Music magazine cover planning

Draft of Front Cover

This image is a draft mock up of what the front cover of my magazine would look like. I am going to comment on what I like and dislike about the covers and see which one I have decided to make. The page has been split up into quarters and there is one draft cover per section on the page.

The image in the top left corner of the page is the first draft I am going to analyse. The mast head has been placed at the top of the page in the centre of it. This has been done so that it stands out on all of the page as it is clear and of a large size.

I have decided to place the volume number of the magazine underneath the mast head on the left hand side because I think that it looks good being placed there. The Date that the magazine was issued is also placed underneath this. I think that these two being placed here make it look quite professional. However, a down side to this is the fact that I think that it would look better being placed on the right.

The main image of the magazine takes up the whole page and has been placed slightly off centre on the right. I decided to do this because I think if it was directly in the centre, the cover lines would go over the image and be hard to see. I quite like the fact that the main image is off centre as I think that it adds a bit of individuality to the page, as it isn't in the stereotypical position of straight down the middle.

The cover lines that have been used are placed down the left hand side of the page. This has been down because as the middle is placed slightly off to the right, it makes it look well laid out. Also, the fact that they are all different sizes has been done so that the lower down the page they get, the more they come inwards. This is because the image will be of a person and will have his head at the top of the image box, so if all of the cover lines were the same size, it could cut over it. There are two more cover lines in the bottom right corner of the page which have been placed on it to make there be more stories on show.

Across the bottom on the left hand side is the web address of the magazine. This has been done as a form of contact details on the magazine.

The image of the top right corner is an alternative option to have as the front cover.The mast head has been placed at the top of the page in the centre of it. This has been done so that it stands out on all of the page as it is clear and of a large size. 

I have chosen to place the volume number and date on the right hand side of the page. This has been done because the main image on the cover would be placed on the far left of the page, so there shouldn't be anything on the left side of the page which could cover it up.

The cover lines that have been used on the page go down the right hand side of it. This has been done because of the fact that they shouldn't be going over the image and taking some of the focus off it, as that is the thing that makes it stand out on the shelf. The reason that they aren't the same size as the draft to the left of this, is because the image is placed on the far left, so they aren't going to take up some of the image space.

The bar code has been placed in the bottom left corner of the page. This has been put in so that the customer can see that it is actually for sale. However, I don't think that the front cover is the correct space to put it as it makes the overall look of the magazine decrease.

Out of all of the drafts created, this is the one that I like the least.

The bottom left image is another alternative draft to the front cover. The mast head has been placed on the top left hand corner of the page. I have decided to place this here so that the name is one of the first things on the page that is seen after the image. This fits with the stereotypical idea with the mast head being placed at the top.

I have decided to place the sell line underneath the mast head stretched across the whole page. I have chosen to do this because I think that it looks quite good going across it. The reasoning for putting it underneath the mast head is because it generally goes there on a magazine. 

The volume number and date have been placed on the right hand side of the page underneath the sell line. I have done this because I think that there is quite a going on down the left hand, so by placing these down the right hand side would help even it out. 

The main image that is on the page goes down the page just off centre to the right. This has been done because of the fact that the cover lines get larger the further down the page you go. As the image is going to be of a person, and take up the majority of a page, it means that their head is going to be at the top of the page. So there would be no point in putting an image on the page that is going to be covered up by cover lines.

However, I don't like the fact that there is a space above the volume number and date. I think that this could be used more effectively as it is a portion of space that could be used. I also think that the image should so all the way along the page because it looks stupid with a gap down the right hand side of it.

This is the final alternative to the drafts of the front cover. The mast head has been placed across the whole top of the page. This has been done because it allows it to be seen clearly on the page and allows the name of the magazine to stand out more.

The sell line I have used stretches across the whole page underneath the mast head. This has been done so that it can be seen subtly on the page when people look at the mast head.

The main image has been placed on the far left of the page. This has been done because it allows it to be seen clearly on the page, as it takes up the majority of the page. I think that this is quite good because it allows the selling factor of the magazine to be shown the most.

The cover lines that have been used have been placed down the right hand side of the page. I have chosen to do this because I think that it looks more professional and well laid out. This is due to the fact that the image is far over to the left so by having the cover lines far on the right, it means that they aren't going to be going over the image.

                                                                                                                                   

Thought shower

This is a thought shower of what my magazine could look like. I have used and A4 sheet and folded it in half. I have then on the left hand side came up with ideas that I like, and on the right side of it, put the ones that I like onto the page as if it was my real magazine.

The names that I came up with for the magazine are at the top of the image. I am going to comment on the name of the magazine, sell line, and cover lines that I have came up with and see which ones I want to incorporate into my magazine.

Platinum - I really like this name. The way that people in the music business can achieve a  platinum selling album reflected the name platinum. I think that this is good because as it is a music magazine, by associating something that is to do with music would help people recognise it as a music magazine. Also, the name platinum makes it seem more expensive and high quality as it is an expensive metal which would help make the magazine more appealing to people, and help it stand out amongst its competitors. 

