Mock Up Designs of Front Page, Contents Page & Double Page Spread.

Front Cover: I have placed emphasis on the left hand side of the page by placing my title there as this is the main pieced of the front cover which will be viewed when being paced on the shelf allowing my target readers to identify the magazine and possible attracting a larger readership then other magazine competitors. I have also placed a strap line at the top of the page as this is also a highly viewed place within the page so I placed a promotional offer here to entice possible customers. This is echo by Tim Holmes – The Magazine Handbook (2006) as he states that “Put emphasis on the left-hand side of the cover as that is the part which will show when the magazine is on the average newsagents shelf. The other important site is the top, which is why you won’t see many title pieces positioned at the bottom of the page.” By placing the strap line I have also followed another theory stated by Tim Holmes – The Magazine Handbook (2006) as he states that “offer something for beginners or new readers” as well as “promise a clear benefit for the reader”. I have chosen a bright colour for my title as it makes its stand out against other magazines that may be being sold in the same place, this also supports the idea of placing it on the left for the largest response. I used the black, red and white colour scheme as it allows the magazine to have a fun and exciting atmosphere whilst keeping the practicality of being able to read the magazine. The red colouring allows the magazine to stand out as well as allowing certain parts of the page to stand out against the image and the background. I also took inspiration from magazine such as NME and Q who use similar colour scheme. The colour scheme works well to promote the mood and the type of music that the magazine is trying to sell to the audience, by using solid  colours of the front cover it is easier to read and easier for the audience to absorb the information and the design. I also followed the rule of thirds in the placing and the choice of image for my front cover as it attracts the consumers eye to certain points of the image allowing maximum views of the most prominent features on the front cover. Red, white and black are some of the most legible colours which allows the audience to read the magazine from a distance as it is clearer and more defined. Roger Black stated that “The first colour is white. The second colour is black. The third colour is red. Calligraphers and early printers grasped this over 500 years ago and experience has proved them exactly right. White for background, black for text, red for accent and excitement. These three colours are the best . Be very careful with all other colours.” I used a single image as this is preferred by the reader and also allows a suitable amount of space around the image to feature cover lines, strap line, etc. Roger Black as stated that “A cover should be a poster. A single image of a human will sell more copies than multiple images or all type. Always has, always will. ” I have also applied the male gaze theory to this page as this will entice the audience.

Content page: I have placed an image at the centre of the page to entice the reader to read the rest of the content page. I have followed on with the colour scheme and house style used on the front cover to create a uniformed feel to the magazine as well as allowing the audience to instantly recognise the design of the magazine creating a connection between the reader and the magazine. I have used a variety of fonts to create separation and interest within the page however they are all based in the same colour scheme. I have laid the magazine out this so sufficient information is shown on the page without the page becoming to cluttered and busy. The boxes used allow the information to stand out on the page as well as allowing a clear format to be shown on the page whilst incorporating the house style. J McDougall – OCR Media Studies for AS (2008) stated that “Group components on your page to keep it neater and more professional.” I have applied this to my magazine by using boxes to separating the text to ensure they are not confused and people are aware that they are separate things on the page.

Double Page Spread: I carried on with the house style used in front cover and the content page allowing the magazine to flow as a whole. I used a box at the bottom of the page then placed text on top of it which allows the text to stand out as well as creating a neater feel to the page. I got this idea from an article within  NME magazine which used this technique to allow the text to stand out and be legible for the consumer as well as from J McDougall – OCR Media Studies for AS (2008) whom stated that “Group components on your page to keep it neater and more professional.” I also used red text for the title, the pull quote and the other important pieces of text as this allowed them to stand out against the picture and the body text within the double page spread. I also used an image to cover the background for the whole double page spread as it creates a dynamic within the page however I did still follow the theory which states “A single image of a human will sell more copies than multiple images or all type.” – Roger Black.