The document analyzes the design and content of an NME magazine cover, contents page, and double-page spread featuring Dizzee Rascal, highlighting elements such as layout, font styles, and the use of imagery that align with music genre conventions. It emphasizes how the design choices are aimed at appealing to a predominantly young, male audience through informal language and relatable themes. Overall, the analysis illustrates a cohesive brand identity that connects the three parts through similar styles and a focus on the featured artist.

1. TASK 2A- MAGAZINE COVER
Chanel Livesey-Parsons

2. PART 1:
 The magazine cover shows us the link to music
through the use of band names & cover lines.
 The main cover image requires us to know &
recognise Dizzee Rascal as an artist or recognise
NME as a music magazine.
 The denotation & connotation of this
cover gives a sense of rebellion &
freedom. This is due to the layout,
main cover image & the background
used (graffiti).

3. PART 2:
 The rule of thirds isn't used in its standard way as
the layout draws the reader in to focus on the left
hand side of the cover.
 The main cover line goes across the
page to create an impact for the
audience.
 The NME logo is quite recognisable while in the left
hand corner. This doesn't need to stick with
standard design convention by going across the top
of the page.

4. PART 3:
 The model on the cover has a largely male
audience, so he makes the magazine appeal to a
wider audience.
 The casual dress presents Dizzee in a
relatable way towards the audience & also
links to the genre of music as it is
conventional to the rap genre. It connotes
a particular culture, identity and musical
style.
 Also, the way he is posed (reaching out to the
audience) gives a strong connection with the
readers.

5. PART 4:
 In regards to the layout, the rule of thirds division
goes across in 4 strips. This gives each element
huge impact on the cover.
 The ‘messy’ style doesn’t look conventional and is
breaking standard patterns. The tilted text gives a
sense of freedom & rule-breaking which links to the
rap genre, due to the feel of rebellion & not
conforming to normal standards.
 The ‘messy’ style also creates a sense of energy
and vibrancy on the cover.

6. PART 5:
 The graffiti used in the background fits with the
genre & linking to the clothes, these also help to
present the rap genre.
 Clothing worn/shown matches the magazines’
colour scheme, which is a hidden design skill used
by the magazine designers.
 The main cover image is a long shot but we are
given the impression of a medium close-up due to
the text cover. This gives the reader a sense of
connection but always showing us his clothing.

7. PART 6:
 The colour scheme is showing a
more masculine design due to the
bold, strong colour presented.
 The strapline refers to a particular
topic. This presents the audience
with a wider variety of topics being discussed which
can help to widen the amount of hopeful readers.

8. PART 7:
 The target audience would typically be students
who belong in the upper/lower middle class. The
image is not representing this social class as it isn't
an obvious fir but it fits with the idea of student
becoming rebellious.

9. TASK 2B- CONTENTS PAGE

10. PART 1:
 There is a variety of font style used within the
content page. The serif style is minimal & simple,
giving a modern effect.
 The sans-serif style is typical for headings, creating
a plain, modern, bold & chunky design. This links to
the young
readership & the
simplicity of the clear & clean design.

11. PART 2:
 The border around the central picture
creates a physical appearance, much
like a polaroid picture.
 This polaroid picture is then laid on
top of a background designed to look
like a flight case. The background is iconic to music
& is an iconic metaphor on the page. This is
created through the metal corners on the black
rectangle.

12. PART 3:
 The language used contains a variety of elements
throughout the contents page.
 Humour is used to create sarcasm
& ironic humour, which gives the
reader something to relate to.
 The alliteration used helps to present more humour
within the text & always creates a relatable tone to
the text. It also helps to create the magazines’ tone.
 The colloquial language used (‘Thank god the sun
has disappeared, eh?’) establishes the tone of the
whole magazine, which is informal & gives a hint of
conversation between the reader & the text.

13. PART 4:
 The use of the pronoun ‘we’ is collective and refers
to staff of the whole magazine and creates a sense
of unity when reading.
 ‘Pick out, play, listen & get a lesson’ are all verbs
used within the main body of text on the contents
page. These create a sense of action & dynamic
interest towards the reader.
 Finally, the semantic field, for example ‘touring’,
presents a tone of slang/jargon. This is through
words such as tourbus & tour stars.

14. PART 5:
 The use of columns helps to separate
the different types of text used. The
columns split the text & create a more
professional look for the audience.
 The articles & title content give a direct link into the
genre of music that this magazine covers & allows
audiences to get an insight into the whole magazine
before they read it.
 Linking to titles, the main heading is simple, yet
effective. This is due to the magazine logo & what
the page represents (For example, the magazine
contents

15. PART 6:
 Brand identity is easily spotted as the logo is used
again, which makes this page instantly
recognisable by NME readers. Also, the page is
designed with a style similar to other NME issues,
which helps to promote brand identity.
 The sub-headings used as simple &
basic, which makes the page very
effective. This is because the magazine
is clearly split into categories which
makes navigation through the
magazine easy.