Live - This name I like as well. I think that this also reflects the music industry as people can be judged on how good they are depending on if they are good when they perform live. The name would also help it stand out as well as Live is quite catchy and sounds good when it is said out loud.

Alive - I am not to sure about this name. I think that this name would give the magazine characteristics of a human and make it seem alive. But, I think that this name would make it seem like it is a nature magazine rather than a music magazine. This is why I am not to sure about this name.

Lime - I don't think I am a fan of this name. This is because I think that Lime makes it sound like a cookery magazine as Lime is a fruit. I also don't think that Lime would fit with the colour scheme of blue pink and white that I have chosen. I do think that it is a catchy name which would stand out amongst music magazine, but lime would most probably have to be green as this is what you associate with Lime.

Sublime - I think that the name Sublime makes the magazine sound really good. This is because people see Sublime and realise that it means amazing and fantastic. This would give people the idea that it is a high standard music magazine. The only downside to this name is that it doesn't sound very musical or have anything to do with it.

Fiasco - This name I don't really like. I think that people will look at the name of it and see that a fiasco is a dilemma or problem. So if my magazine was to be called this, it would make people think that the magazine is a problem. The link to music this has is with the artist Lupe Fiasco, but having the name of a magazine based on one artist could turn a lot of people off from it.

Kick - The name Kick I think is quite good. It shows off quite a bit of power because kick is something that you do in football or fighting. So by making it seem like a powerful statement, it would help people recognise it. However, the name kick could be seen as a rock magazine because it is something that rockers do, kick and thrash out.

Grind - I think this name is quite good because it makes it seem more like a music magazine. This is because when people go to a club and dance to music, the type of dance that can be done is a bump and grind. So I have incorporated this type of music dance into the name because it allows people to make a connection between them both. 

Out of all of the names that I have chosen, I think that I like Platinum the most. I think that it makes it seem quite expensive and by making it priced quite reasonably, would make people think that they are getting a bargain out of it. I also think that the link with that and music is to good not to include.

You know you've made it - This sell line I created because I think that it links quite well with the name Platinum. This is because an artist is well aware that they have hit the big time when their album goes platinum. So the sell line, "You know you've made it" fits with it perfectly.

The shine to your music - I don't really like this sell line. I don't think that it is very good at selling the magazine as the word shine doesn't have a very good selling point to it.

Let the beat run through you - I think that this is a good sell line. I like the way that the word beat has a link to music as it is part of the rhythm of a track. It allows people to think that when they read the magazine they will feel the beat running through them.

What you want - This sell line is quite basic. It gives the audience the impression that should they read the magazine, it will have inside of the magazine "What they want". Although I think that it is good, I don't think that it has much to do with music. But I do think it would help entice people to go and by it.

The magazine with oomph - This sell line I don't think is very good at all. I cant see it drawing people in to buy it as it sounds quite rubbish. I don't like the term oomph as for one, it isn't really a word, and too it looks quite chav, which is what I don't want my magazine to be like.

Well worth it's weight in gold - I quite like this sell line. It makes the magazine sound really good and important, The fact that it is well worth its weight in gold will make people think that they are getting their moneys worth.

Out of all of the sell lines that I have made, the one that I am going to make is "You know you've made it". I think that it makes the magazine sound really good and those who are in it are going to be of the highest standard. It was close between this and the "Well worth it's weight in gold", but I think that because the magazine is called Platinum, it wouldn't be as good as there would be two different types of metal mentioned. 

Kanye hits Platinum! - I think that this is a good Cover line because it shows two things. One, it could mean  that Kanye West has featuring in the magazine, and two he has a Platinum selling Album. This could be used to encourage people to buy it because they would want to look in the magazine to see what the music artist is up to.

Ciara Dropped! - I think that this is a good cover line to use. I think that this is the case because the artist Ciara is a R&B artist and she fits into the genre of the magazine. Also, the fact that she has recently been dropped from her record label would be a good feature to include because people would want to read it to find out why.

Who's headlining Glastonbury? - This would be a good cover line to include into the magazine because this is the next coming up big music event. So if it was to include who was going to be featuring in it, it would no doubt draw people into buying it.

Eminem needs a doctor - This cover line is an up to date one. This reflects Eminem's new song that has come out called "I need a doctor". So the cover line is a play on words which would make the audience wonder why he needs a doctor, which would make them think that it he is ill. This would sell some issues off of the shelf.

Who's that chick? - This cover line is another play on words. I think that this technique is quite good as it talks about Rihanna's new song that has come out with David Guetta.

2010 round up - This cover line is about the number ones that have came out in 2010. I think it is quite good as because it is early on in the year, people would still be interested in what the magazines thought of the songs, and find out what they think will happen to those artists in the coming year. I think that this is a good cover line to include.

Is Black the new White - I don't think that this cover line would be the most sensible to put onto my front cover of a magazine. This is because I think that it could be taken the wrong way by people and they think that it could be a racist comment. For that reason, I am not going to use it.

Who's the tw*t on Twitter - I think that this cover line is really good. This is because there are so many celebrities who currently use Twitter and have so many followers. So by doing some research into what the celebrities are saying about each other, such as the fight between Ciara and Rihanna on the social networking site, would help sell issues.

