Front Cover Analysis
From analysing front pages of Rolling Stone, Q and Vibe I have learned about the little things included on a front cover to make it look professional and complete. I have used these three because they're all contrasting magazines so that if I take inspiration from each, my magazine will be unique. When analysing Q magazine I found that I really liked the one lettered masthead. It was small yet very effective. Since I really like this idea, I will take some inspiration from it and add to it so that I'm not copying Q magazine, but I am taking inspiration and multiplying it. I really liked the colours on Q magazine. They changed the colours from red to pink and yellow yet still kept some basic red on the front cover to match the masthead. Although the colours pink, yellow, red and black are very odd they work well together creating a unique sense of style. For my magazine, I will include colours that haven't really been put together before, but colours that actually bond well together and make my magazine look unique and stylish. When analysing Vibe magazine, I really liked the red and black colours they used on their front cover. Although their's is very masculine, I would alter my front cover to be unisex so it will attract both genders. I will include a female artist, which is smiling, so it looks like she is very inviting to both genders. The masthead on Vibe magazine is very large and bold. Since I want to attract both genders I won't make mine as masculine and bold, I will make mine smaller and will include colours red and white so that both genders will enjoy it. Finally, when analysing Rolling Stone magazine, I really liked the use of colour, and the way they had done the cover lines. They have used lines to separate each cover line which is really effective as it allows the audience to clearly see the cover lines without them being too close together. I will take this inspiration and make the lines bigger to fit the size of my cover lines.
Double page spread analysis
For my double page spread page research, I analysed 2 double page spread pages from Q magazine and one from NME. My favourite of the two types of magazines I analysed was Q magazine. Simply because it was sophisticated and stylish, and fitted my kind of style the most. My favourite double page spread from Q was the one I analysed on Lady Gaga. I liked that layout the most because the main image was situated on the left hand side of the page. I will take inspiration from this, and put my main image on the left hand side of my double page spread because I really like that style. I also like the really large 'L' covering the whole of the right hand side of the double page spread. That gives the magazine a really unique kind of look. I will take inspiration from this and use a large letter at the beginning of my text. However, I won't make it so it fits the whole of the page, I will make it so that it's large but not the whole page kind of large. The design for this double page spread is very simple, yet very effective. I want my double page spread to be simply yet effective too. I really like it how Lady Gaga on the left hand side of the page has been grey-scaled, it makes the image fit with the house-style of the colour. For my magazine, I will ensure that my image fits with the house-style of my magazine.
Contents page analysis
For my contents page research, I analysed 3 existing magazine contents pages. I took inspiration from each contents page because I thought they were all unique and inspiring, and they are all along the basis of what I'd like my magazine to look like. The inspiration I got from Vibe magazine was the title 'contents' and how it was placed underneath each other. I will take this example and use it as a base for my magazine. However, instead of actually copying it, I will come up with something unique. I will do this by using different fonts for the title. When analysing Q magazine, I liked the idea of how it was set out. I will use some of these ideas and expand them to make my ideas original and unique. I will keep my house-style throughout the contents page so that it allows my magazine to look professional. I like the way Q magazine have put their magazine logo in the top left of their contents page to keep reminding the reader that they are reading their magazine, and to show originality of the information throughout.
