The Magazine cover:
I think that at first glance this magazine cover is very pleasing to look at, due to the neat/easy to read presentation style of the front cover - it is practically speaking (but not to a great deal) different, or unconventional in reference to the way it was designed.
Typography/Writing analysis:
Firstly I think that the choice of typography is good, I reckon it truly gives a promotional advantage for the magazine company, e.g. features such as ‘serif’ typography really appends to the style of ‘Texas Monthly’ - it compliments the local and unique feel of the magazine, which in turn, causes the local readers to feel more conversed and involved.
Layout:
Unlike most magazines, where the presentation seems as if the designer has been quite sketchy in how he/she presented the text on that issue - this magazine clearly displays all the information in an orderly fashion, where text doesn't seem too overbearing, meaning it doesn't convey a barrage of information to the readers eyes - but rather it possess a minimalistic theme, where text is seen clearly, understood easily, and also feels accessible for the readers.
Photography:
This magazine is one out of the minority, which actually features photography that retains a positive and distinctive quality. The photograph on this cover is evidently related to the topic of interest for that months‘ issue. And to add - you can lightly guess that the designer ‘cherry picked’ every aspect of the front cover and has indeed run a through course (development) to make sure the magazine looks well made in the end.
So for e.g. The photograph appears as if, it was taken at an opportune and timely moment, i.e. early morning/ dawn. So compared with the repetitious style of photography used in the majority of regional magazines, using interesting/pleasing photographs can help the readers feel more content with the product they have purchased.
Audience:
Taking into account the stately character of the typography, the minimalistic presentation style/layout, and in addition - considering the notable photography - I’d have to conclude that this magazine is clearly aimed at a mature audience, since only the senior members of that local community can subscribe to a magazine such as ‘Texas Monthly’ and yet appreciate the content of the magazine.
Front Covers - Textual Analysis / 2: Seattle Met
The Magazine Cover: Following a prompt
glimpse of this magazine cover, you maybe lead believe that the designer was trying to achieve a sense of sportiveness (to attract his target audience).
Because when you look at the work as one piece (considering all of its aspects) such as typographic style and colour, and aerial photography, and also significance of text - you can easily guess that this specific issue was made for a special purpose, and that purpose could be (I suppose) to, attract outsiders/visitors to the city of Seattle, and likewise it could have been made to inform newcomers about the city.
Typography/Writing Analysis: It appears that the designer chose a varied amount of type styles to present the text which was before him/her - My first guess, for the reason he/she chose varied type styles, is that it adds another layer/level of significance to the magazine's topic "One hundred reasons to LOVE Seattle!" - because it may connote/indicate that there are many distinct reasons (to 'love' Seattle) - Perhaps this could be the real motive behind the choice of type style.
Overall the cover is quite simplistic - in reference to the colour scheme and likewise, the photography. I ought to mention that the magazine doesn't seem to conform to any extensive mold, regarding fashion or trend of other magazines designs - meaning the cover doesn't 'mask' itself under the traditional customs of specific magazine styles - i.e. modernism, minimalistic design. Therefore I do like the fact that its quite plain and somewhat honest, as it does truly illustrate these words "calling it like I see it.." in a visual manner incorporated into the design (in turn, the magazine cover looks contemporary in the way it presents itself).
Layout: The text on this front cover is arranged into a fairly neat structure, I think the designers did the right thing by choosing the untreated design style.
In fact, it is easy for me to say that it looks reasonably organized in the way it presents information. And likewise I do appreciate this designers' unpretentious and somewhat coy, approach in creating this front cover, because the use of unsophisticated text and a plain grid structure compliments the headline topic (100 Reasons to LOVE Seattle) in such a way, that it may avert the readers attention away from the exterior (secondary issues; such as how they've designed the cover), and redirect their attention on the magazines' topic.
Therefore in lesser eloquent aspects/ or on secondary perspectives, the simple fashion in which the text is presented, amends a new level significance, solely to the topic of interest, because it communicates 'openness' to the readers, because it bears an image of a softened form of design technique, where it seems to draw near to the areas where it seems almost unbiased and fair. We learn the designers subtle incentives - (in creating a magazine with little emphasis on its style and fashion) - and this could mean that they want you to have a small yet sapid taste of Seattle's alluring charm.
Photography:
As often as you've encountered photographs of a similar standing (skyline/skyscrapers) - I think this photograph has been chosen for a significant reason. To expand a little - the photograph was taken in an aerial/birds eye view; they've done this (I think) to give a sense of 'grand scale', or to communicate ampleness of the city. Since we've noted the effectual nature of the photograph, we can say that it makes Seattle feel more 'welcoming' or 'lively'.
