Analysis of Magazine Contents Pages

Due to the college magazine not having a contents page, I decided to analyse a different style of contents page - Saga magazine and OK! magazine. This will allow me to gain an understanding of why different layouts and colours are used for different style magazines with different target audiences to my own. Also, I will be able to explore the conventions of contents pages and this will help me out when creating my own for the preliminary task.

Contents page analysis 1: Saga

From first appearance, this contents page gives the impression of a female target audience, aged between 25 and 55. I have set this bracket because of the various connotations projected from the images, fonts and colours. It is also seemingly targeted at a sophisticated woman who is interested in clothing and how they look. The images help to portray this target audience – this is down to the styling of the model in the main image, her main appearance and also the smaller images below. Moreover, the colour scheme and colour palate do this. The magazines stereotypically epitomises the ‘ideal’ woman – a happy, attractive, well dressed woman who is enjoying herself and isn't nervous or comprehensive. These factors appeal to the given age group due to its conventions alongside the connotations which I will note further on in this essay.

The layout of the contents page is very self-assured – it clearly knows its target audience and has laid out its contents accordingly. The images, coupled with the attractive text and colour scheme work well together because they draw the eye into the page and make you want to see more. The producer has set the text in easy to read areas – this is done so that the target audience can easily understand the page. It is laid out in a conventional fashion in areas where it is coherent and structural. The features on the page such as the block of darker colour and the line at the top sectioning off a part of the text allow the magazine to be easily read and also allow it to be attractive. The styling of the text and images fits the target audience of the magazine as well as the colour scheme. A series of layout and design features helps the contents page to fit the conventions required – letting it fore fill its duties of informing the audience on what’s coming up in the magazine while also being an attractive eye catching page. There are two main columns on the page which allows the text to fit well while also being attractive and legible. The ‘two column style’ is a common convention of most magazine covers (as well as this magazine). It shares the same stereotypes that as magazines such as vogue and many others with the same target audience – hence the similar features.

Sticking to convention, this magazine has the ‘three main colour rule’ – a rule where an often standard three main colours are used in the form of a colour palate. The contents page’s three main colours are purple, red and black and of course white, with it being the background colour. The contents page works this rule well – fonts are fitted with specific colours according to their importance and relevance, whereas the main image and smaller images fit the scheme – white being the main colour of the woman’s trousers and purple being the colour of the flower. This idea of a colour palate allows the magazine to appear coherent, relevant and also appearing to the eye – the layout style helps the colour palate to work because it is open and spacious. This can also link in with the typography; font types are used which represent the target audience; however this is only achieved to its maximum potential with thanks to the colour palate. The colours relate to the target audience – with perhaps more feminine colours being used to compliment the contrasting nature of the white and black. The purple, light red and pink (on the woman’s top) connote a female target audience; this is achieved by basic stereotypes of colour coordination between gender and sexuality. The contents page instantly connotes its female target audience due to this colour scheme which makes it an essential asset to the layout and design.

This contents page houses 3 or 4 different typography styles – these fonts are marked by being placed in coherent places, by being different colours and also by being attractive to the audience. The font styles connote a female target audience which is sophisticated and perhaps well educated. The font ‘birth’ or separation space between lettering is conventional to the magazine genre and target audience as it allows a lot of information to be placed in a small space attractively. These appear to be the corporate fonts used on this page, which helps to show off and build the brand – something that will be recognised by the target audience. Despite all the fonts being different, they’re all similar – they all have the basic textual style and work well together – this is perfect for a magazine of this calibre because it is professional and well organised. The typography is well constructed in terms of placement and layout as it is not cluttered nor busy or untidy. This typography gives off elegant connotations as it tries to fit the target audience; the style helps it to connote a target audience in the higher social bands. The typography relates to the target gender of the magazine as well as the target age bracket – this is because of its feminine qualities and appeal to a higher aged target audience. The typography could possibly be classed as ‘boring’ to a younger target audience hence why it connotes an older target audience.

