The document discusses the codes and conventions used in magazine design, specifically for classical music magazines. It examines various design elements like mastheads, images, text formatting, and layouts. For each element, it provides examples of how other classical music magazines commonly use that element, and how the magazine described in the document both conforms to and challenges some conventions. The goal is to create a magazine design that will appeal to an older, more sophisticated audience interested in classical music, while also incorporating some modern elements.

2. FRONT COVER
Masthead
Features/
sublines
Anchor text
Main cover line
Main image
Sell line
House style

3. MASTHEAD
Bold ~ large ~ simple ~ serif
font ~ centred, at top of page
~ contrasting colour to
background ~ stands out ~
eye-catching ~ recognisable
~ unique ~ brand awareness
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE
THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR
MASTHEADS:

4. SELL LINES
Varied sized text ~ eye catching ~
hermeneutic code – exclusivity ~
intrigue ~ main features ~ enticing
~ make reader want to read on ~
bold ~ sans-serif font to contrast
against other text on front cover
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE
THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR
SELL LINES:
BBC Music
Opera Now

5. MAIN IMAGE
Medium close-up shot = common
convention of classical music
magazines ~ image features one
person and links to main story
(anchor text) ~ no direct mode of
address – challenges convention
found during my research as
direct mode of address used to
entice and capture the attention of
the audience. I chose to challenge
this convention as I think by not
using direct mode of address the
image presents a sense of
mystery which in turn will entice
my target audience ~ model
prominent on the page – centred
~ eye-catching ~ costume
contrasts against background ~
light background challenges
convention of a usual dark
background and atmosphere ~
main light source on model –
striking ~ dressed up ~
professional
MAGAZINES THAT
ALSO CHALLENGE
THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR
THEIR MAIN IMAGE:
MAGAZINES THAT
CONFORM TO
THESE CODES
AND
CONVENTIONS
FOR THEIR MAIN
IMAGE:

6. FEATURES/SUBLINES
Insight into features included ~ informative –
uses and gratification theory (surveillance –
can find out the latest news and information
about popular musicians and current topics –
keep up to data and part of the classical
music community) ~ entice audience to read
on ~ fits with house style (serif font – black,
white and gold colour scheme) –
continuation = brand awareness ~ contrast
against the background ~ smaller font ~ not
the main cover line ~ intrigue
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR
FEATURES/SUBLINES:
BBC Music
magazine
Classical
Music
magazine

7. ANCHOR TEXT
Musician’s name ~ entices fans
~ anchors to main image ~ main
story ~ bold text ~ largest text
on page ~ contrasting colour to
masthead + other text on front
cover ~ stands out ~ eye-
catching ~ serif font – appeal to
‘proper’ + older target audience
~ stands out + contrasts against
main image/background
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR ANCHOR
TEXT:
Classical Music
magazine
BBC Music
magazine

8. MAIN COVER LINE
Common convention placed
near anchor text to show
connections ~ fits with house
style ~ enticing – makes
readers want to know new
current trends – the uses and
gratification theory as they can
become part of a current
trend/new ways of music –
informing ~ eye-catching as
colour contrasts against
background ~ short and sweet
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE
CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR
MAIN COVER LINE:
Classical Music
magazine
BBC Music
magazine

9. HOUSE STYLE
Colour scheme = white, gold, black
and red – simple, contrasting
colours – looks sophisticated – eye-
catching/appealing ~ serif font
except for sell lines which are in a
sans serif font – serif font = more
sophisticated look – more appealing
to older target audience – sans serif
font makes the sell lines stand out –
important
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR HOUSE STYLE:

10. CONTENTS PAGE
Magazine issue date
Numbering
Images
Page number
Regular
features
Columns
Masthead
Special features

11. MAGAZINE ISSUE DATE
Recent information ~ is informative which
complies with the uses and gratification
theory as keeps regular readers up to date
with the time the magazine was published
~ placed in bottom right-hand corner to
draw emphasis to when turning the page
corner ~ bold, contrasting black to white
background but smaller than other text –
keeps with house-style – still easy to read
+ eye-catching
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE
CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR
THEIR MAGAZINE ISSUE DATE:

12. IMAGES
All the images that I have taken are of still life but are all
related to the classical music genre. The use of these
different images compared to just using models appeals
more to my target audience who tend to be more interested
in the music than in the musicians who create it. The image
of New York is a long distant shot from a high angle – New
York is known as a culturally diverse area offering new and
unique music. The image of the music sheet is a close-up
shot and is a classical music piece – distressed – looks
older to appeal to older target audience. The image of the
guitar again is a medium close-up shot where the light
captures the right side of the object to make it look new
(sophisticated). All the images have colours within my
house style – brand awareness + continuation = more
sophisticated + professional look to suit target audience –
positioned at top of page – draws the readers eye – more
likely to carry on reading down the page.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS PAGE
IMAGES:
BBC music magazine

13. COLUMNS
I used columns as they bring an organised
look to the page and I found that they were
a common convention in my research and
planning – easy navigation – no
overlapping = professional ~ spaced out
over 3 columns ~ reads like an article ~ no
crowding ~ easy to find relevant articles ~
simplicity for older, more sophisticated
target audience
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS
PAGE COLUMNS:
Gramophone magazine
BBC Music magazine

14. NUMBERING
I chose to challenge the commonly used code and convention for
picture captions that I identified when carrying out my research +
planning by not captioning my pictures with a relevant description – only
giving the relevant page number for the main article within my
magazine. I did this because I think that if I had have added captions
the page would have looked too crowded and for an older, more
sophisticated target audience, they do not need me to identify an image
of a guitar – if need be they could always just turn to the corresponding
page to find the topic of the relevant article to relate the image back to.
White colour of text contrasts against colours within images and serif
font creates a more sophisticated look and even the smallest detail fits
in with the house-style. Positioned in bottom right-hand corner – eye-
catching and know where to look as always in the same place – easy
navigation suits an older target audience who want to be able to
navigate through the magazine quickly and easily to the articles that are
of interest to them. Created shortcuts – convenience – linked with
feature/image/article which is informative which complies with the uses
and gratification theory as means people can find out the context of the
images. Not overpowering – doesn’t draw attention away from the
images.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO CHALLENGE THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS PAGE IMAGE
NUMBERING:
MAGAZINES THAT COMPLY WITH THESE
CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR
CONTENTS PAGE COLUMNS:
Gramophone magazine
BBC music magazine = numbering +
caption

15. SPECIAL FEATURES
TITLE: Bold, contrasting colour to background as well as
other text on page ~ short and simple ~ eye-catching ~
breaks down magazine ~ easy navigation ~ capitals – bold,
stands out ~ can quickly identify purpose of page
SHORT DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIAL FEATURES:
informing of information included in feature – uses and
gratification theory as allows reader to find out the topics of
the articles which they can then choose to learn more about
by finding the corresponding article within the magazine ~
entices reader.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ARTICLE: insight into article ~
entices reader ~ offers piece of information on the topic of the
article which therefore complies with the uses and
gratification theory.
Gold colour only used to highlight main headings and main
feature article which featured on the front cover – highlights
importance and gold + exclusive/rare. Co-ordinating numbers
for ease of navigation ~ not too text heavy.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS PAGE SPECIAL
FEATURES:
BBC Music magazine

16. REGULAR FEATURES
Regulars – consistency column for regular
readers ~ entices readers for continuity reading
for repeat purchasing – brand awareness ~ bold
heading – serif font + gold colour =
regal/exclusivity – eye-catching to suit older,
more sophisticated target audience/genre of
music ~ colours in contrast to background
colour – stands out, eye-catching.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS
PAGE REGULAR FEATURES:
BBC Music magazine

17. PAGE NUMBER
Page number = informative ~ easy navigation =
simplicity = suits older target audience who may
have picked up magazine for specific article e.g.
exclusive main article. Brand awareness as
located in same place throughout magazine –
professional consistency. Black contrasts against
white background = easy to identify which page
you are on = important for easy navigation.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS
PAGE NUMBERS:

18. MASTHEAD
Bold, simple ~ next to page number
as most people use page numbers to
navigate through magazine so will
see masthead = brand awareness ~
contrasting colour of masthead to
background = stands out + eye-
catching.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS
PAGE MASTHEAD:

19. MAIN PAGE HEADING
Simple, bold, largest text on page so reader
can quickly identify purpose of page –
informative = uses and gratification theory ~
black colour of text contrasts with white
background – eye-catching. Aligned and
positioned in the centre of the page to
highlight importance and draw readers eye
to.
MAGAZINES THAT ALSO USE THESE CODES
AND CONVENTIONS FOR THEIR CONTENTS
PAGE MAIN PAGE HEADING:
BBC Music magazine
Gramophone magazine

20. DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD
Drop capital
Anchor text
Heading
Sub-heading
Pull quote
Images
Masthead
Text
Columns
Social media
Recommendations

21. LAYOUT
I used the common convention of having multiple images spread out across the double-page spread rather than just one
main image as my target audience like variety and are more interested in the music rather than the individual lifestyle of the
musician. I layered the images and put a shadow behind them to make the double-page spread appear 3D and makes the
images stand out – eye-catching. Having a more sophisticated, older target audience mean that text was more of a priority
than images as my target audience enjoy facts and new information and classical music is a more sophisticated, history
based genre of music. For that reason, the majority of my double-page spread is occupied with text and only a few images
to break up the page and add some diversity and contrasting colours to make the double-page spread look more attractive
and appealing so that my target audience will fell inclined to read the article.
The name of the musician is crucial
in attracting my target audience as
this musician is current and so this
applies to the uses and gratification
theory as this musician has new
techniques and ways of interpreting
classical music – new, exclusive
information – for this reason the
main heading of the double page
spread is the name of the musician
and is the largest text on the page,
highlighting its importance by
drawing the readers attention to it
with the contrasting gold colour and
the use of bold to emphasize the
lettering. It is also positioned to the
left of the double-page spread as
when reading from left to right – this
is where the reader’s eye will first be
directed so will naturally follow the
layout of the double-page spread –
carry on reading the article.

22. Example of a classical music
magazine with a similar layout:
LAYOUT
BBC Music magazine

23. IMAGESThe images that I took for my double-page spread feature two of inanimate objects and one of a
model. I chose to use a close-up of a keyboard which due to the glossy keys naturally captured the
light and reflected upon the black keys giving the picture and earthy but pristine look. For the medium
close-up of the sheets of music I chose to turn the image into greyscale as I wanted to keep the black
and white theme from the keyboard. I also added a shadow to the 4 corners of the image to show age
but also the mystery of the musicians new piece of work.
For the image of the model I
again chose a medium close-up
shot as this was the most
frequently used type of shot
when I carried out my research
and planning and looked at the
codes and conventions of other
classical music magazines. I
chose to challenge the
convention of using direct mode
of address for this image though
because I feel that by having the
model looking away, it adds to
the sense of mystery and
creates a sense of intrigue which
fits in better with the topic of the
article which emphasizes the
new project that the musician is
working on and has yet to be
officially revealed.

24. Example of a classical music
magazine with a similar layout
that also challenges the common
code and convention of using
direct mode of address:
Example of a classical music
magazine with a similar layout
that conforms to the common
code and convention of using
direct mode of address:
IMAGES
Gramophone magazine
BBC Music magazine

25. TEXT
MAIN OPENING TEXT/LR TEXT = black in a serif font to contrast against grey and white gradient background and
matches the house-style = brand awareness and professional continuity – eye-catching and easy to read ~ SW
text = red and in bold + italic to contrast against the LR TEXT so the reader can easily identify which text is from
the interviewer and which text is from the interviewee – ease of access ~ positioned around the images for easy
navigation and pulls the double-page spread together as all the components ‘fit’ together. Language of text =
professional and well-spoken to suit my target audience who are older and more sophisticated and would not be
attracted to read an article that was written in modern day ‘slang’.
Example of a classical music
magazine with a similar text
format:
Gramophone magazine

26. COLUMNS
Having the page split up into equal sized columns is a convention that I came across
often in my research therefore I used it in my double page spread as it gives an
organised, professional look to the page. It also offers easy page navigation when
reading left to right as it is easy to follow the text across the double-page spread
which appeals to my target audience who want simplicity.
Example of a classical
music magazine with a
similar column format:
BBC Music magazine

27. PULL QUOTEPull quote ~ insight to the rest of the story ~ creates engagement and questions ~ personal
relationships created as engagement = gain information and allows reader to question
information they have read which complies with the uses and gratification theory ~ different font
used (italics) and colour = red which stands out where the majority of the other text = black ~
also pull quote = isolated from rest of text = stands out and draws reader in by offering an insight
into the article making them inclined to read the rest of it ~ differentiation between normal text =
eye catching.
Example of a classical
music magazine with a
similar pull quote format:
Gramophone magazine

