This document summarizes and analyzes the design choices made across the front cover, contents page, and a double page article spread from a magazine. On the front cover, colors are used that link to the featured singer's appearance to draw in readers. The contents page continues this color scheme and uses color and contrast effectively for readability. The double page spread features the band in a greyscale photo with unusual dark coloring that provides a reverse stereotype from their typical bright style, with the photo prioritized over text.
2. FRONT COVER
R Y A N A N D E R S O N
The front cover of this edition of Rolling Stone has a
cream/ white background which contrasts with the hair
colour of the singer as key signifier.
The key signifier is looking directly at the audience, this
direct address to the audience attracts the reader to the
magazine. Also the picture has been layered over the
top of the mast head, this makes it look like the key
signifier is in 3D with his head sticking out of the page.
There are three main colours that have been used on
the front cover of this magazine – white for some of the
text in the puffs which links to the colour of the key
signifiers shirt, black for other text which links to the
key signifiers hair and red text which links to the
masthead of the magazine. This choice of using colours
that link with the key signifier help to draw the target
audience in.
3. CONTENTS PAGE
R Y A N A N D E R S O N
The three main colours which were used on the front cover
of the magazine have been carried through onto the
contents page, this starts to build the house style for the
magazine, of red, black and white.
In this example the colour white has been used for the
background, this helps the text and images stand out on the
page more because the colours contrast.
The red has been used for the background colour for the title
of the page and also for the page number in the contents list.
The red has been used because it is a colour which stands
out and therefore is attractive to the audience and easy for
them to see.
Black has been used for the main text on the contents page,
this is standard for many publications however, because of
the face that it is easy to read when placed on a white
background. The publishers need to ensure that the
magazine is easy to read as this is what could be between
someone buying the magazine and not buying the magazine.
4. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
R Y A N A N D E R S O N
For this double page spread the colour choices have
changed. They are now black and white with a grey scaled
image of the band in which the article is about.
The background colour for this article is a grey colour,
which seems unusual for a band of this type which would
normally be represented in brighter colours.
Colours say a lot about the people they are representing,
these are people which would be associated with bright
lights a colours, where as the magazine has chosen to
show them in a dark light. This shows a reverse of
stereotype because they are associated with bright lights
and colourful clothing.
The picture of the band takes up most of the double page
spread and the text is only a short paragraph this suggests
to me that the picture is the most important part of the
article.
The use of the other language in subtitle for the article
which translates to “the return of the survivors” is an
interesting choice, it becomes intriguing to the audience
because they may not speak that language and therefore
wonder what it says. This could either attract the audience
into reading the article or push them away. It might push
them away because they may think that if they have got to
translate the article so that they can read it, it is not worth
them reading it.
