Preliminary Magazine Front Cover

Primarily, after I created a mock-up front cover of a school magazine I then designed it accordingly using Microsoft Publisher. Baring in mind my target audience and the mode of address (how the magazine talks to the audience) I came up with this draft front cover. The Demographics of my magazine is directed at students between the ages 11 and 17, therefore the layout was vitally important. I chose a style in which I believed would appeal to teenagers - using connotations of red and yellow for the purpose of giving a more contemporary appearance, fitting in with the conventions of your typical NME magazine, in order to encourage a specific audience. Sans Serif font (Aerial Narrow) applies a youthful tone to the magazine, easily readable and attractive to look at, this gives my magazine a simplistic approach, enticing a young audience.

The only thing I adjusted, other than my main image was the heading itself. I believed that in order to distinguish my magazine front cover from a school newsletter (which is targeted mainly at parents and guardians) I had to change the main article.

The main focus of the school magazine was the image itself, I opted for complementary colours to allow the maximum amount of effect for the readers. The medium close-up shot enabled me to apply the rule of thirds which made the head of the image the central focus. I purposely utilized the programme PhotoShop for the benefit of altering the image - making it more prominent and the use of the contrasting tool entitled a more professional appearance. I aligned the puffs around the main image in order to prevent ambiguity, also for the purpose of symbolising the importance of the main image and following the conventions of many NME magazines. I used the contrast tool in order to give the 'Oxford' writing more emphasis - as this is the main heading and article, therefore this is vital to the magazine.

'DHM' is the masthead of the front cover, this abbreviation symbolises Deyes High Magazine - I followed the conventions of many popular magazines like Q and NME, aiming to make my magazine sound more modern. This Magazine is aimed at a very specific target audience of Deyes High students only.

The colour scheme i settled for had to reveal contemporary and eye-catching for the purpose of not only catching the readers gaze but maintaining it. Due to my magazine being aimed at a young age, i felt as though they could relate to my idea of a music magazine feel like NME. Using controversial Puffs and bright contrasting colours, also by advertising free merchandise for every reader, hopefully should appeal to a young audience. There are many different articles of different genres for every reader's taste, this gives me a wider audience, as it will attract musicians, sporting athletes, Sixth Formers and Geographers or people just generally interested in gossip.

The bold font appears youthful and easy on the eyes which in itself young people may be fond of, as there is not heaps of dull 'essays' to read through - only the brief colourful puffs. I know from experience magazines targeted at a teenage audience must provide a vibrant modernised front cover in order for the consumer to be interested in purchasing it - as magazines are for leisure.