Out of the all of the cover lines that I have made, the one which is going to be my main cover line is "Kanye hits Platinum". I think that because it has the magazine name incorporated into it, would help show it as the main one. I have also chosen to use the cover line "Ciara Dropped", "Who's heading Glastonbury?", "2010 round up" and "Who's the tw*t on twitter", because I think they promote the genre of music that I am using and also would bring in the most people.

                                                                                                                  

Mock Magazine Cover

This is the mock up of what my front cover would like if I was to follow the design template that I created. I think that it does look good because the colours that are around the image allow it to stand out. However, I think that the cover lines should be the same colour of the clothing because it will allow there to be a link between the character and the magazine colour scheme. I like the differentiation between the colours blue and pink as they allow each other to stand out.

However, the downside of this is that there are two many cover lines down the side, I think that they need to be moved around the page to improve it.

Target audience research

Questionnaires

These are the three questionnaires that I created. I did this so I could carry out my own research to see what people would want to see from my magazine. The first questionnaire that you can see is the front cover questionnaire. I decided that it would be best to ask closed questions as opposed to open questions. This was because it would give me the more quantitative data that I am looking for. I have included images of what style my pages could be, so that I can see which style the majority of people prefer.

This is the questionnaire for the contents page. These questions have the same format as the previous questions in the way that they are closed questions.

This is the double page spread questionnaire. This like the other two questionnaires, follows the same format as the others.

                                                                                                           

Results of the Questionnaires

Below are the results of the questionnaire. I asked a total of 20 people and I have put the result in a percentage value. Here you can see clearly what people think of my ideas and how my overall design of the magazine will be affected. I have chosen to put my evidence in a pie chart because I think that it is one of the clearest ways to see the results.

From this pie chart, it is quite clear to see that all of the 20 people that were questioned think that the main image should take up the majority of the front cover. When it comes to making my actual cover, I will include this into my design because my target audience believe this is the best thing to do. Not only this, but I think that the best way to have the main image on the page, is to have it as large as possible.

The result of this question was that 13 people thought that it would be a good idea to have the same colours used on the page, throughout the magazine. This would bring a sense of continuity to the magazine. As my target audience think that this is a good idea to have incorporated in the design, I feel that I should comply with what my target want.  

This set of results show that there was a divide in the view of people. It shows that there are 9 people who think that the name of the magazine should be placed either in the middle of the page or in the top left of it. So from my research, my target audience couldn't come to a decision on where to place the name. Because of this, I think that I am going to choose what I want, which is to have it placed in the middle of the page. This is because I personally feel, that having it placed in the middle, would make it look much better overall than in the top left, and allows the name of the magazine to stand out more.

This graph shows how many cover lines people think is too much for the page. As the number which the majority of people have come up with is 6, it shows that they believe that it would take up too much of the page. When it comes to making my design, I am going to follow with what my target audience think. This is because when looking at other magazines, they have roughly about 6 on the front cover. So by having the same number as competitors, it means that the magazine isn't going to look stupid.

This result shows that 15 of the 20 people who I asked, believe that the cover lines should not go over the image. I agree with those 15 people and I am going to include this result in my design of the cover. This is because I think that by not having them placed over the image, allows the image to stand out greater, and also adds a level to the magazine in the way that there looks like a background, foreground and middle to the page. 

The target audience decided that the magazine that they preferred was Vibe with 11 people saying that they liked it. Because of this number, it shows that a majority of people like the layout of the magazine. I will therefore try and mimic the style of Vibe's front cover to appeal to most of my target audience.

The result of this question shows that the target audience prefer the pink, blue and white colour scheme. Although it wasn't the majority of people who chose it at 9 people, but the fact that it beat the other colour schemes by 3 votes shows that it appeals to more people. This result is probably down to the fact that these colours were included in the Vibe magazine. I am going to include these colours in the making of my magazine as it is liked by public demand.

This result shows that 17 people think that there should be a continuation of the colour scheme from the cover page to the contents page. I agree with the majority of my target audience and for this reason, I will make sure that the colour is the same on both of the pages.

As you can see, 19 people wouldn't be put off if there was more colours that were dominated than others. This means that when it comes to making the pages, that I can choose whichever colours I want as people wont be put off by them. 

The result from this question is that 12 people of my target audience think that 3 images would be enough for the contents page. As the majority of people think that the images should be between 2 and 4 images, I am going to make sure that I consider this when it comes to making this page, satisfying the majority.

This question shows that three quarters of my target audience who were questioned would rather see sans serif used. I am going to comply with this because I think that the sans serif font is less formal and is more appealing to a younger audience, and as my target audience is of the age of 16 - 24 years old, this fits perfectly.

This set of results show that the target audience would prefer to see whoever is headlining the magazine on the contents page, with 18 people saying yes. Because I agree with the result, I  am going to include this on my page, as I think that it will not only add a sense of continuity to the page, but also to show off the headliner. 

