Front page, contents and DPS comparisons

I have decided to analyse the front cover, contents page and double page spreads of magazines across different genres because although they may be different to the music featuring in my magazine, the principles will for the most part apply to what I am trying to design and the main aim is to see what kinds of things are persistent across all three pages of a magazine e.g: page furniture, other design elements, typography/font, colours,etc...

1st comparison

 

Vibe magazine is well known for its signature simplistic style, however glamour and subtle hints of sophistication and colour tie together an appropriate house style across all three pages. On the front page, the main model is centred connoting her importance and she is shown kneeling down naked wearing nothing but a pair of high heeled black wedges. With regards to iconography, Ciara is presented as a typical, sexy and alluring black female singer, which would attract the male population of the magazine's target audience. On the contents page, the same model has changed outfit into a grey leotard with long sleeves although with the addition of hand jewellery, she is still wearing minimal clothing and sexual allure here is portrayed through her stretched bare legs, this time wearing a different pair of sliver shoes, still high heeled. The model is in a bent position once again on this page. The dark grey to white gradient used for the front page background has been carried through to the contents with dark grey at the top and white nearer the bottom. Finally, there are two focal images on the double page spread the first one being a long shot of Ciara's entire body. She is once again naked here, wearing the same as on the front page, however the difference in position and placement on the page makes it more interested and appealing. Apart from the few orange sub headings on the DPS to resonate with the odd large bold text, in red font on the front page, the colour scheme is mainly made up of greys, blacks and white, meaning the house style is maintained throughout this magazine, very well.

2nd comparison

In this issue of Big Cheese, Sleeping with Sirens are promoted as the feature band and their importance/dominance over the magazine is maintained consistently across the contents page and double page spread. On the front page, we see a long shot of all five members from head to toe. Their facial expressions appear stern and serious, and their clothes are all smart/casual. Interestingly, they are photographed wearing the same clothes on the contents page, where they are dedicated a slightly larger picture than the rest on the page. In addition to this, the reader is attracted straight to the picture of them as it is positioned in the top of the left hand page, the area the natural eye is drawn to instantly. In their image on the contents page, the band members are all photographed but are each standing in a different position, except the man in the middle of the front page. He is kept constantly in the middle of the band from the front page, to the contents to the DPS. This cleverly signifys and maintains that HE is the lead singer of the band.