This document describes the process of designing a magazine cover page. The designer experimented with different layouts, placement of text, colors and fonts to refine the design. Key elements included the cover image, title text fading behind the model, main feature articles in a bold font, and rearranging cover lines, dates and prices to improve composition. The designer aimed to create a sophisticated yet stylish design appealing to a young adult audience through careful selection of visual elements and conventions of magazine cover design.

1. B Y L E A H A L L A R D
COVER PAGE: STAGES

2. Out of the images that I took in the studio for my cover page, I felt this image suited best due to the composition of her stance
being on the right side of the frame. I would then be able to display my cover lines and main cover lines down the left side of the
frame without them getting lost within the image and that they would stand clear against the plain coloured background. After
choosing my cover photo I then decided that I wanted my title to work behind the model as it would reflect that the magazine is
well known and that the entire title would not need to be seen completely to know the name. I liked the idea of it fading out as it
disappears behind the models head. Also the strong contrast of C clashing in with the black, leather jacket.
I began adding the main cover line
which is the name of the music artist
displaying my feature article. I want the
text to stay plain but have a stylish feel to
it presenting a sophisticated, young adult
design to the magazine.
It is most conventional for the bar code to
be displayed at the bottom of the cover
page and for a first thought decided to
display it over the top of the main cover
image girl so that I would have plenty of
room to display my cover lines/ main
cover line.
I’ve edited her hair in the frame by
smoothing it down so that the title was
seen better. She had many wispy strands
interrupting the title and therefore looks
smoother and creates a professional look
for both the magazine and model.

3. The second addition to my magazine was the second half to my main cover line, ‘Paige Richards’. When creating a
CD cover which was an inverted image of the model, I decided to link it in with the cover page and used an inverted
box behind ‘Richards’ to imply this. I believe it works well in relation to its purpose but I need to work on bringing the text
forward so that it stands out more over the inverted box because at the minute I seem to be loosing it. I’m continuing
with the same text as I’m still certain that it works well in sophistication and of the eyes of a young female adult.
This is the CD cover that I created for my
feature article (double page spread). It’s
conventional for music magazines as it
advertises the product for the music artist that
the subject is on. This is where I make the link
between the inverted image on my CD cover
and my cover page, main cover line text.

4. As the inverted image is purple, I figured the letter ‘C’ should also be presented dark purple to fit in together. The fade
has also been adjusted to a light purple. I’ve started to add in my cover lines, ‘Winter Wonderland’ adding some
fashion articles into my fashion and music magazine. I presented ‘Winter Wonderland’ in white to present the mood of
cold. Winter is a cold time of year and could connote white for snow which can appear during winter. Therefore the
link works there. Underneath my main cover line I’ve added an extra title explaining what the main cover line is about.

5. I’ve made a sudden change to the title and decided to present all letters bold and in the shade of purple. The fade
didn’t work as well for me and blended to much with the background. Also the strong contrast of dark purple against
the faded got lost and wasn’t jumping out to the audience like a title should be. In addition to the title beneath I have
added in a month and year of which the magazine is published. My magazine will be published monthly. Secondly I
have added in another cover line which is another main article for that months issue. The majority of it is written in
black, following the same font as the main cover line ‘Paige Richards’ – Source code.
As I need to restrict myself to a number of fonts used, I’m
deciding to use source code for my main cover lines/ feature
articles and transfer the cover lines to something less noticed
so that the reader will notice the difference between main
cover lines and cover lines. 2014 was changed to white due
to it getting lost in the background of the black jacket. I may
change this later on as I’m not 100% certain on the idea as of
yet. I also feel I am starting to gather too much white which is
not something that I wanted as part of my cover page.
‘Richards’ has been updated and I’ve placed a black stroke
around the edge so that it stands out more where as before
it was getting lost nearer the end of the word.

6. As you can see a few more changes have been made where I have rearranged some elements and changed the
colour of others. ‘December 2014’ has been moved to the top of the title so that I was able to place the selling line
underneath the title instead. The selling line and ‘The best tunes of 2014’ have been selected a pink/ dark red colour
due to the link that I wanted to bring in with the colour of the models lips. I needed to reoccur this colour throughout
my cover page and I believe this works well.

7. Again, more rearrangements and another main cover line/ feature article added in. I’ve now placed the selling line inside the title.
I found this to be conventional in some magazine, for example GQ publish whether it is British or American within the G. Therefore I
followed the convention and done the same with my selling line. The date and now price as been placed underneath again but
this time to the far left of the title instead of the right. This looked better as it followed the line down of where the rest of the text is
positioned to the left of the cover page. ‘Caras top 50 selection’ is displayed in the font source code, again I mentioned that I
wanted my main feature articles to be displayed in the same font to explain this to the audience without a written explanation.
I’ve also added in extra to ‘Winter
wonderland’ relating back to the time of
year that I am publishing the issue of my
magazine.
As it is a monthly issue I’m selling it for £2.99
as it will be a strong, quality made
magazine with glossy pages, with a bulk to
it.

8. To complete my magazine, I’ve added in many extras such as dividers to divide each cover line. Again, reoccurring
the red/ pink colour within the text. I’ve displayed the colour at the beginning and end of my cover lines. ‘New artist.
New music.’ has been moved inside the main cover line of ‘Richards’. It showed the audience that the two go
together and explaining more based on this main cover line. It’s been italicised and changed to white. I believe this
works much better and I liked the composition of the box in general. ‘Winter wonderland’ has now been transformed
to a blue, connoting better than white that blue is a form old coldness and wintery occasions.
‘Winter wonderland’s’ text underneath has
been transformed and I have gone back to its
original text of ‘top trends and best selling
brands’. The font has been changed to
something more fashionable and appealing to
what I had set before.
To fit in with the idea of a box in the
background I’ve also added an opaque box
behind the title for this cover line.
Within the main articles, I have also italicised
them and made them bold to catch the
attention of the reader and again to emphasis
on the fact that these are my main feature
articles. I’ve now added in a website also
which is highly conventional within magazines.
It has been inserted next to the date and price
under the title and also where most
conventional, in with the bar code. Two more
cover lines have been added in underneath
this which are of the same font, source code.
Down the right side of the page I’ve added in
extra artists that will be featured in the
magazine. I believe this will help target my
audience who listen to these particular artists.
For this part of the magazine I decided to add
a faded box to bring it to attention against the
dark background and to bring the font up
better.