This is my analysis of a magazine cover. Every magazine has conventional design aspects, always. Conventional aspects are typicalities, what is always there. If it didn’t have these typicalities, it would’t be a magazine! Every magazine cover has a Masthead, a barcode, Cover Lines and a Cover Star, Pugs and plugs, insets and captions, the price and release date.
- We have done this to show and enhance our understanding of Media and to help with our magazine that we will be making. It helps our understanding. Each of the different conventional aspects will affect a customer in a specific way;
Masthead – Stands out to the customer, draws them to the brand - Cover Lines – Show off the inside of the magazine without having to go into detail, may grip a customer or passerby even more
- Barcode – What is used to scan/pay with. Conventionally in the bottom right of the front page
- Issue Date – Can see how long ago its from, helps shops order them accordingly and may be good for a company log
- Price – Needs to go down somewhere, helps sellers keep track of sales, yet again good for company log
- Main Cover Line – Typically interesting, something that will hopefully grip a large audience. Big and Bold to catch the eye
- Main Cover Star – Typically someone well known by the target audience, someone who will attract people. Very big to catch the eye.
- Pugs – Little ads that are conventionally in the top left or right corners, look like pug ears, hence the name pugs.
- Inset – Pictures to maybe display other smaller cover lines
- Caption – Writing to go with these insets
- Plug – Something that tries to sell the magazine to you. A piece of writing claiming to set this magazine apart from the rest. An effective selling technique.
It is important to understand these basic rules as they’re what attracts people, and makes the magazine the magazine. These are conventional to magazines and are little things which all have connotations, all do their own individual job working in favour of the magazine.
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