The document analyzes various elements of a music magazine cover and contents page to determine how they follow conventions of magazine design. Key elements that follow conventions include the masthead placement and styling, use of images and quotes to draw in readers, consistent color schemes, and strategic layout of articles and page numbers to make content easily accessible. Some elements like changing the color scheme between the cover and contents page challenge conventions but still aim to enhance readability. Overall, the magazine design effectively utilizes standard techniques to appeal to its target audience.

1. The masthead is following conventions
because it is central at the top of the
magazine and is in capital letters to make
it stand out to the target audience, who
are mainly males aged 14-40. The slightly
cracked effect on the font presents how
the magazine is based around slightly
more different and edgy music. The
masthead is covered by the three people
on the front cover, because it is a well
known company and it doesn’t need to
stand out for people to know what
magazine it is.
The use of the skyline is following
conventions because it previews one of the
main articles in the magazine, which means
that the reader can see what features are in
the magazine. Since the magazine is very
well known, the skyline is above the
masthead because the magazine title alone
isn’t interesting enough to appeal to the
target audience, so by putting the strapline
above it, it is more likely to appeal to the
target audience.
The main image is following conventions
by how it has the three people who
appear in the main feature of the
magazine. The image is a medium close
up, which means it follows conventions
because generally all main images on
magazine front covers are medium close
ups. Also, the main image follows codes
and conventions by how in the rule of
thirds, the three people’s faces are all
on a hotspot, meaning the target
audience will recognise them better and
it will appeal to them more.
The layout is following conventions as the cover
lines are used effectively, meaning they follow
codes and conventions. This is because of how
the cover lines all appear in a hotspot in the rule
of thirds, meaning the audience will see these
straight away, so it will appeal to them more
because they know what bands and features
there are straight away.
The anchorage text follows codes and
conventions through how it links effectively to
the image. In the anchorage text it says about
the ‘stories’ behind the music by the artists
presented, and in the main image the person is
holding a book. A book implies a story, meaning
that the target audience will find this appealing,
because they know what the feature is about a
more personal side of the artists, which means
they will want to find more. The direct link
between the picture and the text means it
follows codes and conventions effectively.
The magazine cover follows conventions by
using a puff in the corner of the page, which is
used effectively to show the target audience that
there is more than just the features in the
magazine. By using bold and capital font in the
puff, it means that the target audience will
already by intrigued by the articles, and knowing
they could ‘win’ something to do with the music
content presented, it will appeal to them more
and make them more likely to buy it so they can
find out more and get involved in the
competition.
FRONT COVERANALYSIS
The magazine cover is following conventions
through the layout by following the rule of
thirds. This is because if it was divided into
thirds, there would be a focus feature at
each of the hotspots. This means it follows
conventions because the main features of
the front cover are placed where the target
audience will see them best.
The magazine cover follows conventions through the
use of the barcode, because this allows the reader to
know about the price of the magazine, as well as
being able to actually buy it. It follows conventions
because it is on the side of the magazine, and
barcodes are always in a corner or on the side, as they
don’t need to stand out and distract the reader from
the features of the front cover.
By including the price on the front cover, the magazine
is following conventions because it allows the reader to
know how much the magazine is. The price is £2.50,
which means its target audience is working class males,
aged between 14-40 because it is not massively
expensive, however it still has a fairly high price
implying it is a good quality magazine.