28. SOCIAL MEDIA
Offers links to social media websites such as twitter ~ keeps up with a modern
day audience ~ widens target audience to appeal to a younger audience ~ offers
readers a chance to access information on other media platforms – complies with
the uses and gratifications theory ~ moves magazine into the 21st Century.
Example of a classical
music magazine that also
has a reference to social
media on the double-page
spread:
No other classical music
magazines currently use this
feature on their double-page
spread which is what makes
my magazine unique and
stands out from other
magazines – makes my
magazine unique – more
likely to buy in 21st Century
as social media = dominant +
relevant.

29. RECOMMENDATIONS
Extra information on other events relevant to the target audience – so they can get involved –
informative therefore this complies with the uses and gratifications theory ~ connects reader to
the magazine – personal relationship ~ red background to contrast against white page
background – stands out = eye-catching, important reader feels connected to the magazine =
will trust and more likely to buy again.
Example of a classical
music magazine that also
has a recommendations
section on their double-
page spread:Again,
Again, no other classical
music magazines currently
use this feature on their
double-page spread which is
what makes
my magazine unique and
stands out from other
magazines – makes my
magazine unique – more
likely to buy as gets reader
involved with the magazine –
informative = uses and
gratifications theory as they
can then go and look into the
magazine’s further related
recommendations
themselves.

30. MASTHEAD
Bold, black to contrast with white background, located in same place as other
pages except for front cover = brand awareness + professional continuity.
Larger than majority of text on page – easy to spot – stands out.
Example of a classical
music magazine that
also has a masthead
on their double-page
spread:
Gramophone magazine

31. HEADING
Name of musician = attract fans as eye-catching more likely to read article/magazine ~ largest text
on page = first thing readers see = fans/eye-catching ~ gold and serif font = contrast to background,
fit with house-style and look professional – professional continuity as well as consistency with rest of
magazine ~ right level of sophistication to suit nature of target audience. Positioned in top left hand
corner as this is where the reader’s eyes are drawn to and as read left to right can carry on reading
the article which is directly below due to the positioning of the heading being on the left-hand side of
the page – ease of access – more likely to read on/rest of magazine.
Example of a classical
music magazine that
also has a heading on
their double-page
spread:
BBC Music magazine

32. SUB-HEADING
Informative – gives reader a short insight into the topic of the article – complies with the uses
and gratifications theory. ‘Breaking the Boundaries implies something new, risky, never been
done before = intrigue = target audience more likely to read on – makes them question the
statement – again complies with the uses and gratifications theory. Red text and bold =
stands out and contrasts against the white background = easy to read = simplicity/ease of
access which suits my target audience.
Example of a classical
music magazine that also
has a sub-heading on their
double-page spread:
Opera magazine

33. DROP CAPITAL
Drop capital ~ draws the reader’s eye to the start of the article – prompts them to carry on
reading the article ~ eye-catching ~ different font to the rest of the text on the page ~ bold –
draws the reader’s attention to the start of the article – know where to start reading –
simplicity + ease of access to suit the target audience who want to be able to get to the bits
they want in the magazine quickly + easily.
Example of a classical
music magazine that also
has a sub-heading on their
double-page spread:
Opera magazine

34. ANCHOR TEXT
Located in the top left-hand corner of the double-page spread = easy to locate + spot when reading
left to right. Serif font and black colour of text = stands out and contrasts against the white background
=easy to spot = eye-catching. ‘Exclusive’ appeals to reader – something other people won’t have –
information = fits into the uses and gratifications theory. Reader wants to read on to find out what
makes this article unique – desire for information – something you won’t get anywhere else (any other
magazine = makes article a must-read).
Example of a classical
music magazine that also
has a piece of anchor text
on their double-page
spread:
The examples of classical music
magazines that I looked at did not
use this feature on their double-
page spreads, this could just
simply be because it is hard to find
new and exciting information to
put towards an article, so this is an
important thing for me to consider
in the future as this type of anchor
text using ‘EXCLUSIVE’ may be
something that I cannot frequently
use. However I could use another
phrase for my anchor text such as
‘RECOMMENDED’.