2.
I will be looking at 2 separate magazine contents pages; Kerrang and Q
magazine.
Q magazine covers mainly pop and rock music using a range of styles.
Looking at the various cover pages of this magazine, the House style is
consistent throughout the different issues, using reds, whites and blues in
the colour scheme. The layout is organised and professional looking full of
content but not over bearing.
How does this transfer to the contents page?
3. House style Transfer to the Contents
Page In Q Magazine
The colour scheme is transferred over to the inside of the
magazine, with red being predominant throughout.
The typeface used on the front cover is used in the red text
on the contents page, while a different, more formal font is
used (in black to explain what each article is about). The
smaller black font is also not in capitals.
One of the pictures pops out over the title “contents” much
like the cover page photos over the logo “Q”.
The inside contents is structured like the over is especially
with the editorial placement, it is very ordered and clear.
The words “review” and “contents” are also in different fonts
to any used before, but notice that all the fonts compliment
each other well and suit the style of the magazine which is
very ordered.
4. Layout
The layout to this magazine is in blocks. There are three main
columns with a forth showing articles that the magazine sets aside
and promotes in a bold rectangle column. The Q review, a regular
feature, is included here.
There is a grey area cutting off around half the page, effectively
highlighting the articles on the white background as more
important which includes the cover story and a editors special.
The columns have no lines separating them other than the extra
forth column showing a clear cut between them using a small gap
instead.
The page number is shown first in the largest text followed by the
band in red and a smaller description of the article underneath.
5. Pictures
There are four pictures used in this contents page. Three of
which are bunched together in the centre of the page.
The biggest picture is used for the cover story and is a close
up of the lead singer of the arctic monkeys. This is the first
picture a viewer would notice.
The second biggest is of the manic street preachers and they
are in informal clothing and in a public setting.
The third is in a natural setting with natural poses and informal
dress.
All of these pictures relate to featured articles and the
majority are in informal dress in a public, natural setting. The
photos don’t look to be professionally shot in a studio and
provoke interest in the reader while making them feel more
connected to the artists in the natural settings.
The last picture
shows a performer
from green day in
a concert.
6. Page Furniture
Page furniture is different from magazine to magazine
and is something that makes a magazine unique and
can add to the look of the house style.
The diagonal cut off on some of the rectangles on the
page in the contents page definitely makes the
magazine look more professional.
The red tab for the Q interview is not used anywhere else
in the magazine so it draws the attention of the reader
and is signified as an important (weekly) section.
Both the cover story and 17 page collectors special
relate to the picture and featured articles and both use
the outline on the inside of the shape connecting them.
Note that the collectors special furniture is especially
visible to the reader as there is nothing else on the page
in that green colour.
7. Articles
The layout for the articles is the same throughout, putting the page
number in the top left corner and the name of the band it relates to
beside it in capitals and red. This is done so that the reader looks at the
band name first and If they see the band is one they like then they read
onto the smaller text summary. The number and the band name are in
the same bold text whereas the smaller summary is in a different less
interesting font so that there is a clear divide between the artist and the
summary.
The exception to this rule is the regular Q interview the magazine provide
which uses a different font to any other used in the contents page and
the Q logo drawing attention to it even without the page furniture. The
picture has circulation of where it is from and there is no summery only a
bold exclamation “the worlds finest music guide” setting it apart from all
the other articles shown. This proves certain articles are given priority
through page furniture, colour and typeface.
There are 19 articles in total.
8.
The second magazine I’m looking at is Kerrang, a magazine based on punk and
alternative rock genre(like the one I am creating). This genre is loud and has attitude,
going against the flow. The magazine has to reflect this to appeal to their target
audience.
The main colour scheme is of red, yellow and white and the page is very cluttered. The
attitude in the genre as we see on the covers is reflected through the tilting of text, use of
bright yellow and even as mentioned above the cluttered nature of the layout, with
many pictures and a lot of text splashed around with little layout balance or order.
But how is this house style transferred to the contents page?
9. House style Transfer to the Contents
Page In Kerrang Magazine
Like in Q Magazine the colour scheme is transferred over with
reds, yellows, white and black in the page. This page is
organised but cluttered with a lot of text and design features. It
seems loaded with content and where Q focuses on quality
Kerrang focusses on quantity.
The type face used in the front cover is transferred to the titles
of the articles and the circulation, but as in Q the magazine
uses a separate smaller, on caps font for the summary to the
articles. The article sections use a different font again and are
very bold and easily identified without being too large on the
page.
The audience is addressed in a very informal tone using
intellect such as “kinda” and “thingies”, as well as addressing
the audience directly, investing them emotionally and making
them feel like a part of the magazine “Hello readers…”
10. Layout
The layout has 2 main columns with different sections for the
articles, such as News and albums. There is also a third, smaller
column addressing the readers and crediting people who helped
to create it.
There are no lines separating the articles in this magazine however
note that the articles are split into sections which are identified in
blocks of black with yellow text in it
The pictures on this page are scattered with the largest at the top.
The article artists and in other instances names are in bold on the
page with the page number on the left in red. The summary is
below this and uses informal speech.
11. Pictures
As I mentioned earlier The pictures are scattered (spaced out) throughout the page.
The band photos are all in the 2 main columns however none of them are to do with
the main cover article. The largest is of a band in informal clothing indoors with
exaggerated poses. This comes under the column news. The second largest picture
shows a concert setting and comes under lives. The third artist picture comes under
shots and shows a formal photo-shoot picture which seems staged. This type of
picture is unusual in a contents setting. These pictures all vary in place, clothing and
subject matter.
The other photos are in the 3rd column. The first shows the team who were involved
in making the magazine in informal dress posing happily for the camera. This makes
the reader feel much more linked to them and focuses not only on the magazine
but also the people creating it.
The second set of photos shows people who helped creat the magazine, crediting
them as well as a small boy who helped an the football club he belongs to, this also
creates a connection with the reader on a deeper level than just the magazine,
taking a look behind it at who was involved.
12. Page Furniture
The graphics on the circular design of the contents is speckled with
white parts, creating the illusion that the words were stamped on
messily.
The second design element is the border around the pictures which
makes them seem like photos from an album which pop out using a
drop shadow effect and are piled on top of each other.
Lastly the credits title is in a different text to all the rest of the page on
a banner drawn and shaded to seem unreal, like a cartoon.
This contents page has less design elements than Q magazine.
13. Articles
The sections the articles go in have a black background with yellow text
exclusive to sections. This makes the sections more noticeable than the
articles so the reader will read them first to determine what type of article
they wan to read.
The articles themselves use red font for the numbers and capital bold
black font (same font as the red) for ether an artists name, or if it is not
about a specific artist, the article’s title. This is in a font transferred from the
front cover. The underneath summary is in not all capitals, not bold and
uses a separate font that compliments the first font.
The articles are closer together than in Q and the summary is shorter.
There are 19 articles in Kerrang, which is the same number as in Q
magazine.
