Content page analysis

This magazine uses a numebr of images, each showing the reader what is going to be inside the magazine on the specific pages, this is to give the reader an insight as to whether they would be interested in purchasing the magazine simply from the contents page. There is also a small image on the bottom right hand of this contents page, ti seems to be an advertisement for a website and is most liekly an advertisement for the magazines website.

These images have been constructed in numeric order so that it is easier for the reader to navigate their way through the magazine, knowing what they are looking for and where to find it.
Also the main attraction of the magazine has been granted the biggest image space on the page, this is so that the reader can identify the main article and focus of the magazine.

The colours used are mainly bland, dull colours, such as black, white' and blue, this is to make the magazine seem more reader friendly, as bight colours and hot colours such as red and orange can promote the feeling of excitement, whereas these cool colours of blue and white help give the magazine a more laid back calm approach.

There are two mainsections within this contents page, one which shows the reader what content is going to be oh which individual pages and another which has images of the people or situations that are going to be on these pages, these are both used to give the reader an insight into the content of the magazine.

There is no magazine logo on this page, this is very unusual for a magazine contents page, as there is usually a small logo somewhere oh the top of the page or somewhere on one of the images, but it appears that there is an image of a front cover of a magazine on the top left hand corner of this image, this is typically seen in an annual or special edition magazine, especially to represent an anniversary

The magazine uses a range of images, mostly of artists and people, but unlike the other magazine contents page, there are a wide range of bright colours inviting the reader. Also the contrast between the main image of the man on the white and black background to the red and orange blurbs helps the text stand out and therefore is more effective as a contents page as the colour co ordination makes it very easy to find the information you are looking for.

They have been structured so that the image is next to the topic and page that it is goin to be on, this makes it easier for the reader to find the content they are searching for.

The colours are very bright and intising, this is to attract a younger more exciting audience, this shows that the magazine is most probably aimed at people interested in indie music, as rock, heavy metal and rap magazines usually contain bland plain colours, mostly black and white, whereas indie music is all about the latest artists and fashion so the use of bright colours is typical.

it is organised into different sections and different images to go with these sections, this makes it easily identifiable for the reader. Also it makes it much easier for the reader to understand the layout of the magazine.

Double Page Spread Analysis

The artists featured in this article belong to a rock/heavy metal group, this immdiately shows us that the target audience for this magazine are people who are interested in rock/metal music, which are typically teenagers who belong to social groups such as, 'goths and emo's'.
There is also a quote in the text that is a very bold and underlining statement, it reads, 'METALLICA'S GOT TO MAKE A BETTER ALBUMN' this will help attract a wider target audience of metallica fans, as they are a very well respected and established band and the quote promotes competition between the two bands.

The style of text used is quite sketchy and faded, this is to give the page a more raw appeal, as the bands mentioned and appearing in this article are quite raw and carry themselves with a rather rough appearance, as this is part of their overall image as a band, the text is just used to represent and emphasize this point.

The double page spread is laid out with the main image of the band members on the first page, this is the typical layout for a double page spread and is so that the reader can familiarise themselves with the artists and recognise who the artist is. Furthermore, the second page contains the usual style of small puffs of text explaining and describing the artists interests and 'likes' and also the article is a interview with the artists in the image.

The artists appear very outrageous and outlandish, as they use language such as, 'Fucking my wife and doing a shit load of drinking' which is not language you would usually see in an interview with a music artist and therefore they are trying to appear very outspoken and 'in your face'.

The colours used in this article and image are very bland, as the main image has been shrouded with a black and white effect and the text in the article is black on a plain white background. Although there are spurts of green on the page, which can be seen as a representation of the band members trying to break through from the norm.





The band featured in this article are an indie band, this means that the target audience for the magazine is going to be a young audience who are interested in indie music and who like the band 'The Gaslight Anthem'.


