This document analyzes the design elements of the Kerrang magazine cover and interior pages. It discusses the sans-serif typography, large distressed title font, cluttered layout, use of black and yellow colors, dark aggressive images, and pointed violent language used on the cover which target rocky teenagers. The interior pages also feature sans-serif fonts, columns of subheadings with supporting images, dark colors and distressed fonts to stand out, and rebellious images that direct the rock genre at a younger audience. The language, layouts, fonts, and imagery used throughout are all conventional for a rock music magazine targeted at youth.
2. Typography:The typography’sused
inthismagazine coverare all sans
serif,thisconnotesthe ideaof
seriousnessanddoesnotpromote
the ideaof fungivenoff bya serif
font,alsoit fitsthe targetaudience
as it isaimedat rocky teenagers
whowouldappreciate thissans
serif fontandfinditmore
appealingthanamagazine with
serif fonts.The word‘Kerrang’
whichisthe name of the magazine
isin a large bolddistressedfont
whichhelpstocatch the eye of a
potential buyer, thisisalsoa
contemporaryandmoderndesign
whichfitsthe modernmusic
magazine itisusedon.
Layout:The magazine coveruses
the conventional Zlayoutwhich
followsthe natural route of the
eye.Alsoalot of the contentlike
the ‘Exclusive’interview are onthe
lefthandside of the coverfor when
itsstackedon a self,thislayout
methodiscalledthe leftthird. The
magazine usesitsownhouse style;the coverisverycluttered,forexample the title of the magazine
iscovered,thiscan onlybe achievedbecause Kerrangisawell-knownknownmusicmagazine and
can be easilyidentifiedwithonlypartsof the title.
Colour:The maincoloursusedon thiscoverare black and yellow.Blackiscommonlyrelatedtothe
rock genre andalso connotesthe ideaof death,anideacommonlyrelatedtothe rockmusicgenre.
The yellowcolourconnotes the ideaof danger. Thismagazine coverusesalotof white fontsforthe
more importantthingssotheystandout more than the otherlessimportantthingsdisplayedonthe
cover(the thingsthat standout are the magazine title so it’smore memorable,andthe main
interview.) Alsoalotof yellow isusedbecauseitcontrastswell with the blackusedanditisvividso
standsout fromthe backgroundblacks,thiscolouralsoconnotesthe ideaof the magazine being
modern.
Images:The imagesusedonthisfrontcover are verydark whichfitsthe genre of magazine,itisa
mid-shotof the band‘bringme the horizon’,the midshotusedmeansthatthe bandcan be easily
identifiedbythe reader.
Language:The language usedisveryto the pointand violent,thisallow the keyinformation tobe
presentedtothe readerquicklyandeffectively,forexample the text‘THECOMEBACKINTERVIEW’is
veryto the pointand doesn’tneedtobe readthrough.
3. Layout:The layoutof the double page spread isconventional because the image of the bandtakes
up mostof one of the pages.Alsothe double page spreadusesthe route of the eye whichisanother
conventionfordouble page spreads.
Typography:Thisdouble page spreadsusesserif fonts.The bandname isthe largestpiece of texton
the page meaningitattractedthe mostattention,alsoitiswrittenina blue whichbothstandsout
and connotesmasculinityasthe whole bandismale alsoitlooksveryAmericanhighschool-esque
whichconnotesyouth. The normal textiswritteninanordinaryserif font,it’swrittenaroundthe
image whichisconventional foradouble page spread.The coverline isinthe same highschool style
fontwhichconnotesmore youth.
Colour:The colourof the double page spreadismainlyblackandwhite whichconnotesangerand
aggression andmasculinity whichisgenericforthe rockgenre of music.Thoughthe blue used
promotesthe ideaof youthand rebelliousness.
Images:The double page spreadhasa picture of the band,the picture isa highangle shotandthe
bandare stoodso theycan all be easilyseenandidentified.Allthe bandmembersare pulling
comical yetaggressive faces,thisfitsthe mode of addressandthe genre.
Language:Some of the language useditdepressingwhichfitsthe rockgenre,forexamplethe cover
line says‘The newsoundof sacrifice’,Assacrifice connotesdeaththisisdepressing. The pull line
usesbad language whichconnotesthattheyare rebelliouswhichiscommonamongyouth.
4. Layout:The layoutof the contentspage is conventionalbecause itusesdarkcoloursandsansserif
text.The layoutisconventional becausethe subheadingsare incolumnswhichistypical forthe
contentspage of a magazine,alsosome of the subheadingshave picturestosupporttheirmeaning
and attract more readerattention.The use of a dark image isalsoconventional foracontentspage.
Typography:The contentspage usesdistressedboldsansserif fonts forthe titlesandthe sub
headings,thismakesthemstandoutandpromotesthe rebelliousstylesseenwithinthe Kerrang
magazine andthe rock genre.The fontusedfor the storywrittenonthe leftside of the contents
page is a sans serif fontwhichlooksmore like ithasbeenwrittenbythe writerratherthantyped,
thisgivesita more personal appeal thana blandsan serif fontwouldhave done.
Colour:The contentspage continuestostaytrue to the blackwhite andyellow seenonthe front
coverof the Kerrangmagazine,the yellow andwhitestandsoutwell fromthe blackbackgroundsat
the top of the page,thenat the bottom the black textisclearand easyto readwhile standingout
fromthe white background.The blackusedcontinuestoconnote sadnessanddeathwhichistypical
for the rock genre andfitsthe style of the magazine.Some redisusedwhichconnotesviolence and
youthwhichare alsothingscommonlyassociatedwiththe rockgenre.The yellow textisvery
noticeable soitisusedfor sub headings.
Images:The firstimage yousee on the coverpage is the one of ‘RobZombie’,the image isamid-
shotand is disturbinganddark,thisisconventional forthe rockgenre andfitsthe blackcoloursused
on the page.Anotherimage usedonthe contentspage isa rock musicianputtinghismiddle fingers
up to the camera,thisshowsa rebelliousattitude whichisapparentinthe rockgenre of musicand
directsthe genre of musicat a youngeraudience due toitsrebelliousandviolentnature.
5. Language:The language usedonthe contentspage of thismagazine isquite conventional forall
musicmagazines,ituses subheadings soyoucan findwhatyouare lookingforwithease,these are
shotsand can be readand understoodwithoutmuchthought.