If you haven't noticed already, there is a host of people seen on the bottom half of the -page (in the shape of a heart) - and the first thing you notice about those people, is that they are all coloured (in contrast to the big, grey city in the background). I reckon that they've done this to ensign the Seattle culture (of love? hospitality? perhaps so), so that people who've just moved into Seattle or the people, who are just simply visitors, can feel more comfortable and less anxious in the city. I do realize that this analysis is perhaps to a slight extent, far fetched. Yet despite that possible truth, I would still argue to say that the designers had the intention of making customers/buyers of the magazine feel welcomed into the city.
Audience: Considering all aspects of this magazine, such as; aerial photography (with coloured parts, i.e. love heart). And considering the magazine's topic (100 Reasons to LOVE Seattle) - and also taking into account the simple design style - I conclude that this magazine was targeting newcomers in the city of Seattle.
Front Covers - Textual Analysis / 3: First for Business
The Magazine Cover: When I first looked at this magazine, I felt that it was quite pleasant to look at - since the colours are all positive and the man featured on the cover is smiling. So of course most readers would indeed feel at ease and quite content with the magazine, due to the genial vibe it creates in your mind when you first see it.
Typography/Writing Analysis: The typefaces used on the front cover are fairly basic and quite simple (common serif typeface), and to add it uses a notable amount of colours on the writing.
This shows that the magazine doesn't conform to formal conventions (from a designers perspective) but rather it conforms to the distinctive conventions of most regional magazines - where the emphasis is solely set onto the content of the magazine - but the design of the text on the page, is seemingly of less concern.
Layout: The layout is quite ingenuous and candid - so once again the simplicity, shown in this form of presentation can be traced back to the conventions of traditional regional magazines. In a short summary of things, I do like the look of the layout, but I think that the choices made on the colour scheme and typography was a shortcoming - because it really does make the text look a little too keen - meaning it doesn't really have a nature of holding back the content in an area where it potentially could be appreciated by the readers to higher extent.
Photography: The choices made on photography were good (in my opinion) because as viewers pass the magazine shelves, they make a choice to firstly, consider looking further into this magazine - and the reason they stop to inspect the product in a through manner - is/could be because the photograph seized their attention.
Audience: The target market for this magazine are of course the people of Sheffield, and to be specific, it is aimed at an audience who may share an interest, or show regard for the world of business (local or national). So it a mature/adult audience they could be the targeting.
Front Covers - Textual Analysis / 4 : Sixer Magazine
The Magazine Cover: The magazine front cover is (to a reasonable level) well made. I'd say that the designers of this magazine were tying to target an adult audience, primarily the women. Because the front cover uses text, which may initially connote to the feminine side of things, so as a result it may appeal to women more than it does to men.
Typography/Writing Analysis: The typography used in the front cover - shows the use of both type styles (serif/sans serif). I like the way they've designed the words 'Country Style' - I think it conforms to common yet simple convention (in reference to the design/shape of the font) - in a moderate manner its quite abstract.
The colours were indeed chosen well, for example the pink text works well with the pink scarf the lady in the photograph is wearing.
I think the only downside to this design - is the typography size, the text shows the use of various type styles/faces presented side by side, and that diminishes the significance of a text hierarchy, which is (in my view of things) quite useful to in-cooperate into a design, because it makes the product more user friendly and makes the magazine feel more accessible/easily perceived.
Layout: The layout is fairly simple and easily understood, but I think it presents the text in such a way that it doesn't really provoke any emotions in the readers mind, I am uncertain on what the intentions may have been concerning the designer - since the magazine is presented in a 'skin-deep' manner - the text on the page becomes ineffectual - meaning it doesn't (to a notable extent) stimulate/stir any thought in the mind.
Photography: I like the use of photography - it really props the magazine with a particular fashion, this may help the readers feel more content with product they've purchased. (In reference to the genre/target audience of the magazine). And the woman shown on the cover, moreover defines the line, which separates the male audience of the magazine from the female audience. So I think the choices made on photography were good (depending on the designers intentions on who to target). And to add, you can notice that the photograph was taken in a small area/ with a local feel - they've done this to make their target audience feel that its more local, closer to home, and they also used that location (for photographing) because it looks stylish/fashionable.
