This is my analysis for 5 genre related covers, 5 genre related contents pages, and 5 genre related double page spreads

1. Known masthead title logo in front to show
priority as too much would be left out if it was
over-layed, but the background has been Sky line with buzz words ‘download’,
over-layed to give the main image some ‘mega’, ‘comp’, and ‘win’. Black text and
importance. yellow background to offer contrast to
masthead.
Main cover line, a lot of contrast in the
font, and highlighted parts to give
contrast and attract attention. Parmore
is in logo form so it is recognisable to
fans.
Other small image and cover title in dull
colours, still in fitting with black and
yellow and white theme.
Main image leader looking directly at you.
Attractive female with white background.
Barcode, date, issue, price. White and
black, not different so as not to confuse
the casheir
Banner at bottom advertising extra
features with the buzz word ‘PLUS!’
makes sure the cover uses all of the space
Bubble with buzz word ‘Huge’
available

2. Buzzword ‘free’ in yellow splatter. Overlays title to show Skyline showing bands included within magazine.
importance. Shows readers if their bands are in there without
The colour scheme red, yellow and them having to open it, and draws fans of these
white represent the theme of the bands.
magazine and all fit in together apart
Well known title so it can be overlapped without
from the yellow, causing the yellow to
confusion. Still large and obvious.
stand out more.
Main image of lead singer chained up to
represent the off the wall, ‘crazy’ style of the Buzzword ‘Win’ along with the logo of the
magazine. Large image over laps title to show band slayer. It is well known and would
importance and to give the image a more attract their fans, who are a part of their
dramatic effect. target audience.
Main cover line relating to main image. Large, red
font with un-ordered messy text showing non-
conformity. 3 more titles fitted in to make
further use of all the space on
‘F*ck’ rehab cover line that looks like tag line to the cover. Another cut out
show a disregard for the rules the magazine has, image is there to illustrate the
making it appeal to younger viewers and it’s tiles without distracting from
target audience. the main image.
Cover line ’25 wildest tales in metal’ including
buzzwords ‘fights’, ‘drugs’ and ‘prisons’, again
showing a rebellious side and appealing to the
target audience interests.
3 more bands listed a long with a small image cut-
out of band member of one of the listed. In
yellow splatter like the ‘free’ signs. This creates
emphasis on the 3 points making them seem Date, barcode, publisher
important over the other cover titles, apart from
the main cover line, as it is largest and relates to
the main image.

3. Green black and white colour scheme
makes this magazine stand out a lot more
against others due to the vibrant strokes of
green.
Skyline shows a few bands listed in the
magazine, however these are also listed at
the bottom left, which could be seen as
trying to cheat the consumer into thinking
there’s more content than there is.
‘6 tracks to play’ would attract the guitar
player target audience. New ones because Tag line fits in well with the image and title.
they would want something to learn and Best selling suggests that it is the best
experienced ones because they may want guitar magazine available, and all guitarists
to see if they know them already. should get it.
‘No.1 for songs’ including two sub-lines that ‘exclusive’ buzzword on pink circle. This
explain why, so it’s not seen as an empty disruption in the colour scheme adds
statement, and further explanations of the emphasis to the point.
sub-lines.
Main cover line naming the figure in the
A list of bands to attract the target main image and covering over him makes
audience as these bands are ones that the well known name obvious. Underlined
most classic guitar players would know of by pink containing a short explanation of
and perhaps like playing or would like to the cover title.
play.
Other small cover stories fitted in to make
use of the room given.
Publisher
Main image of a well known guitar player
attracts classic guitar fans – a large part of
the magazines target audience.

4. Colour scheme of red and white, typical for
the NME title would make the magazine
easier to spot for regular buyers. No
variations in the theme are in this issue
cover due to the popular band being
Skyline contains feature that would appeal shown, probably assumed to draw a lot of
to the readers of NME, and music in readers with out needing to stand out.
general as it is very generalised, and not
genre specific like a band or singer name
would be. ‘Your results’ adds
personalisation to the story.
Modest smaller title is still easily
recognisable.
Spotify a well known and slightly
controversial music player is being shown
in a red circle to attract users and haters of Two artists with amusing lines under them
the program. to attract the reader using humour.
Small buzzword ‘plus’ followed by four Main cover title ‘MUSE’ with the logo so it
band names and singers, trying to pull an is recognisable to muse fans. Tag lines
audience, listeners to these musicians. above and below the title draw interest by
showing the consumer about the story.
Barcode, price
Main image of the band advertised is large
and overlaps title to show importance.
Shows them in a studio, not a set, which
goes with the quote under the main cover
title ‘If everyone slags us off, then fine!!’

