By analyzing existing music magazines like VIBE and XXL, the document's author gained insights into conventions for layout, design, and content for a hip hop music magazine. Primary research in the form of a questionnaire provided information on readers' preferences regarding price, features, and potential magazine mastheads. Additional research on hip hop artists, styles, and current magazine covers informed decisions around modeling, photography, and color schemes for the magazine's front cover. A mood board focusing on American hip hop visuals and aesthetics provided further inspiration for presenting the front cover in a style evocative of classic hip hop looks.