Audience: Considering that most of the text featured on the cover, can all connote to feminine attributes (i.e. female model, purple/pink text, thin serif typography), I'm more in favour of concluding that the designer of the magazine was targeting (as a primary audience) adult women.
Front Covers - Textual Analysis / 5: Northshore
The Magazine Cover: I think this magazine, at first sight is quite peculiar to look at, because the photograph used on this issue, is an interesting choice, and I can't figure out what I think of it, (whether it works with the blue text on top or whether it doesn't). Regardless of the answer to that question, I still found the page interesting to look at - for a vague but good reason.
Typography/Writing Analysis: The choices made on typography, colour and style were all exceptional - because it gave the magazine a positive feel to it. I don't think the typography used in this magazine conforms to a specific pattern/or style - rather it feels listless, it causes me to feel uninformed in perplexed way, I found it odd, that I can't direct my mind to a piece of text and not make any connotations to that piece of text. So this magazine (from the way I see it) is quite indistinct in the style that it conforms to, because it seems as if the aim for the designer was too multifarious (in reference to theme or style in during the stages of development).
Layout: I think the layout for this magazine is unique, because it looks quite unconventional - in the manner that it presents itself, in fact, I'd go to the point where I would say, this magazine carries certain characteristics which can be analogous to movie posters.
Photography: The photograph shown on this front cover has an alluring quality to it - I think it certainly gives the magazine an advantage, because it does look quite appealing and attractive.
Audience: I am quite unsure on what to make of this, because the theme, and style, of this magazine is indistinct - and with that being said, I feel unable to narrow down, precisely onto a target group (given the details I have to consider such as; age ranges/gender etc..)
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Analysis SECTION 2:
Contents Page - Textual Analysis / 1 :
The Contents Page: The page looks quite simple, because there is a lot of space on the page which is unused, it carries with it a positive/jocose vibe - I think the yellow smiley face is the most significant feature of the page, it really makes you appreciate the designers creativity in creating this work.
Text/Typography: There isn't a great deal of text to be viewed on this page, yet still, that fact doesn't take away from the overall effectual nature of the page itself (happy, light-hearted and cheerful vibe). I can still feel that it's a well-designed contents page, which still manages to retain a likeable quality, (mainly due to the eye catching photograph).
The text, which is present on the page, is less important - in comparison to the rest of the work, since the small text doesn't play the role (to a significant extent at least) of captivating the viewers attention/or attracting them to the page. Nonetheless the text still plays an essential part in this design, because its the small aspects of this design which makes the page look interesting to the readers - because when we see it as a single/combined piece of work, we can really appreciate this designers attention to detail.
Layout: The presentation of the text is quite simple, so in turn the reader doesn't have to do much in order to understand what is being communicated.
Photography: Most will agree with me that the photograph, is clearly the most eye-catching feature on this page - I think that the photograph was an interesting and creative choice, because it really caught my attention, but I feel that it perhaps is somewhat immoderate, in the way that it has been presented. I think that it possibly could avert the readers attention from other pieces of text which are on the page, but this probably will not be an issue amongst most readers.
Contents Page - Textual Analysis / 2 :
The Contents Page: This contents page was taken from a regional magazine called 'Best of Boston'. The reason I chose to analyse this contents page, is because I thought it looked interesting and creative. I like the way this designer has drawn and used random objects to build an interesting image - so when you see the work as a whole, it looks similar to a skyscraper city line. In fewer words, I think this page is unique and well designed.
Text/Typography: Altogether there are three typefaces shown on this contents page, this indicates that the designer wanted to have a hierarchy of text, ranging from least significant to most significant - as a result the information on the page is easily understood by the readers, because they can discern the differences between the text - due to its user friendly style of presentation.
Layout: The way the text is arranged looks very interesting, and appealing - because a large amount of space is used by the small objects (the grey area). And almost half of the page is used to fit in the written portion of the design. I think that it looks stylish because its presented
Contents Page - Textual Analysis / 3:
The Contents Page: This contents' page might be a familiar sight to you, probably due to these simple reasons - it uses a common/ordinary layout, coupled with a moderate form of text presentation. I wanted to analyse this contents page because it exhibits the distinctive traits (conventions) of the common/typical regional magazine.
Text/Typography: The typefaces used on this contents page are simple - to expand further, the text is not excessively stylized, to an extent which could be considered notable. This means that 'text design' isn't a prominent aspect/or focus of the magazine, but rather the focus is on the content offered inside the magazine.
Common regional magazines have a tendency to keep the focus on the design to a minimum, whilst the focus on the content is usually considered with more favour.
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