Further mast head planning - pulse

All these mast-head ideas have been planned and thought through. Each idea has different features in them. My color scheme is red and black

The first idea (top) is very simple which makes it easier to read. The U is put in read emphasizing that you should buy this magazine. The scattered red on the mast head is enticing towards the audience as it is visually appealing

My second idea is also very simple. The line going across the mast head is very appealing as it weave in and out of the letters making it more enticing. The U is in front of the line identifying that you should buy this magazine. The line is red improving the color scheme.

My third idea is a bit more complex. All the letters are red apart from U which highlight that you should buy this magazine. As all the letters are in boxes, it makes the mast head unique and more readable. This idea was favored by the audience meaning its more appealing.

My fourth idea is my favored idea. The line across the middle connotes your pulse, this makes the mast head more enticing and appealing. It also follows the unique color scheme. It also features serif in the text, this makes it more sophisticated and mature.

My fifth idea has a different style to the other. The scattered text at the bottom makes the mast head unique as it makes it more enticing. It also follows the color scheme making the magazine more approachable. This idea was also very popular by the audience, this shows that

Mast - head idea/planning

Color meanings/connotations

  Red

Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.

Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.

Red brings text and images to the foreground. Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This color is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity.

  

Orange

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red.

Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.

  

Yellow

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. 

Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, 'childish' color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men – nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety.   


Green

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street.

  

Blue

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.

As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness. Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.

Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

  

Purple

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. You can use bright purple when promoting children's products.

Light purple evokes romantic and nostalgic feelings.
Dark purple evokes gloom and sad feelings. It can cause frustration.

  

White

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.

White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. 

White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

  
Black

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.

Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or grey background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

Name planning

Pulse - Could connote the rhythm/beat of the music. Resembles heartbeat, could suggest that the type of genre will excite the reader.

Fuse - Gives the message of mixed style of music or more than one genre of music. This name is also noticeable and bold; this could make the cover more eye catching. Fusing the music genres together.

Anthem - Resembles a type of song. This could fit the genre of classical or slow music. This could attract a different audience to what i have planned. The word itself is very long which could resemble the style of music/genre the magazine covers.

Hype - This would fit the genre of rap or rock music as that type of music is fast and loud. This could resemble the exciting and energetic mood of the magazine and the music genre.

Spark - This could connote fire/energy/excitement. This fits the genre of music i have chosen (rap). The word itself is very noticeable and appealing as it is short and fast.

Target readership/audience

Target audience

The target audience for my magazine will be teenagers and young adults, an age range of around 16-30. I will target both genders. It will target the middle class with 'normal' families/students at a state school. They should like music or have a preferred type of genre of music, or they could play an instrument which involves them in music. They're creative and academic, showing an interest in the multimedia industry. They all like to socialize in person and also over the internet. They should have a job, mainly based in the A to C category.

Character profile

Geoff is an 18 year old boy who loves music. He is into rap, listens to Eminem, childish Gambino, and example and shows a deep interest in music. He sings and plays guitar. He has a large group of friends, boys and girls, who love to socialize and meet new people. He has a very relaxed state of mind trying to balance his school work with his social life. However, if his work gets too heavy he doesn't go out with his friends. He has a very simple fashion sense, white shirt, skinny jeans and Nike shoes. This look resembles his relaxed and laid back vibe. His hobbies are writing songs, singing, playing football and playing video games. Geoff works at his village shop earning enough to pay for his own clothes. He sometimes goes out with his friends to the cinema. He does not have a girlfriend however he talks to a lot of girls. In his spare time he plays video games, or sings. He likes Nike and Top man; he spends most of his income on buying clothes from those shops. He likes to watch East Enders and Waterloo road. He goes on a summer holiday once a year; he went to Spain last year and Greece the year before.

Planning front covers - 3 ideas

Idea 1

A typical music magazine should include all the main features a magazine has as it will make it look more professional and unique. The mast head will be big and bold and central, with a stand out colour, which will entice the reader into looking further into the magazine itself. It should be the first thing the audience reads, so it should entice them enough to carry on reading what is in the magazine. It will also have a variety of cover lines and selling lines along the left of the page. This will leave the main model on the right of the page leaving all the writing on the left. This improves the neatness of the cover making it more formal and sophisticated. The colour scheme will be blue, pink and grey. I will use blue for the mast-head and some of the text, grey for the background and pink for the remaining text. These three colours are good contrasting colours as grey makes blue and pink stand out. 

