Research into codes and conventions

Research into codes and
conventions
By Katheryn Lamb

Main image:

Title:
This magazine title is simple
but bold with nothing but
the colour red which
catches your eye straight
away.

Colours:
The colours of the magazine are all
coordinated- the magazine title and
the subtitle are both the same
colour and the main image fits in
with her brightly coloured lipstick
and Union Jack top. These colours
come together to make the
magazine look patriotic because it
is a British magazine and this
featured woman is British. This
cover has inspired to me to create a
colour theme because I like the use
of colours to portray a meaning.

This front cover only has only one
image featured, which makes it
look subtle and not crowded and
is quite powerful because it
focuses on the main attraction of
this week’s edition who is a
famous singer and is quite
attractive which makes the
magazine more interesting.

Subtitle:
The main feature’s name
is the same boldness and
colours as the magazine
title which both are
displayed on a bright
white/grey background,
which makes it
automatically the main
focus.

Storylines:

Main image:
This cover caught my eye
because of this Posterise
effect which isn’t commonly
used on front covers and
makes it look mysterious. It
also creates a chiaroscuro
lighting look to make the
main featured story look
dramatic. Although I like the
posterise effect I decided not
to use it on my main image
because it wouldn’t fit with
the theme of my magazine, as
in this case it obviously is
meant to portray that this
band is “rock” because we
associate the colour black
with “rock” music.

The story lines are set
out neatly in a
coordination of yellow
and white font. The
way each lines are
different lengths
makes it look like a
base system which
looks different.

Colours:
The use of colouring on
this cover is different
because the main image
is dark and ominous but
the lettering is bright
yellow, red and white to
make it attract your
attention when walking
past it in a shop.

Main image:
The main image is a
medium close up of a
famous British artist,
who shows to be
quite “scruffy” with
his wonky teeth and
his dumfounded
expression, this works
well because it gives
an idea of what kind
of artist he is; quirky
and different.

Other images:
These images attract more
potential buyers because it
has more artists which
fans could want to read
about. Also these images
are enticing because
they’re different,
especially the Paramore
image because of their
butterfly wings dripping.

Colours:
This cover again shows
the use of colour
coordination that I intend
to use on my magazine
cover, it shows a British
artist who is obviously
proud to be British
wearing a Harrington
jacket (which is well
known as worn by the
“skinheads” also known
as mods back in the early
1960’s, who were known
to be very patriotic) and
also the use of colours in
the lettering and
background fit in with
the person main
featured.

Main image:
I like the main image on this
front cover, it is of a violin artist
which we can tell because his
instrument is in the image, I
really like this because it can
help attract new buyers because
they might view it and want to
learn more about the art of
violin. In the image you can tell
that this picture has been edited
because of the exposure of his
skin, it looks very pale but pretty,
it helps get rid of any blemishes
this person may have easily and
effectively.

Colours:
These colours are classy and neat which coordinates well with
the theme of magazine- classical. The title of the magazine is
bright pink which contrasts with the dull colours of the rest of
the background so that it stands out and is well known.

Title:
This front cover
is very
glamorous yet
simple, I like the
way the title of
the magazine is
laid out, it is
easy to read and
looks neat,
which is what I
hope my
magazine title
will look like.

Title:
The lettering in the title of
the magazine is coloured in
bright blue and bright green
which make it look bright
and eye catching. The letters
are covered up by the main
image, this is used by a lot of
other magazines such as
Rolling stones, NME, etc it is
done to express that the
magazine is well known so
you’ll know what letters are
missing.

Main image:
The main image is striking as it features a singer who’s name
begins with M so the large letter M that she is holding stands out
so we know immediately who this is featured. The M is also
bright gold whereas she is wearing black so it contrasts against
her clothing so it stands out.

Colour:
This cover is very
bright and colourful,
the background is
bright purple which
isn’t commonly used
as a cover but it
works well for the
theme of the
magazine
Sell lines:
These are written in
small paragraphs so
that if the bold image
and colours attract your
attention and you
choose to pick up the
magazine you can read
what is featured inside.

Pictures:
I really like this layout for my
contents page, it shows,
through pictures, what is
featured in the magazine so
it gives a ‘quick view’. The
pictures also encourage the
reader to find out more. For
example the main picture
shows a beautiful woman
with what appears to be
blood running down the
side of her face which
intrigues me to find out who
it is and what it’s about.

Fonts:
It features different sized fonts
for the page numbers which
could show the reader the more
interesting features.
Colours:
One of the pages is
shown in red text,
compared to the black
text, which emphasises
that this is one of the
leading articles. The
reversed white on red
reflects the style of the
magazine’s actual logo, I
really like this use of
colour; the contents
font coordinating with
the magazine’s logo’s
colours.

Pictures:
This layout is more
complicated than the other
issue but this makes it
interesting. There is the
contrast of black and white
photographs with some
brightly coloured pictures
featured. The pictures vary
in size which hints at what
features are the main ones.

Colours:
The colour of the magazine’s
logo are repeated, this time on
the issue number header and
again the separate sections of
the magazine.

Structure:
This issue has the
writing on the right
which is really close to
the edge of the page as
if to show that if you
just turn this page
you’ll be filled with all
of this information.

