College Magazine Analysis

1. Front Cover http://issuu.com/backdropmag/docs/winter08 Backdrop was the college magazine that I chose to analyse. I chose this one as it stood out from the rest. Backdrop uses a fairly plain background, a close up of a brick wall. The masthead has been traditionally positioned at the top of the cover and the design of it looks as though it has been written in chalk. The writing running along the bottom just about contrasts with the rest of the colours, so although it is small, it still stands out. What I found different about Backdrop to other college magazines was that its main images were all key features of what is inside the magazine. The Polaroid pictures link with college life and seems asif the students have taken them. So before you even open the magazine, you already have a rough idea of what would be found inside.

2. Contents Page Backdrop uses a fairly plain design, this comes across well as it is really simple to follow and find the right page you want. If you are just quickly glimpsing then the different subtitles in bold split the magazine sections so it is quick and easy to follow. These are positioned at the bottom third of the page. There are three main images that cover the biggest percentage of the page. These direct the readers attention straight away and give the page number with the image. They do not have any more information so it keeps the reader wanting to know what the page is about and they would most probably flick to that page. The magazines masthead has been used again at the top of the contents page.