The document analyzes magazine cover design conventions based on an examination of Billboard magazine covers. It finds that the masthead, feature article image, and anchorage are typically the most important elements. The masthead's prominence decreases as the magazine becomes more established, shifting focus to the cover story. Anchorage text aims to intrigue readers into buying the issue by hinting at exclusive article details. Color, fonts, layout, and photographic style are also considered in analyzing Billboard's consistent yet adaptable house style.

1. N
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V
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3. Masthead
Selling Line
or Banner
Tagline
Kicker
Cover Line
Feature
Article Photo
Headline
Secondary Lead
Anchorage
Flash
Graphic
Feature or
Puff
Bar Code
Caption
Date Line

4. Masthead
Selling Line
or Banner
Web-link
Kicker
Cover Line
Tagline
Feature
Article Photo
Headline
Secondary Lead
Graphic
Feature or
Puff
Caption
Anchorage
Menu Strip
Bar Code
Date Line

5. 1. Masthead
8. Selling Line
or Banner
Web-links?
9. Tagline
Ears?
2. Kicker
10. Feature
Article Photo
3. Cover Line
11. Headline
12. Anchorage
4. Secondary Lead
13. Flash
14. Menu Strip
5. Plug
6. Graphic
Feature or
Puff
7. Caption
FREE –
15. Bar Code
Live music
downloads
16. Date Line

6. CONVENTIONS ANALYSIS
Throughout the music magazines that I have looked at and analysed what the covers all
include the same things. The masthead is obviously the biggest text on the whole cover,
however as music magazines become more established and well known the need to make
the masthead the main feature disappears and the focus is on the main cover story. As I
am looking at Billboard I have noticed that the actual masthead itself has colour in as the
‘b,’ ‘o,’ ‘a’ and the ‘d’ have a coloured circle inside as a way of still making it stand out, fit
in with the colour scheme and keep things fresh and different. Even though it is still a very
important feature of the magazine sometimes it is more of a fun aspect to change it up
with every cover and adapt it with each changing cover story.
In addition, the interaction between anchorage and photos add emphasis and send a
cryptic message to the audience which will make the reader question the declaration of the
anchorage and buy the magazine in order to find out what it is talking about, it adds a sort
of promise that the article will be gripping and worth reading which in turn suggests the
magazine as a whole has exclusive information and is a must read.
Generally, the lifestyles that are hinted at in taglines, kickers and the use of language is
aspirational. On magazine covers the people who are involved in the issue are mostly
famous people or people of interest in the media of that time, regardless if it is good or
bad as they can put their own spin on the interview and article to get their point of view
across to the readers. For example, Rihanna’s Billboard cover came with the anchorage ‘My
fans don’t really know who I am’ which is an extreme declarative as Rihanna’s fans would
be immediately drawn to the fact that this article will include information exclusively from
Rihanna and they want to know what it is and get to know her properly in the article to
change the declaration that the anchorage suggests, which in turn will sell a lot of
magazines as Rihanna is a world famous superstar and media glare and attention on
anyone of such stardom is always idolised and interesting to the public.

7. FURTHER ANALYSIS
As far as the cover goes, I actually think the masthead, feature article image and
anchorage goes hand-in-hand with what is the most important feature in a magazine in
association with the stages of the magazine itself. As a starting magazine, the main focus
of the cover will be the masthead in order for people to identify the magazine and get the
magazine and its name established and well known. Then gradually as a magazine has
managed to claim such dominance and comfort in readers and being well known by the
public the attention is less on the masthead but more on the feature article image and
anchorage. Again, Billboard are an excellent example of this, their first issues were focused
on the masthead and gaining the status of a best selling music magazine, then as the years
went on, the masthead was still the biggest text on the cover but began to be covered
slightly by the feature article image as that dominates the page in order to make sales. By
that point, the seller of the magazine is the person on the cover – in this case a music
artist- and the anchorage adds extra juicy information about what the article covers in hope
to sell the magazine further.
In association to the language that is used in magazines it is slightly formal but has a more
informal tone as the language doesn’t want to come across as ‘hard reading’ or
intimidating to the readers because the aim of the magazine production is to sell and for
entertainment. It doesn’t have a completely informal tone as the magazine needs to be
categorized and separated from gossip magazines such as ‘chat’ or ‘us weekly.’
As it is a well established music magazine it has to be high end and professional without
coming across as arrogant or intimidating to its readers. The anchorage helps with this as
it delivers a short clipping of what is featured in the magazine and allows the reader to
know what they are paying for in the issue, however the cover does not include all of the
information and articles in the entire magazine which is why the featured cover story has to
be an interesting one and the anchorage has to act as a ‘teaser’ in order to entice readers
to purchase the magazine. The cover deliberately covers all the main features as concise

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LA
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9. THE FOLLOWING SLIDES ARE
A SERIES OF FRONT COVERS
THAT SHOW HOW
ADAPTABLE BILLBOARD’S
HOUSE STYLE IS AND YET
HOW CONSISTENT THE
STYLE BECOMES OVER THE
COURSE OF SEVERAL
DIFFERENT ISSUES.

16. Indirect mode of
address can be
mysterious, lively,
sombre…
Direct mode of
address can appear
‘in yer face’, serious,
warm…
Creates a wacky, fun
image, sharing an
identity with the
reader that offers the
‘independence’ of
indie music.
Enigma – what are
they getting up to
now?

17. HOUSE STYLE & DESIGN NOTES
COLOUR - Is a colour scheme used? Is it the same with every
issue or switch according to the images? Is there a pattern as
to where colour is used? Does colour have its own meaning?
FONTS - Roughly how many different fonts (not sizes) are used?
Can you link the same fonts with the same conventions?
STYLE - What look and feel is created? How much does the cover
image contribute to this? What photographic techniques are
used? Describe the mode of address and overall look e.g.
invitational, mysterious etc. Is a theme used e.g. futuristic?
Does an enigma prompt the reader to ask questions?
USE OF SPACE - How has the rule of thirds been used? Does the
left-third dominate? Is the use of space typical e.g. masthead
top-left, headline sitting at the bottom of the mid-third etc.? Is
it spread out, blocky, chaotic? Is there any dead space or
white space?
CONCLUDE – Why do you think it is designed as it is? Does it
reinforce or challenge the typical conventions? Is it: posterstyle, busy , loud, inyerface, smooth, slick, stylish, fun etc.?

18. HOUSE STYLE & DESIGN NOTES
COLOUR - Is a colour scheme used? Is it the same with every
issue or switch according to the images? Is there a pattern as
to where colour is used? Does colour have its own meaning?
FONTS - Roughly how many different fonts (not sizes) are used?
Can you link the same fonts with the same conventions?
STYLE - What look and feel is created? How much does the cover
image contribute to this? What photographic techniques are
used? Describe the mode of address and overall look e.g.
invitational, mysterious etc. Is a theme used e.g. futuristic?
Does an enigma prompt the reader to ask questions?
USE OF SPACE - How has the rule of thirds been used? Does the
left-third dominate? Is the use of space typical e.g. masthead
top-left, headline sitting at the bottom of the mid-third etc.? Is
it spread out, blocky, chaotic? Is there any dead space or
white space?
CONCLUDE – Why do you think it is designed as it is? Does it
reinforce or challenge the typical conventions? Is it: posterstyle, busy , loud, inyerface, smooth, slick, stylish, fun etc.?