The main image – perhaps not a main connotation of magazine contents pages, however one that works well – is a perfect platform for the designer to work the rest of the page around. The main image is the reason for the colour scheme, layout and design features as it is the first thing you see when looking at the magazine contents page. The models clothing (mise-en-scene) would have been picked in coherence to the page and the design layout would have been though out at the time of taking to ensure it works professionally. Moreover, the clothing is used to help relate to the target audience as well as send of positive connotations regarding the target audience. The main image gives off, again, sophisticated connotations which allow the page to stand out in terms of class and design matter. Also, the page connotes that all women are happy, light hearted, attractive people who are not self conscious nor have any qualms with their appearance. The appearance of the model - in terms of mise-en-scene - in this image is key; she needs to have a warming, inviting sense to her which makes the reader want to see more. For instance, if the model was unhappy and was perhaps not so attractive it may deter readers from reading on. This is also the case with other magazines, Empire and Vogue in particular. Smaller images on the page help to represent a larger target audience, trying to appeal to more people. A flower is used alongside other areas of mise-en-scene on this page epitomises the stereotypes and connotations often attached with magazines aimed at this target audience. The smaller images connote interest in fashion as well as wildlife and nature. These connotations allow the magazine to represent its target audience and fore fill its duties as a magazine.

In conclusion, I think that this magazine manages to represent its target audience and fore fills its purpose. It handles all of the main challenges in a magazine contents page – it has an attractive layout, the content is relevant and it fits its genre. The stereotypes attached help it to portray a correct idea of its target audience alongside the connotations created by the images, text, layout and colours. Due to its simplicity and professionalism it is eye catching and fits the perfect ‘ideal’ of a magazine of this genre and target audience. It is self assured and comfortable with what it’s trying to achieve which makes it a perfect contents page to take inspiration from.

Contents page analysis 2: OK!

This magazine stereotypically epitomizes the average member of the lower social grades – with a mass target audience of evidential TV watchers. It is clear that the magazine is trying to appeal to a female target audience due to the lighter colour scheme – made up mostly of pinks and purples. Moreover, the main image gives off connotations of Laura Mulvey’s theory that women are used solely of men’s sexual desire. The main target audience is the bracket of people aged between 18 and 50 – this is because of the television and celebrity theme. This group of people are most likely going to want to read this magazine and be attracted to it due to its connotations. Despite this, the main image may be in place to appeal to a male target audience and try to attract a wider social class. This magazine is not targeted at a younger target audience due to its content however perhaps a small percentage of the under 18s would be interested due to its television and celebrity orientated themes. The magazine’s contents page houses a selection of images ranging between different topics and social interests so that the magazine will find itself as one of the most desirable in the market place. OK! magazine, similarly to Saga is aimed primarily at a female audience however due to the social differences, shown through connotations from the images and text, it means that the targeted social class is different to the previous magazine. I will go on to explore this in further detail in this essay.

The layout is completely different to the previous magazine – there are many different images in this one of various celebrities and TV personalities arranged to try to draw in and interest from their target audience. Moreover, all of the images are shown as whole images, none are cut out which also shows the genre of the magazine – models aren't used in a studio, celebrities are used in action to portray their story in the magazine. The textual layout style of a split page – one section for the main typography and one for the main images – allows the designer to create two different sections that the reader can concentrate on at a time – there is no confusion over what text goes with what image for example. This also shows us the targeted mental age of their audience as the magazine is very easy to understand and read. Typography sections are clearly marked off by a thin line which allows the magazine to have subsections where the eye can quickly adjust to. The contents page uses a reverse to make text and images stand out where required – this makes easy reading for the target audience. Images backed with a white surround allow them to stand out and become more noticeable which is why the layout style and design is so attractive to the eye. The colours, typography style, mise-en-scene and also layout appeal and attract the target audience as it has a very feminine feel and vibe. Due to the page being attractively simple it doesn't require a huge amount of text – the message of the magazine can be clearly shown through the images as well as the colours and the bold sections of text. It is easy to understand and more important stories are 'favourited' by the editor and selected so they have priority over the others. This is imperative for the magazine as it allows it to be best suited to the target audience and also keep them interested and involved.

