This document provides guidance and questions for planning and designing a magazine cover. It prompts the reader to consider the genre, target audience, title, masthead designs, cover photo ideas, sell lines, cover layout sketches, and completed cover design. It also includes questions for self-evaluation on audience targeting, stereotypes, fonts, and justifying design choices. The reader is asked to plan elements of a magazine cover, sketch layout ideas, design their preferred cover, and reflect on how well it meets its intended audience.

1. 1

2. 2
Research
Name some famous magazines
Which magazines do you and your friends and relatives read?
Go to http://www.mediatel.co.uk/abcroundup/index.cfm
What are the various market sectors for magazines?
What is the market leader in each sector?

3. 3
Planning you Magazine: Pre Production
What Genre of Magazine will yours be ?
What are the conventions of this Genre?
Who will the audience be for you magazine ? Give
Details ?
Age
Gender:
Lifestyle choices: Likes / Dislikes…
Demographic Profile: Social Class /Income / Jobs
Describe your typical magazine reader

4. 4
What is the title of you Magazine and Why?
Did you have any other ideas that you rejected? Why?
In the boxes below can you design 3 potential MASTHEADS for you magazine and outline
the reasons why you rejected or accepted the designs

5. 5
Photography:
When doing your photoshoot you need to consider a few factors:
Model :
Location / Time :
Props / Costume needed :
Sketch out how you want your ideal photo to look (give 3 different ideas)
Which one will you choose and why ?
See how these two covers have
very different connotations. Just
through the models, costumes
and costumes they have used

6. 6
Sell lines:
What kind of stories will you audience expect ?
Can you write out 10 ideas for potential Sell lines that will feature on your front cover>
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How much is your magazine going to be ?
How often will it come out ?
What is your slogan ?
Do you have any other ways of attracting your target audience? (give details)

7. 7
Cover Design:
Ok this should take up the bulk of your planning time…….. draw out a rough sketch of 2
possible layouts for your front cover…….
Remember to think about colour scheme, wording of your sell lines, look of your Masthead
and the Main Image… as these will all effect your appeal to your audience….
Idea A :
Good Points:
Bad Points:
Idea B:
Good Points:
Bad Points

8. 8
Draw and colour your best design here

9. 9
EVALUATIONS
Now that you have your finished Pre production and Front covers can you try and justify
your decisions and answer these questions. This can be done as a power point or on your
blogs if you like (as well!)
Audience
What social group / type of person is you mag aimed at and how did you appeal to them ?
Airbrushed
Are the pictures are airbrushed? If so, why?
Anchoring Text
Look at the images. Is there any anchoring text? How does it lead the audience to
conclusions about your magazine?

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Cover lines
What do the cover lines tell us about the target audience or what assumptions the editor
makes about the audience?
Font
Is the font style formal or informal? why?
House style
What is the house style and what does this say about the magazine’s position in the
market?
Layout
Comment on the layout. Is it busy, gaudy or sophisticated? How long does it take to take
everything in? What does all this suggest about the market and readership?

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Masthead
What does the title suggest and the way it is presented? Why do you think the publishers
settled on this title?
Mode of address
What is the mode of address both in the copy (words) and images?
Stereotype
Comment on any stereotypes the magazine perpetuates (keeps going). How does it does it
do this?

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Self Assesment :
Have a look at the AQA Markscheme for this task………
Research, Planning and Presentation (AO3 5 marks)
Level 6 5 marks
Candidates demonstrate independent and effective evidence of research and
planning. They demonstrate flair and creativity through their pre-production
work which is convincing and engaged and uses appropriate forms and
conventions. They draw on relevant products, concepts and contexts.
Material is presented skilfully. There is a clear understanding of how
audiences are identified and how production is tailored to audience needs
and expectations.
Level 5 4 marks
Candidates demonstrate evidence of successful research and planning. There is evidence of
imagination in the pre-production work which is clearly fit for purpose and uses many appropriate
forms and conventions. Material is presented effectively. Audiences are identified, their needs are taken
into consideration and awareness is demonstrated of how this has shaped the ideas.
Level 4 3 marks
Candidates demonstrate evidence of appropriate research and planning. Ideas are apt and mostly
employ appropriate forms and conventions. Material is well presented. Candidates are able to identify
and target audiences. They indicate how this has informed their plans and ideas.
Level 3 2 marks
Candidates demonstrate evidence of research and planning. Their ideas show some understanding and
involvement with the task and use some appropriate forms and conventions. There is a basic attempt to
present the work in a straightforward way. Some understanding of appealing to a potential audience is
evident.
Level 2 1 mark
Candidates offer minimal evidence of research and planning to inform their pre-production work. They
offer some ideas that are at least partly relevant or appropriate to the task. Some forms and conventions
may be employed. Presentation of the material is limited.
Level 1 0 marks
No work produced
Which Level do you think your work fits into:
Why ? Basically choose some of the words in BOLD and justify how your work meets that
target…..
How could you improve this work ?
(AO2 10 marks)