The document discusses common design elements and conventions used on magazine covers, including the masthead at the top which indicates the genre, coverlines in larger font that describe the contents, a central image usually of an artist relating to the genre through lighting and expression, banners that provide information and organize the layout, splash text that grabs attention, background colors that make the image and text stand out, quotes from articles to entice readers, buzzwords that intrigue readers about the contents, and a positioning statement about the magazine's focus and awards. Musical iconography in images also provides clues about the genre for interested readers.