In addition to the previously analysed magazine contents page, this one also has a basic rule of three, with white once again being the background colour and also the colour used to make bold page numbers stand out. The rule of three – or colour palate – in this instance is pink, purple and black – with two slight variations of purple being used. This connotes a female target audience and also helps to set a ‘girly’ kind of theme. This best appeals to the target audience because the target audience in question often likes to have something that they can relate to and enjoy looking at. Moreover, this makes the specific images and text stand out and be noticed at first glance of the page. By having a purple border edge at the top of the page it helps the eye to be pushed downwards towards the text and also the main image – this design technique helps the page to look attractive and also bring out the main image. Unlike the other contents page, this one’s colour palate doesn't relate or fit with the images on the page. The colours are used by the magazine because they are the corporate colours as well as creating a ‘haven’ perhaps for the female viewer. Furthermore, because the images were not taken in a studio it is harder to find attractive images which send out the correct message to the reader, look appealing and also fit the colour scheme. Opposing colours are used over each other so that the typography is easy to follow and the target audience can clearly follow the flow of the magazine and aren't put off by unclear text. Finally darker shading is used at the right hand side of the page so that the eye can be drawn further in to the centre images and text. This also is used as a design technique which makes the page look attractive and professional.

There are a few different typography styles on this contents page which gives it variety and makes it interesting to view. Despite the fonts being different they all follow the same kind of style so that the page look smart and in coherence. The main difference in the texts of course is the main header which reads ‘inside’. This font style is always going to be different due to its nature and because of its use as a corporate font. All of the fonts are laid out in a conventional way which helps the target audience to read them. They’re set out where there is a main sub heading, followed by text explaining the page – this is done so that not only does it look attractive but the target audience can have an idea on what to expect from the page. Sections of the text have been made bold so that they stand out and the reader can be drawn to key words which will appeal to their interests. This makes this page a crucial section to the magazine as it is the make or break section as to whether the target audience are going to read on or not. The typography styles fit the genre and make it an attractive product to view – not only this but the content of the text is relevant to the target audience which makes it a fantastic piece of work by the editor. Despite how the magazine’s contents page relates to the target audience and works coherently with the layout and design, the idea of having a reverse to make texts stand out is perhaps not quite used to its full potential in one section. This section on the main image where a white coloured font is used is hard to read and doesn't stand out from the background. However, I do now feel that this detracts from the contents page as a whole in terms of quality and appeal to its target audience, as in stereotypes the reader would perhaps only be interested in the page’s content rather than how easy or hard the text is to read – maybe that’s just a bonus on top of the gripping content. The typography appeals to the target age category as well as the target audience of main females. This is due to the typography style (with it being main feminine related texts) as well as the colour of the fonts.

Images are used widely in this magazine contents page as it appeals to an audience who prefer to take information in through visual means such as images rather than textual means such as articles. The images paint the picture of the contents page for the target audience as topical images help to portray the content of the magazine. Text perhaps isn't needed for some viewers as they can clearly see what they want to read and what page it’s on merely by the images and page numbers. The images have been chosen carefully so that they can create the correct connotations for the target audience. Current stories and talking points are highlighted by the images and this makes the audience interested and involved. Different shot types have been chosen to add a sense of variety to the page so that it is appealing to view and also so that it is relevant to the image. The images help to portray the genre of the magazine and also they clearly help show who the target audience is. The different topics of images connote that the magazine is interested in various current topics and television programs as it portrays different genres through them. The different genres of image pull in a mass target audience due to the variety in culture and interest – for instance the magazine would probably not be financially viable if it were to just show one genre type. The jewellery worn by the woman in the main image connotes a sense of class and perhaps something that the female audience can relate to – alongside the colour scheme. Moreover, the content of all of the images is almost all female based – with not only the majority of the people in the images being female, the content is mostly female related. This finally helps the target audience to feel at home and perhaps comforted as they view the magazine. It helps to keep the target audience interested, due to the female connotations, and it also keeps the flow of the genre and themes.