This result shows that the majority of people think that 5 stories would be enough to show on the page, but there is a reasonably sized proportion that think that 6 stories wold be enough. Although the majority do say 5 stories would be enough, I am going to go along with the second largest amount of people, and go with 6. This is because I think that this number would fill up the page better and work well with the number of images that would be included on the page.   

This graph shows that the there is a vast majority of people who would rather see my contents page look like the one from Vibe. There is nobody who likes the style used in Mojo and Q. This shows me that I should make my contents page as close as I can to the Vibe style so that the target audience are as happy as possible.

The result of this question tells me that people think that 6 images is too many to have included on the double page spread. I also am taking into consideration the fact that a high proportion also think that 5 images is too many. Because of this, I think that the best number to use on the page would be 4 because of the fact that over half of the target audience think that a higher number would be too many for the page.

As this result shows, nearly all of the people that were asked think that if I was to take a quote from the article, that it should be written in bold. I also agree with this because I think it adds to the look of it and makes it look a real article as this feature is used in professional spreads. As a result of this, I will therefore use it.

As you can see from this graph, most of the people that I asked think that the images should be placed down the middle of the page. However, I think that the images might be best placed on one page or down the side of the page, so because of this, I am going to try and incorporate as many of these three things without it looking cheap and awful. 

I agree with the 90% of the target audience that I asked. I also think that the image should stand out of the page so I am going to include this on my magazine definitely.

This final result shows me that there is a split of my target audience. This is because there is the same number of people who like the Solange double page spread and the Lily Allen. Because of this, I think that the decision should be made by me. I therefore think that the style of double spread that I should try and replicate is the Solange style. I think that this is the best style as it is clear and concise.



Music magazine double-page article research

The main image that has been included on the page takes up one page out of the two pages on the double page spread. This has been done so that the customers can see closely what the gentleman looks like. The image has been taken in a close up and the reasoning for this is so that the people can see clearly what kind of facial expression the man is wearing, and can slightly see what kind of clothing he is wearing. The fact that this happens is quite seductive as it leaves the audience with intrigue as they want to see what he is wearing. This is backed up through the fact that his shirt and tie are loosen which make him look more appealing to people. The background that the image is placed on is quite dark which has lighting above him, which makes him look quite angelic. There is also lighting coming from the side which lights up one side of his face. This can add to the intrigue of people as the fact that one side of his face is lit up and the other isn’t suggest a dark side to him, which further draws people in to it. On the darker side of the page, there has been a piece of text that looks like has been taken from the interview with the man from the image. This has been written in a reasonably large font which help it stand out, and the use of the white colour make this happen even greater. This is down to the fact that the white makes stands out amongst the dull background which contrast slightly. 

The style of writing that has been used in the title of the magazine has been written in a large font, which helps draw the attention of the audience. Although it isn’t as large as the image, it does help sell the story a little bit. The title has been written over the two pages which help people realise that these two pages are linked together. They have been written in a black font which stands out over the two pages. As the background on the page on the right is white, it allows it to stand out more predominantly than it does on the other page, as the black writing contrasts with it. But on the page on the left, although it isn’t as clear on the white, the fact that it goes over a light part of the page means that is does stand out.  

The orange border down the two sides of the spread has been done to improve the presentation of the overall document. This border resembles a frame that would normally go around a picture, and helps grab all of the people’s attention by making it look like something special and important. The border goes all the way down both sides of the page and this has been done deliberately so that it would make people focus only on the actual article, and stop them from being distracted by things off the page. The page numbers have been placed in the bottom corners of both pages, and because they are written in white, on top of an orange background, means that it is clear on the page. Above the numbers there is a little portion of text which displays what kind of genre that this gentleman is associated with. When people look at a page, their eyes go around the page in a clockwise motion, so they can quickly get a glimpse of what is on the pages. The way that the little portion of text has been written is to fit this. So the page on the left, the writing goes up and on the right, it goes down.

The layout of the text has been done to match with the stereotypical magazine style. It has been written in columns which help break up the page and make look much more presentable than just one big block of text. The start of the article has the first sentence in a bold font. This makes it stand out and make it look like it is an important piece of text. The text has been written in paragraphs to make it look clear and well presented. The font that has been used is sans serif. This has been done because it is a non formal style, as there are no flicks used; they make it look less traditional and more contemporary and young. The size of the font is quite small, and this has been done so that the article fits onto the one page. As the image is on the entire page on the left, the article has to fit onto the page on the right in order to make it be a double page spread. Although the font is of a relatively small size, it still is clear to read.

Above the text is a small passage that is a few lines long. They have been used a larger font so that it is easy to read on the page and it stands out more than some of the other features of the page, and so that it is read before the article. The text has been written in sans serif for the same reason as was stated in the passage about the article’s layout. The name of the artists has been written in bold so that it stands out above that passage of text. This therefore gives the audience an idea of who this article is about, if they haven’t recognised them from the image.

