This document analyzes the contents page and double page spread (DPS) of the magazine KERRANG!. It discusses the layout, design elements, and stylistic choices that appeal to readers and reinforce the magazine's rebellious brand identity. The large images, distressed fonts, and bold color scheme catch the eye of potential buyers. Subheadings help readers easily navigate to content of interest while maintaining an organized structure. Quotes and images are used to grab attention and encourage reading on. Overall, the technical design choices and codes work together to create an aesthetically pleasing yet edgy style befitting the genre of rock music covered in the magazine.

1. Contents and DPS Analysis
Bethany Vaughan
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2. The fonts used also reinforce this with the
smashed KERRANG! font connoting
rebelliousness due to its apparent
destruction, something also seen in the
distressed font used in other headings and
titles in the contents
The layout of having one large image on the top half of
the page along with smaller images placed on top and
throughout the table of contents creates visual
information for the reader along with the text,
therefore making it more appealing to read, and
making it catch the eye of anyone who sees people
they recognise, making them more likely to buy the
magazine.
The editorial provides another perspective on the
magazine, providing further information and opinions on
the issue. It also creates an interaction between the
reader and the magazine because it speaks to the
audience, for example the verbal code “Have a great
week!” which connotes some kind of friendship and care
for the readers wellbeing, therefore encouraging an
‘Personal relationship’ (Katz) and creating a relaxed tone
and engagement between the magazine and the reader.

3. The contents page of KERRANG! has a rebellious and
“out there” look while remaining professional and
organised, this is an image which I aim to create in my
magazine using similar conventions. The house style of
white, yellow and black is typical of rock and punk
magazines, as they are bold colours and the contrast of
the white and yellow against black is easy to read.
The white connotes clarity and therefore creates calm
in the page while the black ‘signifies’ (De Saussure)
mystery and is a t mystery and is a typical colour used
in rock bands logos, clothing and merchandise for this
reason. Finally, the yellow is bold and connotes the
rebellious and edgy attitude of the magazine.
The use of sublines is useful to an audience as it allows
them to easily navigate the contents page to find the
article or type of article they are looking for, this is
because by categorising the types of stories it gives the
reader some idea of the type of content. Furthermore
the page number formatting helps to make the contents
easy and clear to read because the page numbers are in
bold red causing them to stand out against the bold text.
The bold black text for the article titles gives a quick and
simple summary making it easy to scan the page for
something particular while the smaller normal text
bellow provides more information about the article
which is useful for people who are not just looking for
one certain story.

4. The non-verbal code of the plain background makes the text easy to read and
creates a calm and professional looking page as it is not too complex, this means
that it is appealing to look at and therefore would encourage an audience to read
as it is aesthetically pleasing. The simplicity of the background also creates a focus
on the artist and text, connoting that the importance of the article is the music.
The capitalisation
and white
background used on
the questions makes
them stand out,
creating an easy to
read, differentiated
interview and allows
an audience to scan
the questions before
deciding to read the
page as the format
makes them easy to
find. This also helps
to make the
difference between
the interviewer’s
words and the
featured artists
words clear.
This ‘informs’
(Katz) the
audience what
form of story the
DPS features, and
makes it easy to
find pages
containing a
certain subject
matter.
Page number is small in the bottom left and right corners of
the DPS. This means that they do not distract the reader from
the content of the article but still make it easy to locate. The
black background to the white text makes it clear to read and
the KERRANG masthead reinforces the brand identity.
The use of a pull quote grabs
the audiences attention as it
encourages them to read on and
be informed of the context of
the quotation.

5. The verbal code “ABSOLUTELY!” in bold and bright white grabs attention as the bright colour effectively grabs attention,
especially in contrast with the black, and the use of an emotionally charged word like absolutely piques curiosity and will
encourage people to read on to gain context on why such an answer has been evoked. Furthermore, the use of an
exclamation point is another device to grab the audiences attention as it sensationalises the story, connoting something
exciting which is appealing to readers of music magazines.
The man in the image is dressed stereotypically for the rock genre as seen clearly in the technical code of the mid shot,
highlighting his clothing. The gauged ears and sleeve tattoos connote a rebellious attitude and cause the artist to
appear bold. The contrasting white and black of his t-shirt and the indie style of it is typical of the genre, and the bold
conflicting colours reinforce the rebellious attitude of the magazine and DPS.
The drop capital
‘informs’ (Katz) the
audience where to
begin reading the
interview as it
attracts attention.
The image
caption provides
another point of
entry for the
reader, providing
them with a small
about of
information about
the image.