Structure:
I really like the band index,
listing various bands
featured, with the page
number next to it directing
the reader/fan quickly and
easily to their favourite
band’s item. However, I
wouldn’t be able to do this as
my magazine doesn’t suit this
genre, which is rock, as you
can tell by the amount of
bands listed.

Colours:
The mix of black yellow and red
writing through the page make it
more interesting and the use of
the yellow in the advert selling
subscription to the magazine
draws the reader’s eye
immediately to it.

Sub headers:
The use of sub headers
used to list the contents of
the magazine is very
helpful for a reader
because they are a large
and easy to read and
separate the contents
accordingly. This means
the reader doesn’t have to
go through a small font
whole list to find just one
article.

Structure:
I have chosen another Q
magazine contents page
because this one is different
from the other issues
because it contains less
pictures and doesn’t look
crowded.
Sub headers:
These sub headers
differentiate which is
specially featured in this
issue and the usual features
that are put in every issue.
Also there is a separate sub
heading which shows the
articles in this issue on one
specific band. This makes it
look very capturing to Oasis
fans but also helps those
that aren’t interested in the
Oasis section where
everything else is.

Colour:
The use of colour isn’t very
extravagant on this contents
page but they still
coordinate together which
makes it look organised but
the used of red brightens it
up a bit.

Quotation:
On this contents page they
have added a quotation which
expresses the effect that this
magazine is the best

Sub headers:
This contents page has a lot
more sub headers which break
down the magazine to help
readers go straight to the
article/page they wish to view. I
think this is a lot more effective
than only a couple of sub
headers. The sections are
separated with bold lines which
makes it look very organised.

Colour:
I really like this ‘valencia’ effect
used on this photo, it makes it
look classy and creates a really
nice flawless photo.
The other colours used on this
page are the same as the Q
magazine’s content page; black,
white and red, these colours are
commonly used because they
coordinate together well but
show the importance of each
piece of text. For example, sub
headings are in red to stand out
and look bolder.

Font:
Colours:
The cut out effect of the
The colour theme is black white and red, the
heading quote is really
woman in the main image’s contrasts brilliantly
interesting and reflects
with the colours used on the page; the editors
the public’s opinion of
have deliberately used some red font to make it
Lily Allen, who is both
look like this.
interesting and quite
quirky in her views. This
writing reminds me of
the Sex Pistol era back in
the 1970’s when they
used the same reversed
white on black block
writing on their album
covers. This band, too,
were both controversial
and quirky and the tartan
fashion was popular in
the 1970’s too.

Main image:
This layout looks
perfect, you’ve got a
whole page sized
photograph of the
featured woman who’s
arm only slightly goes
off the page which
looks really good
because it looks as if it
is one giant page. Also,
it means a fan can use
this photograph as a
poster to put on their
wall.

Colours:
A clever use of the bright pink
emphasises the fact that this
article is about a girl. The
different colours worn by the
main image and in the article
show that it is a bright and
girly magazine.

Heading:
The heading is a quote from the
featured person which I think is
affective because it tells you what the
article is about straight away and so
grabs your attention.

Main image:
The shocked look on
her face in the
photograph contrasts
brilliantly with the
theme of the article
which is about how
unpopular Cher Lloyd
was with her peers’
parents when she was
younger. Her whole
face/body is on one
side of the page, this is
so that fans can cut it
out and have it as a
poster on their wall.

Main image:
This image has been
taken with a high angle
shot to make the
band’s image look like
their band title “the
teenagers” with a large
photograph of three
scruffy looking men,
looking like teenagers
set in a room with
band posters and
photographs on the
wall just as you would
expect to find in a
teenager’s room. You
can also use this image
as a poster with a “fact
file” about the band at
the bottom.

Side article:
This double page spread features other
articles to read about, not just the main
article. This makes it more interesting as
there is a lot more to read about.

Colours:
The use of colours
on this double page
spread is bright, the
writing highlighted
in baby blue are the
words intended to
catch your attention
straight away
because it stands
out against the
balance of the
background. The
other colours mix
with the blue; the
black and white.

Main image:
This image is a close
up of the main
featured artist, he
has a grumpy face on
which contrasts with
this artist’s persona;
edgy and mysterious.
This photograph can
be used as a poster
for fans.

Layout:
The article has a large red J watermark across the
article, this makes it clear who it is about, as if he has
left his “mark”, this is affective in catching a potential
reader’s attention.
The writing to the right side of the article is
organised in paragraphs but the font is very small.

Colours:
The colours of this article are quite bright, the main image has two colours which take up
each half of the artist’s face. One side is red which gives off a “bad/evil side” and the other
is light blue which gives off a “neutral/calming side” this could give the reader a clue on
what the article is about.

Heading:
The heading is big and
bold, with a
highlighted “splatted
blood effect” which
show that this band is
different and quirky.

Colours:
The use of colours is
quite different, it gives
off a dark sense, the
main colours are black,
grey and dark “blood”
red. You can assume
that this band is
“rock”.

Main image:
The image features the
band together acting
out a scene, wrestling
with a rabbit, the
woman of the band is
the one wrestling the
rabbit which shows
that she is the main
image of the band, the
others are just in the
background but are
still equally important.

Quotations:
There is a quote written in bold that is a
quote from the article, it is done to give a
sense of what is featured in the article.

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