The main image that has been used on the page takes up a whole side of the page. This has been done to promote the artist Florence from Florence and the Machine. This has been taken from a long shot which allows the viewers to see all of her outfit that she is wearing. The colour of the dress she is wearing is black and this contrasts with the red hair that she has. The black colour allows her hair to stand out and these two colours are lifted off the page from the background of the page. The fact that her music is from the rock pop genre, matches with the style of clothing and hair colour that she sports. The black colour can be seen as representing the rock genre as music from this category can be seen as quite dark and sinister, and the red hair, creates quite a happy and vibrant feeling that can be seen in pop songs. The direct mode of address that is used on the image contrasts with the high heeled boots and the short dress that she uses. This is because of the fact that when someone looks at the camera, they normally seem quite powerful and fearless which are usually masculine traits. But the use of the dress and the high heels show femininity, which allows the two to contrasts with each other. The fact she is sitting on top of the American flag suggests that she is a big hit in America and that she has done what is seen as ‘quite hard’ in the music world, which is to crack America, as the fact she is sitting on it, shows she has beaten it.  

The colour scheme that has been used throughout the page is a grey and silver colour. These colours have been chosen because the black font that is used for the text can be easily seen from these colours.  The colour of the American flag brightens up the page as it is the only colour on the page that isn’t silver or black. This allows the image to stand out more than anything else on the page as the red is really radiant. The colour of the text ‘USA’ in the background of the page is a darker grey than the rest of the page. This has been done to allow it to stand out of the page but more subtlety because of the fact that it is behind the image, they don’t want this word to take away much of the attention away from the image. This is another reason why it has been placed in the background and the image in the foreground.   

The style of font that has been used is mixed. There is both serif and sans serif fonts used. These two styles have been incorporated into the page to make it look both modern and stylish. The flicks that are used on the words “got the love” make the text look quite feminine which match up with the image of Florence of the left hand side, allowing a sense of continuity throughout the page. The use of the Drop cap has been done to help make the article look more real as this is a feature that is used regularly in articles. The fact that it is written in the serif font as well make it look stylish and continue feminine feel, into the article.  The use of the sans serif font on the word “USA” adds a bit of a modern touch into the magazine as the letters without the flicks make it look more up to date. The actual article itself has been written in a serif font, which makes it look more stylish and traditional, which gives a good mix of stylish and contemporary features used on the page.

The layout of the page has the image placed on the left, with the article on the right hand side of it. This has worked quite well as it allows both pieces to remain separate and to stand out and not overlap each other. The image has Florence placed centrally to show that she is of high importance as she is placed in the middle of the rule of thirds. The article that is placed on the right hand side of the page, has been put together in columns which make it looks like an actual article. It has also been written in paragraphs which make it look more real, as real articles have them included to help break up a large portion of text.  At the top of the page, the words “USA got the love” looks like it is a play on words of a song that she wrote. She sang the song, “You got the love” and she has incorporated the USA from the word “You”. This allows the audience to make a reference to help music and the words on the screen.

The main image that has been used on the page has been placed on the right hand side of the double page spread. This has been done so that Lily can appear as big as possible, allowing her to stand out more than anything else on the page. She is wearing a red chequered top which has the button undone to the cleavage. This is quite a feminine touch as it sows of her womanly features, which promotes her as a female. However, the use of the gold chain around her neck is quite masculine, as you would normally associate gold chains with men, which contrasts with the fall of the shirt. The black hair that she has allows her face to stand out as it, coupled with the red shirt, both draw the eyes of the reader to her face. The use of the black eye make up has been done so that her eyes stand out as much as possible, making them seem larger than they actually are, grasping their full attention. As she is facing the camera in a direct mode of address, it makes her look even more powerful on the page (which is another manly trait) - the use of the red shirt also does this as well. Because of the position of her eyes, it means that no matter where you move in front of the image, it looks like she is staring it you, which makes the audience feel quite inferior to her. The way that her lips are positioned make her look like she is quite a cocky and arrogant person, as it seems that she is of greater importance than them. This coupled with the fact that she has hers arms on her waist and leaning forward slightly, further add to this idea.

The layout of the page has been done to show off both the image and the article. The image placed on the right hand side allows it to be the clearest of all things on the spread, as it is placed on the page pretty much by itself. The magazine has included some of the article at the top of the page in what looks like newspaper cuttings. The reasoning behind this feature is so that it catches the eye of the readers and in one sentence, gives the audience an idea of what is coming up in the interview. The layout of the article itself has been done in columns. This follows the traditional style of an article as columns help break up the page to make it easier on the eye of the readers. The page numbers have been placed at the bottom of the page so that they aren't easily seen on the page, distracting the viewers away from the actual content of the magazine. The name of the magazine has been placed to the side of the numbers. This has been done so that the audience can have a gentle reminder of who the article belongs to, and it casually promotes the magazine as if the reader is being bombarded with the name of the magazine, they will be more likely to remember it as opposed to a magazine who doesn't do it.

The segment of the article that is placed at the top of the page is quite a unique feature to this magazine. This is because nobody uses this specific technique to draw the attention to the article. The black background behind this piece of text is black and changes both shape and size depending on which letter it actually is. This gives it its paper cuttings kind of effect. The use of the white colour text in front of the black background allows it to be seen as clearly as possible, as the use of two contrasting colours means that they are going to be easy to see. By making the letters of the text appear in different sizes also helps it stand off the page as it is quite a peculiar feature to use.

