Photos

The first four photos shown here are for my Double Page Spread and one of them is also used in the contents page.

The fifth and sixth is only used on the contents page representing NBA stars and a rapper. The seventh is the main picture on the front cover and it also appears again on the contents page. The eighth is only used on the front cover, to get tickets to their upcoming gig. And Chipmunk, picture nine is a small picture appearing on the front page and contents page, about him at Atlantis.

The first four photos, are pictures of my friends wearing the latest fashion in London of 'Drummer Boy Clothing'. I felt wearing this was very fitting especially as they are wearing the same. I also thought that having a white background was probably for the best, as makes the group look more professional.
The fifth photo are friends also, pretending to be a reviving NBA star and his agent. They are wearing casual, yet quite big fitting clothing, fitting for NBA stars. The setting, is very peculiar, you may say, however the picture was taken just after an interview at their house.

The sixth photo is of an unknown rapper, having just come off stage. The hat is very fitting with his genre of music and so is the nakedness, having been just on stage, girls would have loved it. Setting is him just after a concert and coming into the audience.

The seventh photo are friend of friends of mine, representing a newly formed group. The clothing is very dark, good colours for urban sector, hairstyles are noticeable and they're all posing in a threatening way, effective as urban groups don't look particularly 'nice'. Again, I thought the white background was the best fitted on the professional side, promotion and all.

The eighth photo is again two friend of friends, taken close up and they're representing a duet/remix for the up coming gig. It is a very good picture for advertising. They are very close which is representing, lust for one another which is emphasised so much in this industries songs. I have decided to add a little colour to the background this time as it is a form of advertisement and there isn't as much background to cover and white is kind of a plain colour.

The final photo was taken when Chipmunk came to Atlantis and was just going onto stage, which would explain all the other hands and people in the way. He is a very big hip hop artist which is why he is fitting with my magazine. He is wearing sunglasses, INSIDE, which is very common for urban artists, don't want to show their true identity as such.

Flat Plans- Contents

Contents Page:

My contents page includes plenty of pictures, relevant to what's inside the magazine. I have included five pictures on the contents page alone, which is a lot. With these photos I have managed to include captions about the photos used and tell the readers what else is included and where it is in the magazine.

I have gone with a different styled title. It suits the target audience as Urban industry is a different type of music as apposed to pop and it covers lots of genres, so it is fitting.

I kept to the same fonts, as I said I would for the contents.

The colours are similar to the front cover, however the title of each pages differ.

I have used the same sort of style for the contents page title as the existing analysed magazine. However the rest of page. I have included a lot more pictures and writing. The columns are more or less the same too, however mine are more distinct... the existing magazine contents page has the three columns but a big picture has covered two of them.

Flat Plans- Front cover

I have designed two front covers.

I have decided to choose 'SOUL SCENE' as my magazine front cover.

I feel that the title is more catchy and is as relevant as Street rap in the urban music genre.

I prefer the layout of the title position for 'Soul Scene' and the headlines throughout the page are more clear and neat.
More information given as well.

Soul Scene:

For the text on the front cover and probably all the way through the magazine, I am going to keep it the same font for the text and titles. (Except modify sizes, colours, caps etc.)

For my image, I have got a photo of a 'new formed' group and they will be taken from a distance, won't be standing in a line, will be looking into the camera and stood to suit. The image will cover the whole page.

The text will appear as little side notes throughout the page. 'Soul Scene' will be in capitals and other text will be 'nobility casual' caps also, but smaller.

The colours:

The image of the band members... has a white background and they are wearing fairly dark clothing and very scruffy. This is a mix between other front covers from 'VIBE'.

My front cover is fairly similar in the techniques I've used to the magazine covers that I analysed.
The title and text layouts are prime examples of this. However, I am keeping more consistent than 'VIBE' as I'm sticking to the same fonts throughout.

Therefore, this is fitting with my target audience.

Fonts

I have decided to use sans serif for the title and serif for the texts throughout all of my 4 pages because it seems the most effective and common way, as used in all the magazines I've read.

I have recorded some feedback from my target audience of what fonts people like. Here are the fonts I have picked out, three for the title and three for the text:-

For the title my target audience chose Harabara and for the text Nobility Casual was chosen. 

The font colours may not stay black however. 

For my front cover, the leading won't be very high... probably keep it to its standard 10 point text and 12 point leading. Contents will be slightly less dense as you need to be able to distinguish between each page topic. 

My double page spread will be similar to the contents page too.

I won't change the kerning format for the front page, however for the contents page and double page spread, with the amount of written work, kerning may become more important because words might merge for some and therefore will make it easier to read and I feel making words further apart on the contents page is more effective towards the topics on hand. 

I feel I have kept the title and the text fonts similar to the fonts used in the magazine I analysed, and as I'm targeting the same audience as that magazine, I think it is very fitting. 

Analysis of existing magazines- Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread for VIBE:

There are eight images of the same person, Solange Knowles doing different poses. Seven of them are are along the top of the two pages in black and white. The eighth takes up a whole column and again it is of Knowles but this time in colour. For all of them she is wearing the same clothing.

The images don't dominate the double page, they are simple there to show who it is about and they are pictures of her dancing in her new single.

The articles purpose is to prove that Solange Knowles is as good as her sister but not as well known and how she feels about her sisters success and comparing her experiences with other artists more famous siblings. She has had fall backs but she is still as good as any other

artist and VIBE magazine have noticed this and are promoting her.

For the title, underneath the images... it has been done in capitals, bold and sans serif. The name 'Solange Knowles' has been put in a different colour to anything else on the whole double spread.

There has been one pull quote included and this is to introduce the first paragraph on the second page and this has been put in bold and capital letters.

There is only one caption used. This is to tell the audience where to buy the clothes that Knowles is wearing from... this is part of their fashion part from contents page.

Analysis of existing magazines- Contents Page

Contents Page for VIBE:

The way they have written 'Contents' is a very unique way of doing it. They have done this for all of their contents pages.

The font used is again the same as the front cover... Sans serif for title and serif for text. Very common.

They have particularly used vibrant colours but very fitting with the topic on hand... The main point in this magazine is about Obama and this may not be as interesting to some... They have used Navy blue and black for the writing matching with Obama in the picture...

The contents are split into categories: Features, On point, The best rapper alive (very brief) and Fashion.

Features includes information about Obama which therefore makes it formal.

On point is informal because the topic on hand is NBA and listing is used.

Fashion is somewhat in the middle of formal and informal but effective, as its used in all of VIBE's magazines.

The contents page has just got one big image of Obama himself, I would imagine from the same photo shoot as the front cover. This time he looks happy and friendly towards the audience.

The colour scheme from the front cover has changed... The front cover was more vibrant as it needs to stand out and the contents page is more formal and serious towards matter included in this magazine.