2. CONTENTS PAGEANALYSIS
In the contents page a variety of font sizes and
styles are used. This follows conventions, because it
means the title saying ‘Contents’ stands out from
the rest of the page because it is much bigger font
and is a different style, which means it will catch the
reader’s eye. Also, main features have larger text,
and the title of every article is larger than the
descriptions of the articles. This follows conventions
because it lets the reader see what they are most
interest in faster, and also makes it clear which bit
of text is about which article, so it isn’t confusing to
the target audience.
The biggest image used on the contents
page uses direct address, as the band are
looking directly at the camera. This follows
the conventions of contents pages as it
allows the target audience to feel more
connected to the bands they enjoy, and
also means its easier for the reader to
recognise the band if they are interested in
them. This means they are more likely to
buy the magazine if they see the biggest
picture is something they relate to, which
means it follows conventions.
The contents page follows conventions of
layout through the use of page numbers
next to every feature of the magazine it
presents to the audience. This means the
magazine is following conventions, because
the page numbers allow the reader to find
the sections they are most interested
quicker, and it gives the magazine a more
clear and professional appearance and
order, which means the target audience
will find this appealing. It follows
conventions because all magazines have
page numbers so their readers find the
magazine easier to read.
The contents page for the magazine has
the date at the top of the page, which is
following conventions because most
magazines have dates on the contents
page so the reader knows the date when
the magazine, and the articles, were
relevant. This allows the reader to find a
magazine that’s relevant to what they’re
interested in. if a person is looking for a
specific article from a specific year or
month the date allows them to find it
easier.
The colour scheme on the contents page doesn’t
match the colour scheme on the front cover. The
cover has a lot of bright colours, whereas the
contents has more darker colours. Although this
challenges conventions of magazines, as most have
a consistent colour scheme throughout the
magazine, however by changing the colour scheme
it means that the reader will be able to see the
different articles clearer, because the contents
page isn’t as full and intense as the cover is.
However, one way this magazine contents page
challenges conventions is through the fact that there
are no quotes used at all in the contents page. Mostly in
magazine contents pages, there will be quotes from the
interviews that are included, which means that the
target audience will want to know more about the
context of the quote. The fact that it isn’t used is made
up for through the fact that there are a few pictures
used, meaning they draw the reader in rather than
quotes.

3. DOUBLE PAGEANALYSIS
An effective link to the cover is
presented in the top corner of the
double page article. By having the word
‘lyrics’ in the corner, it shows the reader
that this is part of the feature that the
main cover line was referring to,
meaning this will make the reader more
interested and will make the front
cover have more meaning to them. This
follows conventions because it means
the reader isn’t left confused as to
whether this is the feature.
On the double page article, the layout of the
double page follows conventions as the font
is varied in many ways, such as colour, style
and size. The largest bit of text links to the
front cover as it talks about the ‘lyrics issue’.
Also, the first letter of sections of the article
are in red, while the rest is in black, and the
rest of the font on the page is either black or
white, with red being for key words. Also,
some subtext is used above the title which is
in slightly smaller text. This variety of sizes
and colours, as well as different styles used
for the title and a different one used for the
main body of the text, means that it follows
conventions. This is because it highlights bits
of significance to the reader, allowing them
to find what interests them and read more of
the article if it appeals to them. The variety of
colours also keeps it from looking boring.
The quote used in the double page
is included to draw the reader in.
Quotes used in this way are often
fairly random, which means that the
target audience becomes interested
and want to read the rest of the
article in order to find the context for
the quote. This means it follows
conventions, because it is using it to
make the reader more interested
and drawing them in.
The double page spread follows conventions
because of the use of the main image, and
how it uses direct address. By using direct
address in such a large image, it makes the
reader feel more involved with the article,
and also it means that they will recognise
the artist faster if they are just looking
through the magazine for things that will
appeal to them. This follows conventions
because it allows the reader to feel more
connected with the article they are reading.
The colour scheme used on the double page
spread follows on from the colour scheme
used on the contents page, meaning that it
follows conventions. The use of black, white
and red is the same as the colours used on
the contents page, and the consistency
makes the magazine look more appealing to
the reader, meaning it follows conventions.
The use of anchorage text to explain
the pictures used on the double page
presents how this contents page
follows conventions, because it allows
the reader to fully understand what
the picture is trying to show them.
This means that the reader may find it
easier to tell if this article is the one
they were looking for or if this is the
artist they are interested in. the fact
that both the images used have
anchorage text shows that this double
page in the magazine follows
conventions.
The Mise–en-scene of the main image involves the book that the artist in the
image is holding. The book is to represent the secrets of the song lyrics the
magazine says it will present. A connotation of the book is stories, which implies
that the article is going into deeper detail about the lyrics. This links to the cover,
as on the cover it is talking about the ‘stories behind the songs’. This is relevant
for the target audience because it means that they know that this article relates to
the cover, but it also means that the reader gets the idea that the information
given about the songs and their lyrics is actually detailed and is right from the
source of the song.