In conclusion, I feel that this magazine fits its purpose fantastically – the target audience is represented to the best of its ability and all of the common conventions of this genre of magazine are represented. The contents page shows off its target audiences’ interested well while also sticking to the stereotypes attached with them. The page shows the main focal pints of the magazine which is imperative to its success in the market place. Despite it being a very different magazine to Saga, OK! portrays similar features and ideas to a similar target audience. 

Analysis of College Magazines

Analysing College Magazine Front Cover:

I will be analysing Bodmin College magazine – the target audience for this magazine is mostly teachers, parents and students – aimed at both males and females. Despite the aim to inform mainly students and adults, the main target audience is the age range between 11 and 19. It is aimed at varied social classes, however mostly C, D and E classes. The magazine’s aim is to be entertaining and also informative, aimed at those who it concerns. This print magazine is created by Bodmin College with the aim to relate to people associated with Bodmin College.

Masthead: The masthead on this magazine is not in a conventional style, it doesn’t stand out and isn’t produced and a way that you’d expect from a magazine. The typography isn’t conventional due to its style and the way it doesn’t stand out from the background image. The Bodmin College logo is used to show the name of the magazine, which doesn’t attract the eye, or makes it stand out. In a standard magazine e.g. Kerrang, you’d expect to see a large, bold, typography, which stands out and fits the common conventions of most magazines – magazines aimed at a similar target audience e.g. Kerrang.  I would normally expect a masthead to take up roughly 1/6 of the page so that there is less ‘dead’ space. The masthead doesn’t represent the main target audience of 11-16 year olds, as you’d normally expect a larger text with more colour.

Main image: One of the main common conventions of a magazine is having a ‘main image’ – one image that takes up the majority of space. This image will often be a medium close up of the main feature or theme of the magazine. However in this magazine, there are three images, which confuse the target audience and the eye – there isn’t a main focal point to the magazine cover. I would expect to see one main image coupled with perhaps a few smaller images - on the page to show ‘sneak peaks’ of what to expect in the rest of the magazine. Furthermore, the quality of the images are terrible, moreover the lighting along side the just general competence of the photographer shows how the magazine doesn’t possess the professional quality of a mainstream magazine under the same target audience. The image is a blurry long, dark shot. For example, a magazine such as Kerrang has a very high quality to their main cover image, this allows it to stand out and be the main focal point to the target audience. Finally, the context of the images is not at all relevant to the mass audience – three images showing female dancers are shown on the cover, this can be shown through the theory of Laura Mulvey. She believed that women are only used in the theory of male gaze – the females on the front cover could be believed to be there only for erotic desire for the reader. Moreover the content is all about dancers, which doesn’t apply to people who that doesn’t concern or interest. In standard magazine front convers that follow the common conventions of film magazines have a three-colour colour palette. This is not apparent in this cover however; as despite the fact there are three main colours red, yellow and black, with also a small section of white, there are also many other sections of the magazine, which don’t match or ‘fit’ the colour scheme or palate. Purple is used widely in the magazine, alongside green and a large amount of brightly coloured images, which clearly doesn’t work with the colour scheme. If you look at magazines such as Kerrang for example there is a clear colour palate of three colours, this shows the amateur nature of this magazine.

Layout: The layout of this magazine cover is extraordinarily out of convention; the classic stereotypical idea of having a main image coupled with surrounding text and smaller ‘teaser’ images. On a stereotypical magazine cover I would expect to see a clear top sixth and a left third. These are areas are where the eye is instantly attracted to and hence where the magazine will host the majority of its information and text. I can use most Empire magazine for an example of this theory; Empire magazine has clear sections i.e. top third and left sixth. This magazine front cover, however, has no clear sections apart from of course the masthead. Another reason for popular magazines (e.g. Cosmopolitan) having this section is due to the fact that the eye reads from the left to right. The Bodmin College magazine cover doesn’t even have any hint of this layout style however, which doesn’t attract the eye. Popular, conventional magazines, which follow the common conventions of most magazine front covers, have something called a reverse. I can use Empire as an example of this. A reverse is where a white font for example is laid over a darker background (one example of this is Empire magazine). This is not used on the Bodmin College magazine however – the Bodmin College magazine has simplistic layout and design, which doesn’t work in term of attracting a target audience. There is not a reverse at the header, which makes it extremely difficult to read the text.