Idea 2

I have another magazine idea. I will put the mast head big and central of the magazine, this will show importance and dominance over the magazine. I will put my model in the middle of the magazine positioned very serious and dominant as it will set the tone of the magazine well. I will then put my cover lines and selling lines to the side of the magazine filling all the background space. If there is enough space, I will try place another banner somewhere along the bottom to make the text less overwhelming. Colour scheme will be white, blue and black. I will use white for the background, blue for the mast head and black for the remaining text.

Idea 3

. Large mast head, covering a lot of space (middle, centre)

. Selling lines and cover lines to the top left and right, to cover any 

. Model all in the middle, covering a lot of space, serious/solemn pose

. Banner along the top/bottom

. Colour scheme will be red, black and white

All these features will be applied to a draft magazine that i will create. These features are all in current music magazines and i will try apply these elements into my music magazine to make it look as professional as possible. The background will be black/grey with the mast-head being red and the text being white.

House style - Pulse

Market research video

This is my market research video showing what the audience want in a music magazine.

Feature article analysis

Feature article analysis

The enlarged and dominant L behind the text not only relates to Lady GAGA, it anchors Q's magazine style as it is red, large and bold. The red colour connotes blood, danger or caution. This fits Qs magazine style of rock/metal theme. The picture of lady GAGA anchors what the article will be about. The picture itself could appeal to both genders. It would appeal to male as it has the sex appeal, and it would also appeal to women as she is a role model and is very popular. The photo itself is very seductive meaning it will appeal to men. The drop caps have been text wrapped making the page look neater and more sophisticated. The photo has been edited into grey scale making it look more classical and artistic the right side of the page is full of text put into columns. This emphasizes Qs quirky theme, mixed with rock and sophistication. Lady GAGA is presented as rebellious and reckless due to the amount of clothes she is wearing and her messy hair and heavy eyeliner. This is counter acted by her pop music side presented in the media.

Feature article analysis

This feature article is organised into columns in the bottom. This makes the page look neater and more sophisticated. The way the main quote at the top is written and positioned makes Lily Allen look very truthful and innocent. However, her clothes and appearance on this page counter act this message. Even though the quote presents her very innocent, her baggy checked top and rough messy hair presents a rebellious theme making her look very bad and reckless. The size of the image clearly shows what this page is about. Her eyeliner/makeup makes her look more seductive and sexy which appeals more to males. This is different to the way the media presents her as she is presented as an innocent and honest person. The font/style of the quote in the top left makes the page more targeted to youth as the font are letters from other magazine titles, this highlights the companies individuality. The quote also makes the text less overwhelming along with the model, as it takes up a large amount of space. The white background makes Lily Allen look angelic and heavenly. It also makes the text more noticeable as the colours are completely opposite.

Contents page analysis

Adding the magazine logo into the background works in promoting the brand itself, it also helps tie all the elements of the page together. The V logo fills a large gap of the page without being overwhelming. The unusual layout of "contents" proves the magazines individuality from other music magazines, and possibly connoting the individuality of the genre of music the magazine presents. The column on the left has a simple layout making it easier for the audience to read. It is split into two sections making it easier to read. The category headings are written in a formal font with serif. The deep red/burgundy background could be connoting deep passion; it acts as a nice complimenting colour towards the artist’s skin tone. The white text is a nice contrast to the background colour; it also makes the page look more modern and contemporary feel. The model is shirtless wearing some expensive jewellery round his neck and a flat cap backwards. This connotes culture and wealth. The small head around his neck connotes death and tragedy. The figure of the model portrays anger as he is pulling off his jewellery and his facial expression; it is not designed to be an appealing image but a figure of individuality.

Contents page analysis

contents page analysis

The overall layout of this content page is very neat and formal; this is different to Kerrangs normal style (messy, scruffy, un-organised). This could attract people with a wealthy income as it is easy to read. The contents page is broken up into columns which make it easier to navigate round. The main colour scheme is black, white and yellow, not a normal colour scheme. The yellow text shows where the main importance on the page is, this will entice the audience to read the yellow text. It is on the main artist categories and the title of the page, this will attract the audience’s eye to read the text. Along the right of the page are names of bands and artists. This could attract their fans and followers as the magazine will provide some information about them.

 The magazine is also advertising a DVD which the audience might be interested in. This page also includes unique photography which could be enticing to the reader. The content page also features photos of the bands that are featured. This could attract the eyes of the audience as they will see one of the artists they like. It could attract females as they will be attracted to his appearance, and it could also attract males as they will want to copy his looks.

