This document provides guidance on writing a proposal for a magazine cover design. It outlines the key elements to include, such as the genre, target audience, magazine name, cover lines, and contents. Font types and house style should be defined. The main and additional cover lines, contents page layout, and date/price of the magazine must also be described. Following these steps will ensure all essential information is included to plan an effective magazine cover design that appeals to its intended readership.

2.  To write a proposal for your magazine.

3. What are the main elements of printed media language?
 Main image
 Text
 Colour scheme
What different text elements will we have in a magazine cover?
 Masthead
 Main cover line
 Feature article
 Additional cover lines
 Date line (date, issue number, price)
What additional elements can we find?
 Bar code
 Skyline/Header
 Strapline
 Flashes
How should you plan the colour of your text in the magazine cover?
 Colour scheme: Matching colours in text and main image.
How many colours should you use in your cover lines?
 The main two colours in the image + black or white.

4. Plan the design of your magazine cover by answering the questions in this PowerPoint:
 What is the GENRE of your magazine?
 What is the TARGET AUDIENCE of your magazine?
 What is the NAME of your magazine?
 What elements do you need to include?
 What is the main feature (main image/cover line) in your magazine?
 What other features are you including in your magazine (additional coverlines)?
 Composition of your contents page: Where are you going to place your text, so it will
make sense when reading it and will allow the audience to see the image clearly?
 Codes and conventions of that particular genre.
 Use of colours:What are the main two colours in your image? Use these for your
texts (title/ headlines)

5.  The genre of my magazine is …
 How will you convey the generic codes and
conventions of this genre?Think of the name
of your magazine, the topics of your
coverlines, the images that you are going to
use, the font types you will use, etc.
 What is the target audience for your
magazine? (See brief)

6.  What is the primary target audience of your
magazine? Explain it in terms of DEMOGRAPHIC,
SOCIO-ECONOMIC and PSYCHOGRAPHIC profiling.
 What is the secondary target audience of your
magazine? Explain it in terms of DEMOGRAPHIC,
SOCIO-ECONOMIC and PSYCHOGRAPHIC profiling.
This will be determinant to decide the DATE
(periodicity) and PRICE of your magazine:
1. How much is your magazine going to cost (PRICE)?
2. How often will your magazine be published (DATE)?

7.  What is the name of your magazine?Think of
a word that conveys the particular genre of
your magazine .

8. Main cover line
 What will be the main feature of your magazine?
 Write the title and strap line (it must be the feature for
which you will write your article or interview for your double
page spread).
Additional cover lines (at least 6)
 What other contents are you going to include in your
magazine? Make a list of at least six more.

9. After completing the font type research, include
this in your proposal:
 Font types that you will use for the masthead.
(Name and type (sans serif)
 Font types that you will use for the cover lines.
(Name and type (sans serif)
 Font types that you will use for the body text.
(Name and type (serif/sans serif)

10. Write a proposal for your magazine.Your proposal must include:
 Genre of your magazine
 Target audience (demographic, socio-economic and psychographic)
 Name of your magazine
 House style:
 Font types that you will use for the masthead. (Name and type (serif/sans serif)
 Font types that you will use for the cover lines/headlines. (Name and type (serif/sans serif)
 Font types that you will use for the body text. (Name and type (serif/sans serif)
 Layout of the pages (three column?)
 Header
 Footer
 Main cover line: What will be the main feature of your magazine?Title and strap line (it must be
the feature for which you wrote your article or interview).
 Additional cover lines: What other contents are you going to include in your magazine?
 Additional elements that you will include in your magazine cover (skyline, flashes, puffs, plugs,
screamers, etc)
 Contents page: How many sections will your magazine have?What will be ALL the contents
that you will include in each section of the magazine
 Date and price of your magazine.