The document provides an analysis of the design elements of two college magazine covers and their contents pages. Key points analyzed include the use of subtle colors, professional yet fun fonts, medium shot photos, inclusion of barcodes and slogans, and how visual elements like objects and text placement can suggest meanings. Analysis of the contents pages looked at headers linking to articles, copyright notices, fonts, and ways to advertise on the interior pages. The overall analysis found that subtle colors, professional fonts, and ways to link photos to articles come across as most professional for a college magazine.

1. Preliminary Task Research
College Magazines

3. ‘Ridgewater College’ Analysis
• Masthead: Large Text with a ‘Times New
Roman’ style font. Very business looking
masthead.
• Main Photo: Medium shot with eyes looking
into buyer. Globe in bottom corner to suggest
learning.
• Cover Text: Curvy Arial style font that explains
what’s in the magazine.

4. Analysis Continued
• Cover Text: Starts off with one or two word
headline that catch the eye. The white and
blue colours draw buyer in.
• Other: A box with a photo about an article.
• It’s missing a barcode and price.
• Colour scheme are neutral colours that blend
well together and don’t appear too harsh on
the eye. Mainly reds, greens and blues but in
subtle tones.

5. Analysis Summary
• Subtle colours
• Professional and fun fonts.
• Objects can be used to suggest meaning.
• Shot type is a medium shot.
• It’s missing a barcode.
• Has a slogan.

7. ‘College’ Analysis
• Position of the main shot is another medium
shot. He is covering the title of the magazine
suggesting he is more important than the
magazine title.
• Colour scheme is yellow and black which
suggests fun for the magazine which entices a
teenager target audience, but is also harsh on
the eye and could prevent sales.

8. Analysis continued
• Same curved style font for the entire magazine.
Entices connotation of fun more.
• Has a bar code.
• The object used to suggest meaning is the study
books. These show it’s aimed at student’s
because the stereotype of a student is to carry
study books like the person is carrying.
• Has a slogan and website.
• Barcode missing

9. Overall Analysis
• Fun fonts
• Subtle Colours work best
• Medium Shot
• Bar Codes missing on both
• Objects can suggest meaning.
• Text dotted around the person but do not
cover the face.
• Slogan and website shown on front cover.

11. Contents 1- Analysis
• Photo’s have page numbers on them- they link
to articles.
• Headlines are bold with a caption explaining
what the article is about.
• Copyright Notices at bottom of page
• Colour scheme again not harsh on the eyes
and look professional but still bright to appeal
to teenage audience.

12. Analysis Continued
• There’s an introduction to the magazine with a
special section about regular features to the
magazine.
• There’s an advert enticing students to subscribe.
• There’s a smaller version of the front cover in the
top left corner which again could be part of
advertising.
• Easy, readable ‘Times New Roman’ style font
suggests professionalism making the students
who read it feel more professional.

14. Contents 2- Analysis
• Again photo’s have page numbers linking
them to articles.
• Headers with information about the article.
• Business type header with business type font
suggest the magazine is target at a business
student market.
• Issue number given to help promote
magazine.

15. Contents- Overall Analysis
• Headers to articles with information about article
underneath.
• Copyright Notices seem important and more
professional.
• Photo’s linked to articles through page numbers.
• Can advertise on the contents page.
• Introduction section seems clever with regular
sections split too also seeming more professional
to me.