The magazine has been laid out roughly the same as the other double page spread and has one main image that takes up the first page, covered with some title text, and on the second page there is an article about the band, but on this page the text has been structured into one long paragraph and appears more neat and in order, in contrast to the other magazine which wasn't very structured and appeared to have blurbs of text all over the place. Also the text used is very plain and simple and the colours are very cool and neutural, this also emphasizes oon the text that has been coloured red, as this then seems to be of ore improtance than the other text.

In this image the artists are represented as quite laid back and seem to not care, but as this is a group photo, it shows the band as a unity and shows them as a group, whereas in the other magazine double spread there was only two members of the group.

Plannnig of music magazine

My target audience will be teenagers and young adults who are interested in hip hop/ urban music, It will be suitable for both Male and females and more specifically the age group that the magazine will be aimed at are teenagers from the age of 16 to the age of 19. I have chosen the target audience like this as to create a wider Consumer base, and therefore the magazine will be bought and read by more people. Also one of the main reasons i have chosen these genres is because these are the genres of music that I am interested in and as the writer and designer I will then be able to further understand the types of articles and subjects that should be discussed within the magazine.

My magazine will be aimed at a more urban audience, but will be suitable also to any other people who are interested in hip hop & R&B music, to achieve the wider spread audience I will have to avoid making any references towards any specific social groups or status’ .

The magazine will be released on a monthly basis, this is so that the audience may get more excited about purchasing or reading the magazine because they have waited a whole month for the latest copy, it is also because the magazine is going to be aimed at an audience of teenagers who are interested in hip hop/urban music, these are usually people of lower working class and therefore will probably not have much money to spend on magazines, so the fact that it will only be released on a monthly basis means that they will have more time to gather the money, if that is the case.

The magazine will cost £2, this is because of the fact that the audience is going to be mainly lower working class peo0ple and teenagers, which will limit the amount of money they have to spend on luxuries, so prices any more than £2 may be out of their price range, also because it is going to be released monthly, the price can not be any less than £2 or there will be hardly any profit made.

The magazine is going to be a cross between the styles of a glossy magazine such as Q and another more basic magazine, such as ‘Jazzwise’, as I don’t want it to look like it is seeking for attention like some magazines such as ‘Ok’ and ‘Now’ but is till want it to be fairly colourful and appealing to the audience’ senses.

College Magazine Mock Up Front Cover And Contents Page

This is the first draft of my college magazine.I have chosen to keep it simple and to simply keep it as one centred image and two text puffs.
I have also opted for the airbrush effect on the model, as this is typically seen in teen magazines and is used to clean up any blemishes the person may have, giving the front cover a more cleanly fresh look.

I have chosen to use the neon effect for the Title of the magazine as I believe that this makes it stand out from other magazines and will give it a creative edge, which is also why I have edited in a white and blue background, as these are more neutral colours and instead of being in you face with bright warm colours, I aimed to give the magazine a more laid back appearance.

To make the magazine seem more authentic I have placed the bar coede on the bottom left of the cover, which is where the bar code is usually seen, I have also placed the price along the bottom right hand side of the cover, as this is also where the price is often seen on magazine front covers.

Finally, the indirect mode of address that i have used for the person on the front image has been used to make the image seem more natural and not forced, and as this is a college magazine, it has been used to show a college student going about his everyday duties.

For the contents page, I have used the same basic colours that i used for the front cover; this is because this is the house style of the magazine, along with the blue and white colours.

This contents page has been left pretty basic and has two images of students of the college; this is so that the audience can gather an insight as to what the pupils are interested in through the way they are dressed. Also the typical layout for a contents page has been used and the pages have been ordered in importance and relevance to the images portrayed on the front cover.

These are the original images that i took and used for the front cover and contents pageof this magazine.