Contents page analysis

The overall layout of the contents page gives a very formal and mature tone due to the structured layout which is easy to read. I believe this could target people who earn a good income (ABC1) as it is formal enough for them to read and understand. The column along the left of the page increases this mature vibe as well as the model in the suit. In the column on the left it has names of popular artists and bands, this could increase the popularity of the magazine as their fans and followers could be interested in their information featured in the magazine. The page also presents photography which is enticing to the audience. It appeals to men as they will aspire to his fashion sense. It could also appeal to women as they will be attracted to his looks. As there are many artists featured on this page, the magazine could try get across more varieties of music, not just one genre. This page also has a larger section for the Beatles who are very popular and successful meaning they need a larger section for all their information. This could attract more of their fans as there is a lot of information about them.

Base Line magazine demographics

The typical Base line reader is a fast moving music fan who is interested in the media and culture. 69% of the Base Line readers are male, with 52% working full-time and 29% still studying. This shows that the majority of the readers buy the magazine themselves. They would spend roughly over 20 hours on the internet and focuses on their appearance vividly. They buy their own clothes and spend their income on entertainment. They have a very unique fashion sense buying what feels right for them.

Magazine cover analysis/conventions/house style

This magazine cover has many features and techniques used to make it as effective as it can be. The mast-head along the top is very bold and bright making the whole magazine more enticing. This is also a method of branding their company. The colour blue connotes happiness when reading the cover; this is again highlighted by the colour purple providing a more happy reaction. The cover also features its main model in the middle which is Kanye West. This will attract some of his fans and followers as the magazine will provide information about him. His shirt is colour coordinated with the magazines colours making the cover more diverse and approachable. Along the left of the cover it says the names of some other music artists. This could attract some of their fans making the magazine more popular. The cover features a selling line along the top of the page. "10 B.I.G secrets film won't tell you". This selling line is effective as people will want to know about the secrets and will want to know more about that story. This will make the magazine more appealing, making the audience get more excited about purchasing it.

The conventions for this cover are vast. The purple and blue colour scheme makes the magazine more quirky which makes the whole cover more enticing. The way Kanye West is positioned on the cover makes the magazine look a bit serious and tense. This is then counter acted by the quirkiness of the colour scheme. The grey background makes the text more noticeable which makes it easier to read. The grey background presents a neutral mood showing no effect. The way Kanye West is covering half of the mast-head shows how popular VIBE are as a magazine company as they don't need their name to be shown, as a lot of people know who they are without seeing the name fully. The background colour, grey, is a neutral and impartial colour which makes the mood indecisive; however the colour grey does highlight the bright text. To the right of Kanye it says "+his 50 greatest songs" this identifies his role in the magazine making the audience aware of his information in the magazine.

Magazine cover analysis/conventions/house style

NME is a very successful music magazine. It has many techniques that make it stand out and eye catching. The magazine has an eye catching mast-head which makes the magazine stand out. The main colours are red, black and white, these three colours are very diverse and mix together well giving the magazine a more appealing edge. The background is a neutral grey showing no effect. However it is whiter creating a more peaceful and heavenly mood. The white background is a brighter white in the middle where MIA is, this makes her look more angelic and peaceful counter acting her reckless appearance. This magazine also has a variety of cover lines and selling lines which make the magazine more appealing to the target audience. The way the model is positioned shows that she is reckless and rebellious as her hair is messy and she is smoking a cigarette. This is also shown as she is wearing a tight top with baggy denim top, this make the cover more seductive and more incising. This cover makes her look reckless and rebellious as the pull quote emphasizes her right to rebellious side. Overall this cover doesn't represent MIA very well due to the lack of maturity in the photo and what she has to say.

The magazines mast-head is very effective as it is noticeable and clear to read, this makes the whole cover more enticing as it stands out. The merged background of grey and white highlights the text even more as the colours are opposite to white and grey. The red text highlights the important words in it; 'NME' and 'MIA' are the important words in the cover as the magazine is starring MIA. However, the colour red connotes a bad or dangerous theme, as red is the sign of warning. The writing down the bottom right lists many music artists. This is effective as it could attract their fans and followers. This magazine has selling lines which are enticing to the audience as people can win free items from this magazine.

House style of Q

House style

All the features/characteristics/conventions make this magazine what this is. They all make the magazine distinct and unique from their competition. Q are a unique magazine as they use techniques in a way that they are different to other magazine companies. 