Moreover, most magazine covers have something called a sweet spot, an area on a magazine where the eye is proven to be automatically attracted to. Once again a clear example of this is the Cosmopolitan. This magazine often has an area of text where they want you to view and be attracted to. Bodmin College magazine doesn’t have this feature has it is very plain and simplistic; it doesn’t hold any technical devices which will attract the eye and draw in the target audience.

Another feature of popular children’s magazines are cover mounts – this is a toy, for example, which is attached to the front cover. Despite this I do not feel that Bodmin College magazine would require this as it is aimed at a different target audience. With this in mind, I do feel however that there could possibly be an extra incentive for the target audience on the front cover in terms of a cover mount.

Lines: Bodmin College magazine front cover doesn’t have any lines, which will draw in a target audience or attract the eye, other magazine aimed at the same target audience have this feature. This magazine front cover also doesn’t have a menu bar, an area of the page where information can be shown. Other magazine such as the Cosmopolitan and Empire, however do have this feature. This is where Bodmin College magazine is falling behind in terms of popularity and popular desire. Despite the fact that this magazine is given away for free, it would become much more desirable if it were to have teasers and text boxes on the front cover. This will apply to the mass audience and allow the magazine to be popular in its marketplace.

Analysing Skive Magazine Front Cover:

This magazine front cover follows all of the conventions that you would expect from a magazine front cover. The cover presents itself as a magazine that doesn’t quite know its target audience. I think that the cover as a whole is not quite artistically coherent due to its confusion in terms of who it appeals to and why. I would assume that the target audience of this magazine is roughly 11-18, however I am unsure due to its design and connotations. I am also assuming it is aimed at the target audience of mostly females due to the connotations of the pink lipstick and also the images.

To begin, the masthead is bold and stands out; its colours follow the colour palette of the page and the textured lettering works well with the theme. Moreover, the smoke-style design, alongside the lettering works well with itself, with the rest of the page however I don’t think it is quite technically sound. I feel as if the masthead by itself portrays a target audience aimed at younger people, perhaps in the age range of 11-16, however when coupled with the smoke effect I think that it’s unconventional style makes it seem as if its aimed at a much younger target audience. Moreover, I think this is exacerbated by the text overlay, which drops the assumed target audience. Despite this, I think that the title of the magazine, ‘skive’ helps to represent a rebellious target audience, it also connotes that it will be an interesting and enjoyable read. Another connotation from this is that it implies ‘skiving’ off of lesson – something that will help to attract their audience.

The magazine cover is technically proficient in terms of layout style and design, they main text areas are in place where you would expect, there is a clear ‘sweet spot’, a left third and also an upper sixth and finally there are extra ‘teaser areas. My main qualm with this however is there is too much information in place. At first glance I feel that I don’t quite know where to look on the page, whether to look at the target texts first or to look at the other textured texts. This also shows my idea that the magazine doesn’t quite know its target audience. There are large amounts of text so that the magazine can try to appeal to a mass audience, perhaps not the most conventional nor appealing in terms of appearance.

The idea of a colour palate is followed on the magazine front cover; there are three main colours – black, white and a misty grey. However, on the cover, there are also three other colours – this is quite unorthodox for a magazine of this type as others such as the cosmopolitan and empire follow a rule of three – three main colours on the front cover. The colours used on the cover appeal to both genders and also a wide age group. This fits in with Stanley Hall’s 1904 theory. He said that black often represents rebellious youth alongside depression and negativity. Black also gives the magazine a professional look. Black also allows the images and texts on the page to stand out, working as a reverse.

The main layout idea is conventional and follows most of the common conventions of magazine covers. To start, there is a main image in the centre of the magazine; this is a very close up shot of a female’s face. Despite this having been strongly edited and designed, it still follows along the path of most magazine main cover images. Other magazines such as cosmopolitan have the same layout style and main image style.  The image quality and editing is of a reasonable high standard which makes it look professional and formal. One theory, which isn’t supported by this magazine, is Laura Mulvey’s theory that all women are used as a sexual desire for the male population. This is shown through the main image connoting a young target audience aimed mostly at females. Mise-en-scene in this image can also help fore fill their target audience – the model is wearing large amounts of make-up, which will relate to their target audience.

