This document summarizes the key conventions of magazine design and how the author's student magazine project both conformed to and challenged conventions. The summary discusses how the author's magazine cover, contents page, and double-page article spread both followed examples from Q Magazine in including things like mastheads, coverlines, images, and page numbers, while also experimenting with non-traditional positioning and layouts to reflect the rebellious punk genre. The author aimed to both retain authenticity to the genre and broaden their target audience by developing conventions rather than completely challenging them.

2. Magazines always look for a niche in the market- which audience needs attention and could be potential profitable
consumers. Also, with music magazines which have varied target audiences, it’s possible to create magazines for the vast
amounts of music genres. But we don’t. As the popularity of certain genres would intervene in the popularity of the
magazine and the percentage of sales and profits. Also, publication of music magazines need to be in with the current
trends and what’s popular- keeping up to date with the audience’s interests and needs. I chose to do Punk as it was an
old movement, an authentic part of culture and still relatively popular- but the only magazines that seemed to have
catered specifically for a punk audience have been fanzines, like “Punk” created by cartoonist John Holmstrom and
publisher Ged Dunn in 1975 . The fact that Punk had been so untouched meant that I could play around with the
conventions of a magazine- challenge them, just as the genre itself is aimed to do. This also meant that I could broaden
my target audience. As well as retaining authenticity, I could cater a new audience and involve the modern-aspect of it.
The only other magazine comparable to this is Q as it features many articles on old bands, culture and a reasonable mix
of artists to suit its readership.

3. Q magazine Anarchy magazine
Masthead
Typically at the top
horizontal third of
magazine, clearly showing
the name of the magazine
and ownership of it. Usually
has a name of reference to
the genre
Left-third
Conventionally contain
most of the features/cover
lines, displayed by both
magazines
Price/Date
Both show the issue, time frame
and price of magazine.
Barcode
Show the importance of a
retailer and the consumption
purposes of a magazine.
Main Image
The image at the centre of a
cover, usually the topic of the
main coverline.
Consistent Colours Quote Main Coverline
A continuous theme of colours A snippet of the Typically larger than the
that feature consistently main article used other coverlines, with a
for presentational purposes. to entice the center alignment. The main
reader. feature of a magazine.

4. Q’s masthead is bright and instantly recognisable but it is displayed
as being behind the main image, something that I did not conform to
with my masthead. I chose to spread my masthead across the entire
horizontal third with the main image tucked underneath, I felt as
though going against conventions would link to the name of the title
itself, “anarchy.” Also, the Q logo has a box around it that separates it
from the rest of the cover, and I wanted to mimic this with my own
spin. So, I chose to miss out the shape and use the fact it is a front
layer as an advantage to separate it from the rest of the page and
indicate that it is dominant. Q’s main coverline is featured at the very
bottom of the cover, with the band name far bigger than the rest.
Similarly, I made sure the font size of the band was bigger but I
didn’t want it to be too dominant amongst the rest of the page which
goes against traditional conventions. Both features include a pull-
quote to entice the audience in. However, I didn’t use exclusivity
with my main feature, though I did use it within the magazine itself. I
also chose to position my main coverline in the right-third of the
page, above the barcode. This was because I felt it could strike it
amongst the page without having to dominate and spread across it to
wildly. Overall, I think I conformed and developed the conventions
of a cover, rather than completely challenging them.

5. Page title
Shows the type of page it is.
Date
Show the time of the latest
issue for consumption
purposes.
Features & coverlines
Typically link to what has been
feautred on the front
cover, also show other pages
inside the magazine.
Puff/Plug
Highlights a specific page within
the magazine, sometimes the same
as the plug on the cover.
Logo
The image that clearly
represents the
magazine.
Image(s)
Range from a few, with plugs/puffs
to specific pages, to one main image
that links to the content.

6. Both titles are typically positioned at the top of the magazine, as displayed by Q mag.
However, I decided to challenge this convention and have it at the bottom, with the
focus automatically going to the articles within rather than the title. Also, Q put its
date next to the title, whereas I kept it up the top, without including the title. I felt that
it was still important to show the audience that they are reading the latest issue, as
well as for collectors/subscription purposes. Both magazines have their articles going
down one-side with just one main image. Q’s contents page has its image as a
background, whereas I chose to keep it separate from the features themselves so
everything on the page had an equal chance of standing out. Q did this through
shapes, like the red box underneath it’s features. I made it clear what each of the types
of pages were by a differentiating colours and font styles. Q did include this as well, by
swapping with colours in its theme (red, black and white) and with sub-heading to
indicate the style of magazine entry. I just to display this in a different way.
Logos are also used by both contents pages. Q’s logo is positioned at the top left-hand
corner, contributing to the red, black and white mix that runs down the left of that
page. I however, did not position my logo in a deliberately neat and conventional way.
I decided to put the small anarchy symbol which features within the masthead at the
bottom right-hand corner, next to the page title which happens to be the same font as
the masthead too. I thought this kept with the continuity of theme as the colour
scheme remained the same throughout and it displayed the right amount of challenge
to conventions to cater to a rebellious audience and genre. Overall, I believe I
challenged conventions of a contents page by changing the position of the title and
using an image that was not of an artist within the magazine.

7. Columns Main Image Drop Capital
The biggest image of the When the capital at the
The way the text is
feature, the subject of it. beginning of a section is
organised in
bigger than the rest of the
magazine spreads.
Layout Devices i.e. shapes text.
Adds to the display of a
page, can highlight specific
things.
Exclusivity
A primary source of
Page Number information which draws
Indicates where to go for the
in the audience.
article. Continuous with
contents page.

8. I found Q’s double page spreads to be quite minimal and basic with no
clear title other than in the top right hand corner of the second page. I
used a minimal display to draw in its reader, keeping the look of the
pages very clean and sleek. I felt that my double-page spread was un-
coordinated in comparison but still held the key features. Both
magazines include drop capitals to indicate the beginning of
sections, though I decided to keep the increase in font size from being
to drastic, whereas Q magazine clearly shows the start of a new section.
Both feature a large, monochromatic main image on the left-page of
the spread, this shows instantly who the artist featured is, though Q
had their title considerably smaller in comparison to my own. They do
however include a large “L” shape to highlight the page and who the
artist is. I too, tried to mimic this but did not want to have a large letter
which due to the colour scheme I have selected, may have made it less
eye-pleasing. Instead, I decided to include a coloured rectangle to
highlight the band’s name on top of the image of the model, that way it
struck out and showed clearly to the audience what the page was about.
Q magazine used only one image, whereas I decided to incorporate
three, one being the main image, the second being a tour poster to link
to the purpose of a music magazine and the third of an album cover to
act as an advertisement which feature in magazines, instead of doing a
review. The colour scheme was continuous in both Q and my own
magazine as this showed a certain continuity which is required, as well
as page numbers to ensure that the magazine is well constructed and
continuous. While Q changed font styles to indicate different speakers
within the interview, I decided that I would stick with my use of colours
to show the interview style and remain presentable on the page. I think
that overall, I conformed to conventions of a double page spread.