This document discusses the conventions used in magazine design and how the media product challenges or develops some of those conventions. It summarizes the typical features found on a magazine cover, contents page, and double page spread. The masthead, central image, barcode and price are among the key conventions followed on the cover. However, the central image and masthead are presented in a unique way to challenge conventions. The contents page and double page spread also follow many standard magazine conventions but with some individualized elements.

1. Question 1 ;
In what ways does
your media product
use, develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real
media products?

2. The main conventions of a magazine are;
the masthead, splash, coverline, central
images, barcodes and price, articles
trailed, pug, puff, mode of address, brand
identity and house style. A front cover of
a magazine has to include the masthead,
splash, central image and barcode or
price as a bare minimum.
A typical contents page will have a
masthead to reinforce the brand identity,
a list-like format of the actual contents,
which makes it easy to read and follow,
page numbers, as well as relevant images
which help make it more visually
appealing.
A common double page spread (DPS)
usually contains a main image, the
masthead, page numbers, a title, pull
quotes, drop caps and large amounts of
text formatted into columns. It also tends
to be an article or interview with an artist
or band relevant to that particular genre.
Coverline Masthead
Pug Splash
Central Image
Barcode & Price

3. After looking into the genre of indie-pop,
and researching magazines such as SPIN,
I found that a range of images were used,
ranging from studio set photography, to
live images taken at a gig. The central
image on the front cover is usually a
studio shot image, and tends to be a
close up, or medium close up of the main
artist featuring in the magazine.
IMAGE

4. My own central image for the magazine
challenges this convention because
although the image is a medium close
up, it is not a studio shot. It is an image
of my featured artist against a brick wall
and she has a very neutral expression on
her face, but she is looking directly into
the camera. This is a direct mode of
address and this makes the reader feel
part of a community whilst reading the
magazine and they therefore engage
more. I further edited the image to
make the background black and white
to put even more focus on the artist. I
decided to challenge these conventions
as it connotes a sense of being
individual, which helps to reinforce my
brand identity, as well as being artistic
which my audience can relate to.

5. All of the magazines that I researched
had a clear, bold, memorable
masthead. This is a vital aspect to have
in a magazine, because it needs to be
made clear to both repeat and new
customers, what magazine they’re
buying. The actual masthead also
signifies and says a lot about the
magazine – it has to have connotations
with the chosen genre in order to be
successful. I often found that the
majority of magazines opt for
mastheads comprised of one or two
words, e.g. ‘SPIN’ or ‘THEWIRE’.
MASTHEAD

6. I wanted my masthead to follow the basic conventions of a typical masthead so that it
would be very easily identified as well as looking professional, but I also wanted
elements of it to be very unique. The masthead itself was in a sans serif font which is
very typical of a masthead and I thought was the most appropriate type of font to use as
it was very clear and simple to read. I then edited the kerning on it so that the letters
were basically touching. I think this is what made my masthead very unique as I haven’t
seen many others that have such tight tracking.
In my magazine the masthead is featured very regularly, as it was of course on the front
cover, but I also used it on the contents page and the double page spread. I did this to
embed the brand identity into the readers head, and to make it memorable.
Here are some screenshots of my
masthead on the front cover, contents
page and double page spread.

7. For my magazine I created a barcode on a website called ‘Dafont’, which is found on all
magazines. I made the barcode quite small in comparison with all of the other features
on my front cover, as well as placing it in the bottom right of the page, so that it didn’t
draw a lot of attention. I also rotated it 90 degrees anti-clockwise, which is a common
feature that I found in my research. The price of my magazine is £3.60, which I think is
reasonable, firstly because my target audience suggested that price, but also, because
in the magazine itself, there is enough content to justify that price. Just above the
barcode I put the edition number, as well as the magazines website, which were
important features to include as it informs the reader how to contact the magazine,
what issue it is, as well as the actual cost.
BARCODE&PRICE
Side by side comparison of
my magazine and a real life
product, showing the
placement of the barcode
and price

8. I made sure that my splash closely followed the
conventions of a typical magazine because I
wanted this feature to be easy to recognise as well
as having an immediate intriguing factor about it,
which a good splash always has. It’s placed in the
centre of my front cover to draw attention to it and
I have used a simple, bold sans serif font so that it’s
clear and easy to read. My coverline also follows
the conventions as it’s still clear to see what it is but
it does not detract from the main image or splash.
However, one feature that challenges these
conventions is my pug. Pugs tend to be in the top
right corner and in a circle, however, I decided that
this was not appropriate for my magazine as it
looked unprofessional and out of place. In the end I
placed it along the very bottom of my front cover.
SPLASH, COVERLINES &
OTHERS
Splash
Pug
Coverlines

9. Overall, I would say that my
contents page follows typical
magazine conventions very closely. I
have clearly used page numbers and
headings that I found were common
features on a contents page. They
are there mainly for navigation
purposes but I also think that it
makes the page look very organised
and professional. I decided to
include my masthead right next to
the title ‘contents’ at the top of the
page because during my research I
saw this included on a few various
magazines and I liked how it tied
together a simple, somewhat boring
title. As well as this, it makes the
reader repeatedly see the masthead
and therefore helps reinforce brand
identity.
CONTENTSPAGE

10. My double page spread features many of the conventions typically used in magazines.
This includes a large medium close up image that fills both pages and acts as a
background, pull quotes and drop caps. The picture to text ratio was about 50:50 which is
another common convention used. I used quite an informal and chatty yet quite mature
style of language on this page as I wanted the reader to feel included. I also think that this
is another unique point for my magazine that separates it from other magazines that are
similar. These features were included in all of the magazines that I researched, so in order
to have a successful double page spread I decided it would be best to follow those
conventions.
DOUBL
E PAGE
SPREA
D