The use of the red colour of the font over the name of Lily Allen and James Mason has been done to allow them to be seen on the page more than the rest of the font. This is because of the fact that Lily Allen is who the article is about, and James Mason is the man who has created the article. The red colour stands out on the white background and has been taken from the top that she is wearing so that there is a theme of colour, and a sense of continuity throughout the spread. It also stands out amongst the black text around it for the same reason as above. The black font has also been taken from the top and the hair colour to allow this theme to run through the page.  

The main image that has been used on the spread goes along the top half of the page and along the left hand side of the page on the right. The reason behind this is to break the page up so that there isn't a large portion of text in front of the reader, which can be quite off putting. The images along the top of the page are of Solange (who the article is based on) in different poses. This makes the audience see that she has a personality as not everybody would do images of still shots them dancing. All of the images show her in the same item of clothing, resulting in a sense of continuity as the viewers aren't introduced to anything out of the ordinary. The images that go across the top of the page have been put in a grey scale colour. This has been deliberately so that all of the largest image, which is in colour, can be seen first by the audience. The use of the grey colour could be perceived as the old Solange and the coloured image could be seen as the new Solange. This could be backed up by the fact that she is dancing in the grey images suggesting that she is quite young and hyper, and the coloured image with her standing still, is quite a sophisticated look. So the saying, "the light at the end of the storm" could be used in reference to this. The use of the red dress that she wears contrasts with the blue text that is on the page allowing to stand out even more. The colour, coupled with the fact that she is wearing a very short dress, showing off her legs, allow her to stand out off the page, as the audience become aware that she has amazing legs. Although the image could suggest that she is quite sophisticated, the way that she has her legs positioned and feet pointing, show that she is quite young,flirty and perhaps ditsy. This is because she has legs bent outwards with her feet pointing inwards, showing that she is still quite young and immature.

The layout on the page is quite different to the normal style of the article. This is because of the fact that there are images that go both across the top and down the page, which split it up. The large image allows the article to be separated as there is another piece of text to the right of the image. The actual content of the article has been separated into columns to make it look like an a well structured and real story. The page numbers have been placed in the bottom corners of the pages so that they can be seen subtly without been seen clearly, taking some of the significance of the article. Next to this is the name of the magazine which again, acts like a gentle reminder to the public who this story comes from. Next to this in the edition that it has came out on. This is quite a useful feature to use and isn't used on every magazine. This again allows people to make a reference to it easily as the name and edition that it came out on are both visible on the page. The way that the word "volume" has been written is the same as the contents page has been done on similar editions of vibe. This therefore reflects the style that is used by Vibe magazine allowing people to see a link between the two. On the bottom of the page there is the name of the photographer who took the image which is a good feature as not only is it the music artist that is being promoted, but the photographer as well. On the left of her feet, there is a small passage about what clothing she is wearing. It says the name of the company and which bit of clothing they made. This is quite a unique feature that has been used on the magazines that I have analysed which acts a promotion to those companies. This is because of the fact that if members of the public see an item of clothing that a celebrity is wearing, they are more likely to go out and buy it. On the right of her legs, we are shown a small portion of the interview. This has been written in a bold font which makes it stand out even more and gives a glimpse to the public what is to come in the article.

The fact that the name of Solange has been written in blue has been done to match up with the passage that this is part of. As it talks about her being "outspoken", the fact that it is written in a different colour to the rest of the text, it allows her to stand out, which as stated in the passage, doesn't happen. Also the fact that it is written in blue, contrasts with her red dress which she is wearing on the opposite page, allowing her name, and her image, to stand out amongst each other.

The font that the story has been written in is Times New Roman. This is a serif font which means that it has flicks. This is quite a traditional style of writing and makes the article look much more formal. However on the first line of the article, there is the use of the bold sans serif font. This has been so that there is a gentle transition from the sans serif font at the top of the page to the serif font of the story. The sans serif font that has been done was chosen to make the story look more appealing and informal. At the start it draws them in, which is something that the serif font just couldn't do, and once this is done, it switches to the serif to give it to the story, so that it seems more formal.

Music magazine contents page research

 Contents Page Research

The colour scheme that has been used in the magazine is black red and white. This has been continued from the front cover of the magazine as these colours are used as it's house style. The use of these colours allows the text to stand out as the black and white colours contrast with each other and allow it to stand out of the page. The name of the magazine at the top of the page has been written in a red colour with a fine white line around it so that it seems to lift off the black background. The background of the page has been made into white and this is because as the colour of the font is black, it allows it to be easily seen because of the fact that they contrast. The use of the colours that have been used on the number of the pages has been done to make them stand out amongst the white and black colours that have been included in that area of the page. As a result of this, the impact of having this makes it seem quite powerful and dominant, as these are the connotations from the colour red. 