5. White and black colour scheme with a few
red text compliment the image well as
these are the only colours seen in the
image. The colours use bold simplicity to
draw the reader.
Skyline lists bands in red making them
stand out slightly.
Title is recognisable, so the main image
overlaps it. Fans and most people into the
genre of music –the target audience- would
know the magazine.
Tag line
Strangely only one cover title. The main
cover title ’Children of Bodom’ has appeal Buzzword ‘free’ in pinwheel is emphasised
due to the lines above that suggest he lives by a break in the colour scheme and
a life which means he should be dead. This exclamation mark.
attracts the ‘rock and roll’ target audience
because the prospect of him living like he
does is exciting.
Information like date and price are in a bar
along the left side of the magazine. This
conserves space and doesn’t withdraw
from the minimalistic approach to the
cover.
The main image is a common rock star
playing guitar. He looks as if he is shouting,
which compliments his rock look. His eye
line is looking directly out at you, which
creates some engagement with the reader.

6. Colour scheme is basic. Grey background
and black text makes the yellow titles and
page numbers stand out a lot more and
Editors note next to an image of what is add contrast. There is also a red box at the
probably the cover giving a small bottom. This is to show it is a separate
topic to the rest of the page. Title ‘Contents’ is in a black drop-down box
introduction to the magazine, with a from the top in yellow. It is the largest font
signature to add a personal touch. on the page. It contrasts from it’s black
background more than the contents sub-
titles because it is loose-fitting inside it’s
Pictures that represent what is on each box.
page along with a sentence explaining what
is on them in a grid set up. The name of the Pull quote is humours and would probably
band or feature is in bold. The page make the reader want to read on.
number is yellow with a page number in ‘confessions’ on page 41.
yellow. This show priority of information.
Titles are bold and in yellow/black to
Main story’s picture is bigger, at sticks out a separate from the contents pages to make
little from the grid line out from the rest of it easier to read through. Numbers are in
the page story pictures. The image stands bold and titles not, again to show priority.
out as there is no evidence of music or rock
stars, instead zombies. This contrast is A red box at the bottom breaks the colour
supposed to interest readers. scheme because it is separate from the rest
of the page. It is a subscription offer, so
they want it to be easy to find, so it’s on
the front page.

7. Grey, black and red colour scheme goes
along with the metal theme of the
magazine. There are is only one slightly
bright picture, that hardly breaks the colour
Metal hammer logo just above ‘Contents’ scheme.
title in a gothic font, which is underlined,
Editor’s column Is long and formal, which
but with the date in the middle of the line,
would suggest it is different from
typical of the gothic style.
everything else on the page. It also has
nothing overlapping it, which separates it
Red sub-titles so they contrast from the
further. The only thing that does overlap is
title. They are not as bold, but in the same
the signature at the bottom, which is
font.
personal to the editor, in keeping with the
The small page numbers are just in front of
idea that the magazine and writers are all
the titles. They are in front and in red so
different to other magazines.
they are not missed.
Titles are black and gothic, and list bands
Images with their number reference on
included. They are not small so the reader
them, in case an image catches a reader’s
can open and quickly see all bands
eye, so they don’t have to look through the
included.
contents to see what it is. It also gives the
designers more freedom in placing the
Black box with white titles that stand out
images as they don’t have to be next to the
more, and two images that edge out of the
title it corresponds to.
box slightly and over lap the red in-line.
Two more features in a red box with two
images of magazines. The yellow numbers
don’t stand out due to a chromatically
similar background.

8. The simple red black and white colour scheme is typical for NME. They do
this to give an identification to themselves, and so when there is a
difference in the colour scheme, people will notice more.
Simple font, simple colour subtitle Title ‘NME’, the well known
keeps it minimalistic. This adds to symbol, with simple ‘This
the presence of the main image, week’, and a tag line of the
making it the only item of interest date.
on the page.
Contents of extra features.
Formal same layout. The red words This separates them from
and black page titles let the word the rest of the bands,
themselves create a pattern. It’s because they are actual
easy to read and space conservative. articles or reviews. They are
It also makes out there’s a lot of separated into sub headings
content. for ease of finding what you
want to find.
Extras that are not quite big
enough to be a feature.
An offer to subscribe breaks the
colour scheme to draw attention to
it
‘UK’s No1 GIG GUIDE’ boasts
a feature of the magazine in
a suggestive red arrow.

9. Minimalistic contents page with a lot of white space. This is very
uncommon for most magazines.
The back ground image
Iconic title logo, well recognices.
dominates the page, with
Vintage style ‘No. 82’ tag line, with
nothing over-lapping it,
an unusually large date.
making it even more
dominant. The grey
Modest simple ‘Features’ not
background takes none of the
underlined, or bold, makes it
dynamics away from the
minimalistic, but stands out even
image. The image is probably
more due to the plain empty
being used so majorly because
background.
of the significance of the
different music legends all
Only 3 pages specified. This
together in one picture.
encourages the reader to look into
Anyone opening the magazine
it, as it is clearly a special issue,
to have a look at the contents
because there are se few pages.
to consider buying and see this
would probably want to but it
Large page number in a vibrant
more by this image.
colour. No title, only a pull quote
from Megadeath member. The
quote is supposed to be enough for
a title.
A brief explanation of the image,
for curious readers who may want
to know more about it.