Questionnaire And Results

1. How old are you?

10-14 15-19 20-22 23+













2. How often do you purchase magazines?

Once a week + once a month annually or less



3. If interested in magazines what type of magazines interest you?

Sport Fashion Computer/Game Music Other






4. When do you prefer your magazines to be released?

Weekly Fortnightly Monthly Yearly




5. How much are you willing to pay for a magazine?

£1 or less £2 £ £5+






6. What do you think of the idea of having a page where the readers can contact a celebrity and ask them any question?

Sounds good - don’t like it - don’t mind - I don’t understand the concept

7. In a music magazine what type of musicians would you prefer to be featured?

Mainstream artists underground/Unknown Both mainstream and underground

8. What genre of music would have you interested in purchasing a magazine on it?

Hip hop/Urban Rock/Metal Indie/Pop

9. How do you feel about the promotion of products which have nothing to do with the magazine being featured?

Like Dislike don’t mind

10. Would you prefer if the magazine was exclusively sold as a magazine or had regular updates on a website or networking site?

Simply a magazine Updates on website

The Evolution Of Britney Spears

This Photograph has been cropped to a high angled shot, in this instance it shows Britney laying down and this is used to show her to be more vulnerable. Also she is using a direct mode of address; this is used to give the reader the feeling that they have more intimacy with Britney.

Britney’s costume is a very revealing piece, which contains only very short shorts and a bra there is also a jacket, but she has removed this from her body as to reveal more of her stomach, this is suggesting that she is available in some way and it has also been used to appeal to a wider male audience.

The Phone and the Telet ubbie can be seen as there to signify the youthfulness that Britney contains, as she was still only in her teens when this picture had been taken, the doll in her right hand could also be seen as her trying to hold on to the years of her youth that she missed out on due to her music career.

The setting seems to be of a bed or bedroom; this is so that the reader can feel as if they are interacting with the model.

What are the connotations of this?There is one intertextual reference in this image, this is the teletubbie doll which Britney is holding, it can be seen that through this she is attempting to keep hold of her childhood or because she had been under the spotlight from a young age, it can be seen that she is trying to live the childhood she never had.

The colour pink is the main colour used in this picture, this is to show Britney in a more feminine light, also purple has been used for the main background colour, this is a colour which often represents royalty and at the time that this picture was taken.








The shot is a mid long shot, it has been used to show the models body language or in this case to show off the models body.

Direct mode of address, she wants the reader to feel as if there is chemistry between them so that she will get more readers.

The setting is of a doorway, the model has been positioned between the door frame, this gives us the impression that she is somewhat trapped or held back.

High key lighting has been used in this shot, this is to create a more neutral feeling towards the image

Mainly white is used in the background of this image, but as the model is more tanned she stands out very boldly.


The image has been chosen, as the close up reveals the saddened facial expression of the person, to further emphasize the point of ‘Tragedy’ in this picture the image has been edited to be of a black and white colour range, this effect it can be seen is used to drain the life from the picture and therefore promoting a feeling of ‘tragedy’.


The image has been cropped into an extreme close up of Britney’s face, this is so that there are no distractions from her face and the full focus of the reader is on her face.

It is apparent that Britney would like the audience to feel sympathetic towards her, this conclusion comes from the direct mode of address that she used and by the upsetting expression on her face.

Front Cover Analysis

The magazine is a music magazine.

From the images on the front cover , such as the guitar the reader can assume that the articles in this magazaine are going to be centred mainly around music, also the model holding the guitar is a very famous musician, this also is an indicator that the magazine’ main focus is music.

The target audience for this magazine are people who are interested in the rock genre of music, as the name Rolling Stone has been taken from a well known rock band from the 1960’s, this could also mean that the magazine is aimed mainly at people from that era or who are interested in that specific type of music, but the model on the front cover creates a more of a up to date image, as Christina Aguilera (the model) is a more recent artist who is still performing and making music, this allows a wider audience for the magazine, as this will attract a younger audience who are interested in Christina Aguilera.

The People who would be interested in this magazine would be interested in knowing the latest news and artists, especially within the genre of rock.
Look at the central image. What mode of address is the magazine using?The model is using a central mode of address in this image, this is so that the reader feels more intimate or involved with the model, this mode of address is used so that the reader feels that there is a relationship between the model and themselves, this is so that the reader feels more attracted to the magazine and this will encourage him/her to purchase it.