The headlines that have been used are written in a large font. This is because they need to stand out on the page so that the people reading the magazine can realise that they are something special, as they highlight what kind of stories the magazine has to offer. They have been written in the white colour font as it has been backed onto a black background, therefore it is easy to read. The style of font that it has been chosen to be written in is sans-serif. This has been chosen because the target audience is quite young, and this font helps cement this view as a serif font is a more formal and up market magazine. The use of the bold text that has been put on the headlines, allows them to stand out even more as they appear more largely on the page.

The image has been placed in the centre of the page. This has been done so that it is clear for the people who are viewing the page what the main story in the magazine is. This image has been taken in a long shot so that the everyone can see what the people are actually look like. This has been done for an informative reason as it informs the people what the actual content of the magazine is. This therefore results in the people knowing early on in the magazine whether there is going to be anything in the magazine that they are going to find remotely interesting before they purchase it. The colour of the image is quite dark as well which fits quite well into the rocker sort of magazine as they can be seen as quite dark figures. Underneath the image is the passage of text that goes with it. The colour of the font fits with the gloomy image as they both include dark features so they compliment each other in making the it as dull as possible. The use of a drop cap is quite a traditional way of starting to write a passage of text and is normally done quite elaborately, but the use of the plain, simplistic and non fancy style that has been incorporated in the letter M, suggest that NME have used it to put a stamp on their magazine saying that although it may be basic, it is definitely effective. The use of the red piece of text prior to this portion of information has been included to help brighten it up a bit, to remind people that it isn't something that is Gothic, but something that is quite rock like. The colour red has been taken from the logo and have been included in the whole page.

The advertisement that has been placed at the bottom of the page has been done so that the magazine can promote itself from the inside. This has been done by putting it into a section of its own so that it can stand out on the page so that firstly it can be noticed, then the colours of the writing inside the box. This has been done so that it can be seen undoubtedly off the page as the yellow and white colours bounce of the black background. The use of the bold font that has been included on the text helps to make it seem clearer as it appears even larger than it should.

However, a negative aspect of this contents page is the layout. The overall presentation of the page makes it look quite messy and compact which doesn't make it look very presentable. The thin lines on the page help break it up slightly, but the use of the small font at such a vast amount make it look cheap and overcrowded. The use of the arrows that are on the page give it a bit of character but are still quite unnecessary. They do fill up the void on the page but they reduce the little effect that the page had. On the other hand, it does make the magazine look like it has a lot of information to show off. 

The band index that has been placed down the left hand side of the page is quite a unique feature to the magazine. It has all of the band’s who are featuring in the magazine written in red with the page number placed next to it. The names of the bands have been written in a red colour and this has helped them be seem clearer on the page. This is down to the use of the white background which means that the red can be easily seen. The black colour used on the numbers of the magazine allow them to also be easily seen on the page due to the fact that the black contrasts with the white making to clear as day.  

  

The colour scheme that has been used in this contents page is grey and black. This has been done so that the black font stands out and is easily visible on the light grey background. This allows the audience to feel rather cold and unnerved as these are some of the connotations that come with these colours. However, the use of the red in the women's hand, which is placed over his heart has a stark contrast to the page, as the red colour bursts out of the page. The red colour could represent love, because of the fact that it is positioned over his heart which is a typical representation of love. This also brightens up the page somewhat as it is the only piece of colour on the page. The red thing is one of the first things that is seen on the page which is positioned just below his head, which means that it could be used to draw attention to Kanye's face.

The background has a letter V which has been written in the background in a large font. This is one of the largest things that is on the page. It has been written in a darker grey colour than the background and this has been done so that it can stand out off the page whilst still appearing quite subtle. The letter V comes from the name of the magazine Vibe. As this comes from the magazine, it acts as a gentle reminder to the readers that they are reading the magazine. The  background allows the image to stand out due to the fact that it appears behind the image, which makes it seem like it is on another level to it.

The layout of the magazine has the content placed down the right hand side and slightly on the left. The reasoning behind this is that the they don't go over the image. This allows it to stand out more as the fact that the image doesn't have anything over it, makes it look clearer and stand out more of the page. The way that the name content has been written is quite a unique thing about the magazine. This has been done to give the magazine its own individual look to it that is unique to them.

The style of writing that has been included in the magazine is both serif, and sans - serif. This mix has been done to make the magazine look both contemporary and young. The serif font has been used to add a contemporary look to the magazine because of the use of the flicks which although a quite traditional style, look quite up to date. This style has been incorporated into the headings, which allows them to stand out as something different, further highlighting the fact that they are a title. The writing underneath the headings have been written in a sans - serif font. This has been done to make the writing look more age appropriate as the target audience for this magazine is teenagers upwards, so by using a font that looks quite young, helps fit with the audience. 

  The image that has been included on the page has been placed in the centre of the page. It has been taken in a mid shot with it being placed in the middle of the rule of thirds. This has been done so that people can see what he is wearing and get an idea of what he likes. He has had the image taken in a direct mode of address. This has been done because of the fact that it allows him to seem even more powerful, and this is backed up from his hands being placed in his pockets. This makes him look rather cocky and arrogant which makes the point of the image work well.

