Analysis of Regional Magazine Double Page Spreads

Analysis of Cornwall Life

The magazine contents page connotes the target audience through themes associated with youth and youth culture. By taking a quick glance at the double page spread, I can see from the styling, imagery and content of the images, that the spread is aimed at a younger audience - perhaps this page in particular a younger male audience. The page as a whole looks professional and looks attractive on the eye. This is good as the audience want a product which they can enjoy and be a proud owner of.  Despite this page looking like it appeals to a younger audience, the magazine as a whole appeals to a slightly older audience, this is perhaps a sign that the magazine is trying to branch out to a wider audience. 

The main header is thin in its style which doesn't allow it to stand out, although it does connote a laid back theme - something important with this page's primary audience. The caption is simple and is straight to the point - something which is also important with this audience. Moreover, the caption 'style' will attract young people interested in the way that they present themselves, and the word 'surf' attracts people who are interested in the lifestyle/the sport/hobby. The header uses tight spacing, meaning that the letting is close together, this allows for a stylistic approach and makes the page look attractive. 

Typography is presented in a traditional style through traditional fonts for this genre. I can see two main typefaces throughout this page - the main one used for the header, alongside the main one used for the body text. We can also see a differentiation of this typeface as in one instance it is presented in italics and in other cases bold. There is also a large 'A' at the start of the article, this presents conventional themes of most print media articles, whether it be a music magazine or an informal newspaper. In terms of text spacing and alignment, this is also portrayed in a conventional fashion. 

The lexis style of this page slightly refers back to that of the magazine cover and contents. Due to the target audience of this article being slightly lower than the magazine as a whole, the lexical choices change slightly as well. Words and phrases are used within the article which present younger themes and also themes which concern the content of the article and the genre which it is trying to portray. The lexis is important because if they magazine tries to present information which is aimed at a young audience and the word choices they use target that of an older audience, their reader is going to lose interest and read something which they can relate to more. Furthermore, the reader also wants a lexical choice which uses a semantic fields which portrays the genre and content of the article. 

The main images connote the content shown on the page. They allow the audience to understand what is going to be shown in the text before they've even read it. In this case the images work alongside the header to connote the content as they both imply a surfing theme to the article. Moreover, all of the images are images which have been taken outside, so they are trying to capture an audience which is interested in the outdoors and the Cornish landscape as well as the surfing 'scene'. Overlapping of images is done to allow for an interesting layout design. It allows for a stylistic layout design which works well in attracting a young person's eye. Moreover, the amount of images shown also connotes the audience as perhaps an older audience wouldn't want/expect to see as many visual elements on the page.

There are a range of shot types on show in the images presented on the double page spread. This allows the audience to view the action from a range of angles and get a full idea of what the article is referring to. Finally, all of the images use similar lighting which is important as this ensures that the whole pages connotes the same themes and incorporates similar qualities. 

Concerning the layout design, a column structure is used to channel text as well as being in alignment with the images on the page. The page isn't stereotypically laid out, due to the main header being half way down the page, below a range of images connoting the content of the magazine. Text on the page is easily followed due to a clear column structure which allows your eye to follow and flow across the page as you follow the content. They have left an apt amount of spacing between each column of text and between text and images to ensure that text is easily followed and the page looks presentable. They have incorporated a text box into the bottom right hand corner of the spread - this cordons off text and allows you to read it separately from the rest of the article.

Page numbers are used at the bottom of the pages to inform the reader of where to in the magazine the article they want to look at is. There is also the web address of the magazine shown at the bottom - this is probably done so that the reader can check out their site later on to catch up with more information. Finally, the text at the top right shows the reader what section they are looking at to inform them and let them decide whether or not they want to explore this area of the magazine.

In terms of the colour palate of the page, it is relatively simplistic and only uses two basic colours. These colours are black and light blue. The light blue connotes that of the Cornish sea and sky, whereas the black is a conventional text colour and is used because it opposes the light background colouring. The backgound colour looks good alongside the other images as it allows the pages to flow. 

Analysis of Cornwall Today

Next I am going to be exploring a magazine's contents page of a similar style and target audience to the previous magazine - Cornwall Today. Cornwall Today's feature page/double page spread is formal in its design and sticks to conventions, portraying lifestyle and culture through imaging, page layout and structure. I can instantly assume that the target audience is of an older age, whose interest is in culture. The double page spread connotes themes associated with magazines of this genre through text structure and general themes concerning imagery. 

The main masthead/header is formal in its style, however it doesn't stand out or strike the reader on first glance. The header uses two different typefaces - something rather unconventional to mastheads and especially regional magazine mastheads as these are generally aimed at the more refined audience member. Despite this however, I think that it looks attractive and works well as it grabs the eye when engaged with the page. The designer has used tight spacing on the page to allow the masthead to fit into a slim gap as well as allowing it to look attractive. The use of a bold type style is used in this header to emphasise a particular word - 'Oyster' - and make it stand out - the rest of the header is in a thin or 'light weighted' type style. Furthermore, the producers have decided to make the middle word lower case, as apposed to upper case. This connotes formality and a 'shouty' style type, as well as a laid back type style. 