16. PART 7:
 A medium shot is used for
the main image as it allows
the reader to see both the
models’ expression & the
surroundings. This links to
mise-en-scene (see below).
 The tour bus in the image
link to the flight case design
for the rectangle. This helps
to create a clear image for
the genre type that this
magazine is promoting.

17. PART 8:
 The grab quotes used in the main body of text
present the audience with a preview of what to
expect upon reading this music magazine.
 The date & issue number are given
to clearly identify the magazine.
 The target audience are likely to be young, male
adults as the article titles & main body of text
suggest/ show evidence of this. For example, under
the heading ‘news’, it begins to talk about Jay-z.
This artists is commonly known to produce music
for a predominantly male audience.

18. TASK 2C- DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

19. PART 1:
 In terms of layout, I can
see a slight grid, which
separates the different
elements of the right-hand
page.
 The length & width stays
the same for all 4
columns, but the row
width changes. This
shows the reader that the
main title has a much
bigger space as it is
needed to grab the
audiences attention,
without relying on the
supporting picture on the
left hand page.

20. PART 2:
 Linking to the title of the article, the font type and
style is the same as shown on the cover. This
allows the audience to clearly see that this is the
features article without looking at the supporting
picture on the left-hand page.
 The colour scheme used is a continuation of the
magazine cover & contents page. This creates a
professional & presents a sense of brand loyalty
throughout the magazine.
 The drop cap at the start of the
text draws in the reader & makes
them focus on the given text. This
adds to the professional nature of
the magazine.

21. PART 3:
 The use of space on the both pages contrast
each other. On the right-hand page, there is
only a small amount of space which is free
from text/ images. Whereas, the left-hand
page has much more space which
represents the freedom that Dizzee Rascal
has when creating his music.
 This contrast also links to denotation &
connotation. The connotation of the graffiti
represents the freedom & rebellious nature
of the readers. This is also presented
through the empty bottles on the right-hand
page.

22. PART 4:
 The page numbers are simple yet effective &
professional as they are continuously reminding the
reader of what magazine they are reading & they
issue date.
 There is only one main image one this double-page
spread as the reader doesn’t need to be
overwhelmed with multiple images of different shot
types. The background to the image clearly shows
what Dizzee Rascal represents & gives the reader
an insight into what type of music genre this. The
music genre is also represented by the empty beer
bottles & the stereo on the right-hand page.

23. PART 5:
 The way in which the images and text are
integrated in that way so that
it can draw the audience in
without them losing interest
when reading the article.
This is because the main body of text is present in
one row, which makes it seem minimal.
 This links to design. The article is presented is a
basic & bold fashion which creates emphasis on the
text & image. This also links to the masculine
nature of the front cover, in terms of being simple
yet effective.

24. PART 6:
 Informal mode of address is used to allow the
audience to relate to the feature article. This
informal style is created through how Dizzee is
presented in the image & the way in which the title
has been written.
 Linking to the title, the article has an informal style
overall which is created through the language used
in the title. “From tags to riches” allows the
audience to relate to his rise to fame & how he has
coped with the major change. “Where’s my f**king
name then?” shows the reader that Dizzee Rascal
can be relatable in more than one way & this shown
throughout the article.

25. PART 7:
 The overall impression of this double-page spread
is that it has an informal style & is used to appeal to
the magazines audience in many ways. This is
achieved through language, images, style & overall
presentation of the article.
 These features are all used to allow the audience to
relate to the featured artist in more ways than one.

26. TASK 2D- CONNECTING
ELEMENTS

27. PART 1:
 The first element that connect these 3 parts is the
layout. Each of the 3 parts has a similar layout
which gives a sense of repetition, similarity & brand
loyalty.
 The second way is through the use of font style &
types. On the cover, contents & double-page
spread, a bold, sans-serif font is used to allow the
reader to see a continuous style throughout the
music magazine.
 Colour scheme is formed to represent NME and
helps the reader quickly identify the magazine on
any of the 3 parts analysed.

28. PART 2:
 The jargon-like language is representative of the
majority of the magazines audience (young males)
and this, again, helps to create a particular style in
which NME are known for.
 Another way in which the 3 parts are connected is
through the images & how they have been
presented on the page. All 3 images used help to
show the music genre being discussed throughout
the magazine.
 Finally, the most obvious way in which the prts
connect together is the way in which Dizzee is
mentioned/ featured within each of the 3 parts.