The layout style and type is very relevant – there are many ‘teaser’ sections, which allow the audience to have an extra hidden glance of what’s inside – this can appeal because the main story may not be apparent to the whole target audience. My main qualm is that there are too many ‘teaser’ sections and perhaps the magazine doesn’t know its target audience so it’s trying to appeal to as many people as possible.

Other images on the cover also fit the stereotypes of many magazine covers – it fits the conventions of popular magazines such as empire. The images are relatively good quality however the placement and design of the images are not quite up to the professional expectation of a magazine, which is trying to appeal to a young target audience. The content of the images is also relevant as it shows images of a boat, a musician and also a large group of people. This shows the magazine’s willingness to appeal to a large amount of people. The boat connotes a male target audience whereas the musician of course connotes a musical target audience. Lastly, the image of the female, placed in front of lipstick, connotes a female target audience who are interested in boys and who wear make-up (the lipstick).

The typography on this magazine cover seems to fit the conventions of magazine covers, as it is relevant text placed in areas, which are going to be easily seen and read by the target audience. Despite this, the fonts are very ‘mix and match’ – some are stretched and others have words placed far apart. This makes the magazine look unprofessional and amateur – on a magazine such as the cosmopolitan, all of the texts are laid out in a style where they look good and fit together. In Skive magazine there is probably too much text on the page, it looks very full and ‘in your face’.

In conclusion, this magazine cover fits the basic requirements of a magazine cover despite its lack in terms of technical proficiency. The layout is conventional and the images work however my main problem is whom it appeals to. The magazine is trying too hard to appeal to a mass target audience – something that only a few magazines can achieve and stick to. Finally, the main idea of the colour scheme works as the colours fit together.

Analysing College Magazines

To understand what common conventions I need to include in my preliminary task, I will be needing to analyse two different college magazine covers alongside two contents pages.  This will help me to get an understanding of the common conventions alongside the contextual information on the page. It is important that I research and stick to common conventions of existing magazine covers as I need to be able to understand represent my target audience. I will also be following ideas from theorists and developing creative products and processes after viewing existing conventions and products. Various theorists that I will be following and looking at are the following:

- Jones (1993): 'A process needed for problem solving... not a specific gift enjoyed by a few but a common ability possessed by most people'

- Bentley (1997): 'The making of the new and rearranging of the old'

- Caikazentmihalyi (1996): 'Creativity results from the interaction of a system composed in three elements: a culture that contains symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain. and a field of experts who recognise and validate the innovation'

These three theorists will help me throughout this process to be the best I can - they will help me to follow the common conventions for magazine covers and improve on my skills from last year.

Preliminary Task

Before I start to create to main task, I first have to create a preliminary task which allows me to create a magazine front cover and also a contents page for a new college magazine. This preliminary task allows me to develop my skills and also allows me to adapt and tunnel my creative nature. I am hoping to build on my skills from last year that I picked up in media - I am hoping to develop my photography skills, my audience research, audience language, knowledge on theorists and also my knowledge on photoshop. I hope to gain a greater knowledge of the industry and create a professional, sophisticated product where I will be able to hone in on my skills I have shown at GCSE level.

AS Brief Choice

For my AS brief choice I carefully selected my Foundations Portfolio Brief after weighing up the pros and cons of all six options - I decided to choose the print brief. I chose the print brief because it looked the most interesting, appealing and the one which best fitted my skills. When I was studying media at GCSE level I created and produced a magazines cover and contents page, as well creating a film magazine cover during my time studying the film GCSE. I feel that during this time at GCSE level my skills have improved dramatically, as I know understand the common conventions of most magazines, I have a broader photoshop knowledge and also my photography skills have improved. Over the course of this Portfolio I hope to improve my skills again in terms of production, knowledge of the industry and also media in general. I am highly interested in media, design, photography and also creative design - this project is a fantastic opportunity for me and I cannot wait to get started!