In terms of typography, with exception to the masthead, there are only one or two typefaces used on the page. This is good for the reader as it connotes simplicity and formality. It also allows for the page to look presentable and stylistic. The typeface used for the main body of the text is a conventional one - it looks good and allows the audience to read the article clearly with no issues. Again, as with the last magazine double page spread, this one also uses a large first letter at the start of the paragraph. The page uses bold typography in places to show difference in context and also to separate specific areas of text from others. 

In terms of the lexis of the page, the editor has tried to create a feel that the audience can relate to and enjoy reading. They have tried to create a connection between the audience and text through using personal pronouns and directing their content at the audience's interests.

There are four main images on this double page spread and two advertisements down the right hand side. All of these elements add colour and help to make the feature page more exciting for the reader and also help to connote the content of the article. The images present ideas concerning culture and also help to inform the audience as to what's inside the article and entice them to read it. The images are bright and of a range of subjects, including people and landscapes. This variety helps to keep the article interesting for the audience and also to help keep them involved with what's inside. 

The layout of Cornwall Today's feature page is very formal and looks good in terms of structure and also design. They have aligned text and set images in areas which compliment each other and look good. The magazine uses a stylistic text box on the right hand page which keeps the audience's interests within the double page spread as it creates differentiation and is an interesting design. In terms of the typography, structurally, they have aligned it in such a way so that it fits convention and also the page is set up to draw the eye into the spaced where the text is. Due to the images around the top and right hand side the eye is instantly drawn to the block of white in the corner of the double page spread. Furthermore, certain sections of text are in alignment with images which allows the page to look attractive and it also allows your eye to follow the lines made by images and text down the page. 

Finally, in terms of the colour palate, this page's is reasonably bland - they use two main colours to represent the background and also the main text. Despite this, I think it works okay as the images are bright and they produce the colour and excitement for the page. The black text stands out from the white background well and this creates a nice dynamic contrast from the surrounding images. 

Analysis of 247 (South West Edition)

247 is a magazine which is produced regionally, however, unlike most regional magazines, this one is aimed at a younger target audience. In terms of 247's double page spread, on first glance it presents themes associated with a young target audience. Through use of bold colours, large, cropped images and bold text boxes it presents rebellious themes associated with youth and Stanley Hall. The magazine's double page stands out when comparing this magazine to the previous two. The styling and alignment is particular to a magazine aimed at a young person, which is good in terms of my research and comparisons between different types of regional magazines.

The two different mastheads on this page look good alongside each other, despite them being for two different articles. The same typeface is used for both - this is a thin typeface which is alongside a bolder one that stands out and compliments the previous. The thin type face connotes feminism due to the way that this style of font is used in the media to convey feminism. The colour of these two headers allows them to stand out from the background colour. They are both white which opposes the background colour, allowing the audience to read them clearly. 

Typography on this double page spread is used in such a way so that it keeps the audience interested and engaged - due to the range of type and also the styling involved. Changes in colour, weight and also italics allow the page to keep on being an interesting piece to look at even after a couple of viewings. Specific areas of text are coloured specific colours, allowing a differentiation between information. Moreover, through making quotes bigger and by putting them italics, the editor has allowed the magazine to have a sense of class and professionalism about it. They have used one typeface throughout the whole page (with exception to the mastheads) - this is less than the two previous magazines. Maybe, due to the changes in colour and styling, they have felt it would be most appropriate for it to be created in this way. 

The lexis of the page has been styled and suited to fit the audience's needs and desires. This normally means working out what their audience is interested in, their age and also their class and then using a range of lexical and semantic field choices depending on this. In this case they have adapted their language to allow the double page to present the audience with language which is shaped around what they want to see/how they might speak. 

Concerning the main images on this double page spread, there are two main focal points, both images of people and both medium/medium long shots. All of the images have been cropped onto the page which allows them to fit nicely alongside the background colour. These images compliment the main headers as they both allow the audience to understand an insight into the content of the article. The images allow the audience to relate to the magazine - they might think they look like the models or think that their 'look' is something which draws them into the article. The images are bright and have probably been took in both the studio and also outside (due to natural light on the images). 

The layout of this double page spread connotes young themes as well as being slightly unconventional in terms of regional magazine, however conventional in terms of magazines aimed at younger people. The way that the designer has shaped text so that it curves around images works well and makes the page look good. Text is in alignment across both pages and use of 'quoted sections' allows for the first page to be split into two with regards to columns. Border lines have been added at the bottom of the page to add style and also to section off the page numbers etc. from the main text. Use of a text box on the right hand page allows for text to stand out and become a feature of that area of the magazine. 

Finally, the page's colour palate is reasonably complex, using a range of shades across both pages. The background colour has been colour picked from the tow main images on either page and then the lighter shades of these are used within the text on the page. Black is also used on the right hand page to make a specific area of text stand out, however I don't think it works well in terms of stylistic design. White text is also used on the page to show differentiation between different areas of text and also to add variety and create a page which looks attractive to their audience.