Personal Learning and Reflection

The Research Process and it’s Outcomes

What have I learnt from my front cover analysis and how can I use this knowledge for my own front cover?

From my front cover analysis’, I believe that I have learnt a lot. Music magazines tend to use three main colours for their front cover and then perhaps one or two more for items such as buzz words and puffs. There is usually only one main image that takes up the majority of the page. This photograph tends to be of the band or artist that is the main feature of the issue. However, there also can be smaller images around the edge of the front cover of other bands who have smaller articles within the magazine (plugs). If the people in the main image take up the whole page, then there will be a strip along the bottom of the cover with a list of all of the bands featured in the magazine but if there happens to be space then the list may be on either side of the magazine. There also tends to be a sky line at the top of every issue which can also state some of the bigger bands featured in the magazine, this tends to be a bright strip which easily catches the reader’s attention.The masthead is always at the top of the magazine, either centred (Kerrang) or on the top left (NME). This is because, when a magazine is on sale in a shop, the bottom half of it can sometimes be hidden by others and so the institution needs to make sure that people can easily identify the magazine. The masthead is usually the same colours in every issue so that the audience can easily recognise anything within the NME brand.

What have I learnt from my contents page analysis and how can I use this knowledge for my own contents page?

The contents page tends to have a main image, different from the front cover’s photograph and also smaller. This image is usually placed around the centre of the page with a small article and headline underneath it. At the very top, there is a masthead with the name of the magazine in it and also a short phrase telling the audience that this is the contents page without sounding so formal. This is a music magazine and therefore the target audience do not usually relate to formal language. NME use a very long thin column which displays every band that is even mentioned in the magazine and the page reference, making it very simple for the reader to find their favourite bands/ artists.The list of content is usually listed under a few headings to, again, make it easier for the target audience to find the exact articles they are interested in reading. The contents page often features a single advertisement because this is most likely, excluding the front cover, the most viewed page of the magazine and therefore a great place for an advertisement. You can be certain that whatever the advertisement will be, it will relate strongly to something that the target audience will be interested in, otherwise there would be no point in advertising it in this magazine.

What have I learnt from my double page spread analysis and how can I use this knowledge for my own double page spread?

The double page spread usually uses different colours to the front cover and contents page because a magazine wants to appear consistent and to have it’s own style. However, they don’t want to seem boring and to be using the same font, colours and style constantly. Double page spreads also usually feature a large image which can take up to three quarters of the double page, leaving little room for the main text. This can usually be the case, the writing can be quite short, usually only about two columns long, with a large image, large headline and a few teasers which are often in bold or a slightly larger font than the main text. These are aimed at readers who are just flicking through the magazine and are trying to see which articles interest them. By placing, small yet noticeable statements or quotes from the main text that are especially interesting, it can attract more readers.There are also usually a few smaller images that are placed away from the main image, so that they stand out and are often in the text or around the headline. These images follow directly along and link with the text to aid the audience and so that the text does not feel too long and uninteresting.