for cancer research. The other ideas I have just come up with I believe would be eye catching and relatable for my target audience. The ideas with numbers included in the title are there because on the other front cover magazine I have looked at, articles with numbers involved have been advertised.

·         No Makeup Selfie – the cancer research campaign taking the women of Britain by storm.

·         30 hair styles you can try at home.

·         The best clothes to compliment your body shape.

·         3 steps to a clearer complexion.

·         How to make the best out of a bad situation – we hear your inspiring stories.

·         What does your hair colour say about you?

·         20 ways to clear a busy mind.

·         Why we love Katie Piper.

·         Simple easy ways to get the motivation you desire.

·         Is your body getting the vitamins it needs?

Front Cover Font Colour

The colour of font for my front cover will be black. I think that this is the best colour option to choose because the title is black and will create a colour scheme continuity throughout my front cover. Black will also stand out against the pale and light colours of my background making the writing clear and easy to read. However part of my background, especially where the models hair is, is a little darker so I will look into using a light colour in these parts. This will hopefully consequently give my front cover the professional look I am aiming to achieve.

Front Cover Background and Title

 

This is the basis of my front cover, the title and the magazine. I have taken this from my billboard as that it what I am using as the basis of my front cover to create a sense of continuity for my target audience. I have followed the conventions of a front cover of a magazine by having the model as the main feature in the centre taking up the majority of the page, and the title in bold letters at the top of the page so that it is easily identified.

Template for my Front Cover

Planning my Front Cover

Following my research I have decided to use my billboard as my basis for the front cover of my magazine, I am doing this so that my magazine is instantly recognisable to my target audience following the advertisement from my billboard.

I will use the layout with the same model and title format and add text about the article in my magazine situated around the models face, this follows the normal conventions of a front cover for a magazine. Therefore my front cover will look very similar to my billboard making it recognisable for my target audience.

I will most likely use black colour font as that is what colour the title of my magazine will be in, this is because the black will stand out and be readable against the pale background consisting of the pastel blue colour of the models jumper and the white canvas she is standing in front of.