The woman on the front cover is Christina Aguilera is on the front cover, this is to attract a younger audience to read the magazine, as she is a very recent and famous ‘pop’ singer, the creators of the magazine may have done this to widen the target audience of the magazine or to show a crossover of genres within the magazine, this idea can be taken from the guitar which she is holding, as this is an instrument mostly used by rock artists and as she is a pop artist it can be seen that she is experimenting or crossing over genres.

The artist seems to want to appear to be ‘sexy’ or as a more feisty person, this is seem through the lack of clothing in this image and also the anchorage text, which reads ‘inside the dirty mind of pop princess’, this shows that the artist is also very confidential, as the reader would like to get inside her mind in order to know about her.

There are not any puffs on this front cover, but the anchorage text tells us that there will be interviews or confessions from Christina Aguilera.
What colours are used?The colours in this shot are very limited and other than the model, the main two colours seen in this image are blue and red, the red can be seen as representing lust or anger, whereas blue is often seen as a neutral colour and also very calming, therefore the colours in the image are very contradictory and can be seen as confusing the emotions within the image.

The font used for the title on this magazine is typically seen on the Rolling Stones magazine and is the signature font for this magazine, this is so that the reader can familiarise with the magazine and can identify that it is the Rolling Stones magazine.

The magazine uses the presence of a naked woman to attract a larger male audience to view this magazine, also the colours used make the magazine more incising and can make the reader more interested in the magazine, as the red colours convey the feeling of lust and are very warm, whereas the blue colours are very cool and are a brilliant contrast to this.

From the front cover it is possible to deduct the theory that the magazine is going to involve articles on Snoop Dogg and how he ‘reigns supreme’, another issue that we can assume their is going to be included in this magazine is a rivalry or some sort of competition between; Flo Rida, Shawty Lo, Rick Ross, Soulja Boyand Lupe Fiasco, this is because of the accompanying text beside the list of their names, which reads; ‘FUTURE OF THE WEST’ ‘WHO GOT NEXT’ which makes the reader come to the assumption that they are competing or fighting to become the ’FUTUREOFTHE WEST’.

The target audience of this magazine would be teenagers, most probably male that are interested in rap and hip hop music, this is the reason that the names of the well known, established rappers being placed on this page and also why their is the controversial text implying that there is competition between them.Look at the central image.

The Magazine is using a direct mode of address, as even though the person in the central image is not facing the camera directly, he is still looking directly at it which brings a direct mode of address.

Snoop Dogg is the person on the front cover, he has been chosen for this magazine as this is a magazine which is aimed at an audience of people who are interested in the rap genre of music and he is one of the biggest most successful rap artists in the world. This is a technique often used by music magazines, and as rap music is the topic of choice for this magazine, it makes perfect sense for there to be a successful rap star to be on the front cover.

The artist is giving the impression that he is demanding respect from the reader, this can be seen through the direct mode of address that he is using, also the all black clothes that he has chosen to wear give the impression that he is more withdrawn and secluded. But contrapuntal to this is the supporting text, ‘The ultimate hustler reigns supreme’ as this then gives the impression that he is a figure of higher power and the choice of words such as ‘reigns supreme’ gives the reader the impression that he is seen as a figure of higher power or almost a king.

The puffs of text that read, ‘Future of the west, Who got next?’ implies that there will be some sort of rivalry or controversial statements mentioned within the magazine concerning a number of artists or individuals, the list of names following this text also gives away the rivalries and furthers the readers knowledge on this subject.

The colours are mainly dark blued and blacks, this is to add a feeling of suspicion to the image and the character within it, as the use of black leather gloves or all black attire is usually used to hide or conceal the identity of a person.

The magazine uses the presence of a famous artist to attract the audience, this is the strategy often seen on music magazines, as the reader may be more interested if they recognise the face on the front cover, also the puff that reads ‘Future of the West, who’s got next?’ creates controversy and this is another factor that attracts many people to reading a magazine, as this makes the reader suspicious and want to read further into the situation to gain a further knowledge.