Research- magazine front covers

School Magazines:
This is a school magazine for King Edward VI High School for Girls. The title of the magazine is the school name, which has been abbreviated. I think this works very well and is very effective. It is very clear and stands out. The idea of using an image as the whole background has worked well. The image stands out and the reader is drawn straight to it. However using another image would probably make the front cover more exciting and interesting. The exclusive in this magazine is obviously the interviews with the members of staff 'Miss Evans' and 'Mr H'. Also the text they have used 'reveals all' will mean the reader will want to buy the magazine as it pulls the reader in, as they will want to find out what 'Mr H' has to say. Throughout the front cover their is a clear colour scheme that has been used with the pale blues and the white. This looks good as 'Miss Evans' is wearing the correct clothes to match the colour scheme. Lastly the caption 'Rendezvous in Paris' meaning a date in Paris, will make the reader want to know what that is about and maybe more details on the trip. Again this stands out and is clear. However the magazine cover itself is quite boring as the colour scheme they have chosen is with dull colours. Also the fact that only one image used is not that exciting. There is also not alot of text used on the front cover, you will not need to put a ridiculous amount but i do not think that this magazine has enough.

For my magazine i would considering using a basic colour scheme throughout the magazine so that it looks professional. This will make the magazine seem more realistic and will look like something you would pick up in a shop. Also the style on writing for the title as it is very bold and clear even though it is in white. Many magazines use a similar style, for example 'Vogue' has used a similar style which has worked very well. Even if the colour is not bright it will still always stand out with a sensible background.



Another school magazine cover is for 'Bass' magazine. The title of this magazine i think is very bold. However as the word 'Bass' you would expect to be bold, i think it should be even bolder and stand out. The ear i think works well, just to give the reader even more information and it tells the reader that this is a special issue. The language used on the magazine is very effective, i like the 'Hawke vs Gaga'. I would consider something similar to this on mine. Also it makes the reader want to find out why Lady Gaga and Lady Hawke are in competition and who is going to win. Then by putting the question underneath 'but who's going to win?' would make the reader read the magazine and find out who is the lady. It also involves the reader as you can then voice your opinion and say who you prefer. The next text on the magazine is 'silent raves the how to guide'. Many magazines contain different guides from fashion to music guides. I think they are always a good way of influencing the reader to buy the magazine, as the reader might want to learn some tips. Under the text is a picture of a girl with head phones on, which works well as it is trying to say listen to music but still have a good time. The picture is in white which stands out and is very clear on the black background. The colour scheme works very well with the bright colours and the dark background. It gives off a clubby feel and it looks good with the name, 'Bass'. Behind the name the bright purple lines gives off a strobe effect which looks good. However at the bottom of the magazine the purple with the white writing is not very effective. The writing is difficult to read and and does not stand out at all. On my magazine i will try to make sure the colour scheme matches with the writing i choose.

Fashion Magazines:

Even though i am designing a school magazine, i thought it would be a good idea to have a look at a fashion magazine. This will give me an idea of the layout and design i will choose to use. 'Heat' magazine always stick to same layout which i think looks good and the public remember the magazine. If this project was a long term i would stick to the same layout. I think the title being in lower case works well and stands out in the red with the white background. The title being simple and plain helps it stand out more, as if the title was fancy it tends to draw the readers attention to that and not what is actually going on around it and in the magazine. When designing my front cover to my magazine i will stick with a plain and simple title, so that the readers focus will be on the cover stories and images on the front cover. At the top of the magazine the word 'scandal!', is a technique of drawing the reader in, as they will want to know what it is and the 'gossip'. The magazine covers sticks to a clear colour scheme of having the red, black and white.

However at the top they used the colours blue and yellow, which you would think would clash but it actually looks very effective and helps again to stand out. Lastly the magazine designers are very clever by putting the price in a very small font, which i might consider doing with my magazine. However if i am selling it for a cheap price i will make that clear that stand it out so that the readers can see it. I could also use words like 'only' to show how cheap it is.