CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF MAGAZINE CONTENTS AND DOUBLE PAGE SPREADS

Main image taking up a huge amount of space on the spread, typical for Country Weekly – it’s the first thing the audience is drawn to.

Color scheme keeps in with issue house style – professional consistency

Lists of content easily follow able by contrasting colours

Text contrasting the background making it easy to read while bein able to keep in with professional house style

Image and stand alone text identifies the main context of the issue drawing the reader to this since it stands out from the rest of the contents spread

Key information bold – such as page numbers, artist names, features and departments

Magazine name and date of issue – recent info

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF COUNTRY WEEKLY CONTENTS

• One large bold image in covering the entirety of the contents spread. This is the usual convention for Country Weekly to appeal to the reader. I will not incorporate this in my magazine as this is only typical to this particular company and doesn’t have the same effect as multiple smaller images to draw attention of a reader to different topics to engage them

• Consistent layout with other issues with half of the spread on the whole magazine and half on the main topic and focus

• Each issue tends to have a different colour scheme dependant on main focus and topics so colours usually gender neutral to entice all audiences.

Date of issue – recent information – informative (uses and grat)

Bold Masthead with a red NME to stand out and to keep in with their house style.

Bold lines with contrasting text to split up the contents list.

Colour scheme is black/white and red – keep to this with black text, white background and red page numbers – separates these to the reader

Only text that breaks the house style is a promotion to attract the reader into buying the magazine

The main image used for this contents page is placed towards the top of the page below the masthead. This is a conventional look for a magazine contents page. The image is quite large which brings the attention of detail to the image rather than the text. There’s no direct address which can be an opposite effect of grabbing the readers attention.The subtitle for the main article is much larger signaling the importance to the reader. The text is also much larger than the rest of the article to further show this

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF NME CONTENTS

• NME have used a very mainstream colour scheme for their contents page. Black, white and red gives the reader an attractive feature for their page. The red on the page stands out against the black and white which is used to emphasis key parts off the contents page.

• The text that has been used for this contents page is standard giving the magazine a simplistic look. The masthead is in a large font placed at the top of the page which is conventional with this type of magazine. The cover line headers are place around the image to settle the main image. The text is in a standard font and colour to further give a simplistic look for the magazine. 

Magazine Logo showing brand awareness

Lines separating the page to make it easy for consumers and to keep in with professional ethos

Bold Heading

Large page numbers with artists names on the images to make it clear and easy for the reader to navigate

Direct mode of address – personal relationship with audience and artist (uses and grat)

Large image to draw attention as it’s appealing. Mid shot – black and white – acts almost as a backgroundDifferent section – clear to see – Information differs to rest with info such as websites etc.

Chart information, on all Billboard magazine contents – prominent on the page and different to almost all other magazines – unique to brand and recognizable to readers.

Subtitles bold and contrast the background to attract the reader. Follows magazine colour scheme of black/white and light blue

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF BILLBOARD CONTENTS

• Page split up into many section divided by clear lines. Keeps the contents page organised and follows a square style layout due to it’s appealing look.

• Images vary in size dependent in importance which draw the audiences eye.

• Unique feature in the chart list to attract audiences every week to keep up to date

• House style keeps in accordance to the Billboard masthead (Black/Blue and bits of pink). It keeps the magazine recognisable while keeping a professional consistency.

Pull quote – draws the readers eye to entice them – much larger & in different font to do so

Image used as a background – common convention

Main image of the article stand alone and clear for the reader to see

Text contrasting the background – reader can see it clearer

Small image overlaps onto the second page – meant to stand out and draw the reader

Large, bold title in different font to stand out, Serif text to differ from the main article.

Backgrounds are White and black keeping in with Mavericks colour scheme and house style

Red maverick, small but is common with maverick – recognisable to common readers – keeps in with house syle

Article keeps in with a professional theme of Maverick, lots of text and few images to present a serious ethos

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF MAVERICK DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

• The main image doesn’t use direct mode of address and y using this counter convention the reader is more focused on the content on the pages.

• The house style is continued to keep a professional consistency and it is in the typical Maverick style making it easily recognisable.

• The text and background differ on each side making the text stand out while also keeping in with the house colour scheme.

• Both images used are in action long shot which don’t give away the contents of the article straight away encouraging consumers to read more.

Direct mode of address – Uses and grat

Billboard Logo & colours present keeping to the colour scheme

Long shot of artist covering a whole page to draw attention to it and to show what the article’s about – typical with Billboard

Text is on a different background than the rest of the spread – clearly shows where the information is

Use of a drop cap to draw the reader to the start of the article and then it carries on with a typical smaller font.

Different font which is larger to give an overview of the article.

‘Primary Colours’ given an effect to make it seem 3D to stand out, the colours also fit in with the titles as all colours on the spread are primary colours – keeps in with house style

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF BILLBOARD DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

• One large image of Taylor Swift covers half of the double page spread – this is typical for billboard as it both draws attention to the image as well as giving it an aesthetically pleasing and professional feature that go’s along with the rest of the spread.

• Gender neutral background is countered by a feminine theme to the spread with a variety of bright colours and an image of a female star

• Uses of many features such as direct mode of address and drop cap to entice reader into reading the article as well as usage of a clear divide between text and the background (white box)

Typical close up of artist to draw attention to it as well as notify the audience as to what the articles about

Background split between red and light blue to appeal to both genders. Also keeps in with Q’s colour scheme of red/white and black

Magazine logo and page number

Pull quote from the artist to attract the reader and break up the long text

Two Drop caps used to show which parts of the article are most important as well as breaking up the text

DPS Title small and keeping in with the colour scheme to draw attention to other parts of the article

Initial of artist ‘J’ – links the artist to the article – Signature house style colours – red, white, black - recognisable

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF Q’S DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

• The first thing we notice on this spread is the big ‘J’ on the article. This is one of their unique selling points as it stands out from the text on the article; it also has that contemporary feeling of the genre hip hop as the background of the image of Jay Z looks like something you would see on a hip hop music video.

• The signature house style of the magazine is continued on the double page spread which creates a professional consistency and allows the page to be easily recognisable – this is something I will do in my magazine

• Image of artist uses half the double page spread, this emphasises that this is the subject of the article

• White background makes the text stand out while complying with the colour scheme.