10. White background, black text and text boxes. Simple fonts and only two
colour breaks:
On the tag line
and contents numbers
Total guitar title logo, on top of a larger
contents. The audience will have just seen the
title on the cover page, so stating that this is the
contents page is more important. The tag line is
the date.
Exciting images of guitars, amps and pedals,
with titles briefly explaining what they are, a
more detailed description, and the page
number. The colour of the font is chosen by
what shows up better on the background, white
or black.
Formal layout of features.
Features with description, main features.
Features that are not monthly, but have
significance
Features that are regular.
All with red page numbers to add contrast.

11. Attractive female as the main image on a black The title ‘Wild Child’ makes the reader interested
background. This adds dramatic dark effect and because in the type of magazine it is the target
makes it easy to put text on without any visual audience would like the rebellious side of music.
issues. The image it’s self works for men through the Finding out what people do would be in their
attractiveness of the woman, and maybe wanting to interest. The red ‘Wild’ suggests it’s graffiti or
find out more about her, and for women through maybe lipstick smears, which is very characteristic
wanting to be like her, or admiring her. of the demographic expected to view it.
Question and answer
format for a quick, to the
point approach to the
interview. This can be
better than an article style
format as readers can skip
to the questions they are
interested in.
The questions are in red,
when as the answers are in
white. This creates a
stylistic layout, and the
contrast makes it easy to
pick out questions.

12. Main image relating to title. Stereotypical teenagers that Main title ‘Teen spirit’ is aimed to
would be similar to Kerrang!’s target audience. The image is attract rebellious rock teenagers into
slightly surreal and therefore interesting to the reader. It reading the article. The font is
sums up the article and attitude of the band. The layout of slightly broken, and smudged, and
the image one one side and the article on the other would out of line, adding to the rebellious
be too formal, so there are a few crossovers in the page. The feel of the title. It is splattered across Name of band for use
‘slat ‘ of the main title adds to this messy informal effect. the page. of skim reading the
magazine.
Brief description of
the band and what
they are about. Also
smudged and messy
like the title, but
inverse colours for
contrast and style.
Article type layout in
columns so it is easier
to read and not just
one block of text. Red
first two letters of
each section, so the
text doesn’t look
boring.
Simple pull quote for
lead singer. Crosses
over pages, and is just
below her, so people
would make the
assumption easily.
Humours section
describing the band in
pictures.

13. Access all areas title suggests the reader is getting Picture of the band on their own, so the
an inside view of the party, unlike other places. It reader does not get them mixed up with Crazy Nights draws interest to the
is on a black case, which suggests it to be discreet. the crowd in the main image. article by suggesting there will be
A quick explanation of what the spread is about. interesting and perhaps disorderly
information about the band in the
article.
Main image of a
party, which is also
the background.
Everything else over
laps it. The hands in
the air and lots of
people make an
interesting and fun
looking crowd,
which may make
the reader want to
find out who the
band is, and read
on.
A few pictures give
a deeper insight
into the gig, so the
audience gets a
better
understanding of
the night.
Pull quote pushes
the limits of being
individual buy
showing the band
are not affiliated
with drugs.

14. Radar is a feature of NME that picks up new music and does a spread about them. The symbol which is The teenagers is the name of the band.
recognised would gain readers even without mentioning a band or genre. Normally articles will not be named after
the band they are interviewing as they
Need to know give a quick run down for people just flicking through the magazine, or people who want would be recognised in the image, but this
to see if they’re the kind of band they want to read about. is not the case, as the teenagers are new.
Subtitle to relate the audience
to the band and give them an
idea of what they are like.
Blue and black is a different and
eye catching colour scheme,
which in it’s self may draw
readers interest.

15. Image is dark, and set in a slightly run down old looking A faint black box background allows the text to be
gothic place. It’s similar to the band members clothes, uninterrupted and easy to read.
which are formal, and in black, all of them are wearing The white formal text allows for a simple short
jackets. A small and faint explanation of the front man straightforward article. The only contrast separate
above his head. from the beginning is at the end, there is a list of
facts about the bad, including background and
who’s who.
Pull quote draws the more music
and emotion orientated reader,
rather than one that reads for
entertainment alone. It is white,
without a faint black box behind
it, and stands out because of this,
and the fact that it’s the only large
text, other than the title. Its adds
impact to the quote.