A negative aspect of this contents magazine is the size of the font on the actual content. This is far to small for the viewers to see the actual content. As a result of this, it ruins the overall look of the page as the size of the text makes it hard for people to see the information. Although this is good at promoting the actual artist, it isn't very good at promoting the magazine.

The colour scheme that has been used in the magazine is white, green, black and red. The white has been used so that the writing on the page can allow the other colour of the page to stand out more. The green has been has been placed down the left hand side of the document so that it gives it a bit of colour to the page. It also has been done to split the page as it is a change from the traditional white background, and is quite unique in comparison to others. The black writing has been used due to the fact that it stands out off the page and is easy to read. This contrasts with the red headings that have been used. The red colouring has been used to highlight the fact that they are headings, and the use of the bold writing helps it stand out even more. The names of the stories that have been used have also been written in a bold font, and this has been done for the same reason as above. The white writing that has been put over the top of the images has been done so that it stands out over the images. This is because if there was another colour used, it wouldn't be as easy to read as the white colour is.

The images that have been used have been placed on the left hand side of the page. Although there isn't a main image as such, there is a selection of images. This has been done to match up with the stories that have been placed down the right hand side.They have been placed on the page so that they can all be seen clearly, but there is one image that goes over the top of some of the images. The reasoning behind this is to help break the page up and give it some life as if this wasn't there, it would look very regimental and rather boring, which would be quite off putting to the reader. There have been images placed along the bottom of the page to show people what stories are going to be involved in the magazine. This has been put together with the portion of text to the side of it so that people can get an idea of what is to come. The font that has been used throughout the whole document is sans - serif. This has been done to try and make the look of the magazine look younger, as the age of the magazine looks quite high from the colour schemes that are used, and a sans - serif font without the flicks, is quite a young style. 

The layout of the magazine has been done so that the title is placed at the top right corner of the page. This has been done so that it is at the top of the page, and written in a bold font, which is underlined by a dashed line. This has been done to make it look clear what the name of the magazine actually is. The positioning of the content on the right of the images has been done to split the page up, so that the overall presentation looks better. This has been done through the fact that the way that the text is separate from the images, allows them to stand out more.

A negative aspect of the magazine is that the amount of images that have been included on the page. This makes the magazine look quite tacky because of the way that they are all pushed together. There is also far to much going on on the page as there are 8 images on the page which is far too much.

The colour scheme that is used in the contents page of this magazine are red, black, white and grey. The grey has been used on the background to make the colours stand out more on the page, as the colours white and red are clear to be seen on a grey background. The black however, has been used on the white background at the top of the page and this has been done because they are contrasting colours which make them easy to read. The use of the black background down the left hand side of the page has been done so that the white can be seen as clearly as possible, and although the white can be seen down the grey background, it isn't as clear as it is on the grey. The red colour has been taken from the logo that is placed in the top left corner of the page and was used in the colour of the font and backgrounds. The grey colour that is used in the background in the background has been taken from the grey lines and jumper that the gentleman is wearing in the image. This has been done to show a link between the man and the background to make him look softer on the page as his facial expression is quite aggressive.
The layout of the magazine is quite well done as it is clear and concise. The main image has been placed in the centre of the page and this has been done so that it is one of the first things that is seen on the page. This will help them be aware of what is to come in the magazine. The positioning of the actual content has been placed on the left hand side. This has helped show off the image more because of the fact that there is very little covering him, so his face and the majority of clothing can be seen clearly.
The image of the man has been taken in a mid shot. This has been done so that the viewers can see the clothing of the man and his facial expression. The background colour matches his expression as it is a hard stare which makes him look like quite an angry figure, and with him facing in a direct mode of address, this further adds to his powerful, rather sinister look. The image covers up the whole page and this has been done so that it makes him look even bigger and larger which further intensifies his sinister look, as he looks the most dominant thing on the page.
  The style of font that has been used on the vast majority of the page is sans – serif. This has been done so that it appeals to a younger audience which matches the target audience selected by the magazine. Typically, sans – serif is less formal than the serif font because there are no flicks on the end of the letters, which make it look more traditional. The name of the magazine however has been written in a serif font which contrasts with the style of font that has been used on the whole page. This results in the look of the magazine seeming older, when the rest of the fonts used have tried to reduce the age of it. The size of the fonts used differs throughout the page. This is shown in the logo of the magazine as it appears quite large at the top of the page, placed next to the large contents text. This has been done so they stand out of the page and are made aware to the viewers that this is relatively important. The black font that is used on the red writing is a critique of the page, and this is down to the fact that it is quite hard to read it off of the light background. The use of the white colour looks well written on it, so a colour like that would make it look more appealing to the eye.

The light grey line that is used across the bottom of the page has been also used on the top line of the page. The colour has been taken from the light grey jumper that is shown in the image, which allows the viewers to see a link between the man and the colours used, allowing them to see a colour scheme developing. The use of the red colour text used helps the reader see that there is a break in the text across the bottom line. It allows the viewers to see that there is actual speech and this is shown more clearly by the use of the speech marks. The black text placed next to it helps identify who the speech comes from.