The magazine cover has scattered red colour across the page which highlights its metal rock theme. The red colour connotes blood and danger which again emphasizes its rock/metal theme. The logo is in front of the model which boasts their fame and popularity as they want their logo to be noticed and branded. It is a way of branding their company, making it as popular as it can get. The white background makes the model look angelic and heavenly as it presents a happy and joyous mood, however it could also a neutral colour showing no effect. The large text covers up a lot of space making the other smaller text less overwhelming balancing out the amount of text there is. The text under the logo emphasizes how good of a magazine they are as they are saying what they have got. "Great music". The quote on the left of the page "Noel was a tit. I'm very happy...". This quote emphasizes Q's reckless theme, the inappropriate language could attract younger people as they will find this entertaining. 

House style of Kerrang

Magazine cover analysis/conventions/house style

The magazine ‘Kerrang!’ Is very unique as it uses a lot of techniques to attract their audience. The mast-head is very bold and noticeable. This makes the magazine more diverse and eye catching as the mast-head is one of the biggest text on the cover. Another thing the magazine has a secondary image with deaf Havana covering it. This is effective as it will attract their fans and followers as the magazine will provide information about them. At the top of the magazine it has a banner with the all-time low and a quote they've said. This will attract their fans and followers as they will be interested in what they have to say in the magazine. The whole colour scheme of the magazine is red, black, white and yellow. This is very diverse as these colours work together very well. The magazine also features a main model in the centre which makes the magazine more appealing to the audience. Another thing it features is a sticker on the left saying "WIN! Tickets to see Shakira and win merch". This is good as it will attract more people to read the magazine, and it will feel like you are getting more for your money. The magazines main colours are red, black and white. These colours connote a reckless and crazy vibe as the colours black and red connote negativity and bad vibes. The colour red connotes blood which could attract the young audience as it is exciting and humorous. The yellow colour on the words is highlighting all the important information informing the audience what is most important in their magazine.  The way the model is positioned connotes a mature theme as he is saluting. Maturity is also highlighted is presented through the column on the left making the cover more formal and neat.

Each of the techniques used has an immediate effect on the audience. The big '30 seconds to mars' headline immediately draws the audience in as it is the boldest and biggest text on the cover which could suggest that the audience will look there first. The cover also has a column along the left side of the page making it neater and cleaner for the audience to read. Along the bottom it says a list of music bands and artists which could attract their fans and followers. Another technique it uses is a sticker on the left saying "WIN! Tickets to see Shakira and win merch". This is good as it will attract more people to read the magazine, and it will feel like you are getting more for your money. The yellow colour in the magazine makes the magazine stand out and be noticed, this is effective as it is more enticing and eye catching. The colour red and black connotes a danger or warning theme as those two colours create a dark and cautious. This could attract the younger generation as they will find it humorous and entertaining.

Music magazine - target readership

Each of these magazines have unique target audiences. Each of the magazines have different target audiences and appeal to different people.


The first magazine (one on the left) is a VIBE magazine. The magazine is read more by men than women, 51%/49%, this means that the magazine appeals more to men. The age range varies from 18 - 35.
18-24 = 24%
18-34 = 37%
21+ = 91%
35+ = 45%
median age is 34
It appeals most to 21 and over. This is because the design is more appealing to that age. The magazine contains a large mast-head which is red and black. This is appealing as the colors are easily merged together making the magazine more diverese and enticing.  The inside of the magazine has different information in them, this will decide the target audience. The whole front of the magazine is grey, red and black. These three colors are very diverse as they are all eye catching to their target audience. I believe the people who would buy this magazine would be in the C category, as the music featured is targeted around the age of people who are finding their first job and being intoriduced to life on their won.





Rolling stones is another unique music magazine. Their target audience is around 18 - 24. However people above and below those ages can still read them.
18 - 24= 26.8%
25 - 34=23.3%
35 - 44=19.8%
45 - 54=17.1%
55+ 13%
I believe the majority of the people who buy this are employed with a well payed job. This gives them wealthy income so they can buy this magazine. This magazine includes a very noticeable mast head that is eye catching. It also has a banner/sticker which will draw in the reader. Lil Wayne is featured on the front, this could attract his fans. The colors in the front cover arent very coordinated, it shows yellow, grey and white. These colors aren't traditional colors for a magazine cover, this shows their individuality from other magazines. Even though the colors dont coordinate completely, they do work as Rolling stones are very successful.






Billboard are another music magazine creator. Their target audience ranges from 25 - 54, a larger target audience than other magazines like Kerrang and NME. Billboard magazine is aimed at both genders, however the cover model can alter the readers. 82% of their readers are graduates, this means that they are all looking for jobs or have a short term job. This means that they fall into the category of C1 or C2.