Magazine Research

Here are some magazine covers that I have researched that I liked/were attracted to/thought were interesting, and will give me inspiration for my own ideas.

Complex magazine - Kid Cudi is Mr Rager

This is one of my favourite magazine covers that Complex has done. The way that the photographer has played around with the background image and masthead is the best feature on the cover and is what the eye is drawn to initially. It gives the cover a 3D quality, and is a clever way of presenting a cover. The balance is right between text and layout here, because if there was any more text then I feel that the cover would become too busy and the audience would be drawn away from the background 'image'. The masthead if slowly distorted due to the image and makes this even more effective. Colours that are used in this palette mainly seem to consist of black, white and navy blue. The text makes the reader curious as to what the content of the magazine is, surrounding the idea that Kid Cudi is "out of control". This would attract the target audience of a young adult that is interested in this genre of music and any other media related topics/areas.




Ziggy magazine - Lana Del Rey cover

I love this cover just for it's simplicity. It appears to be quite a natural magazine cover, which is not over complicated like some designs may end up looking like. The background is plain, simple and a very neutral colour, which goes very nicely with the colour of Lana Del Rey's top and hair. Including Lana's make-up, nothing seems to be overdone in this cover. The masthead is bold and noticeable, coinciding with the interesting, out-of-the-ordinary name of the magazine. Even Lana Del Rey's pose seems natural and not 'forced' like some models that appear on the cover of a magazine that is to be viewed by millions. She is placed in the centre of the shot and is photographed using a medium close up, and if you look closely, there even seems to be a light coming off her, which slowly fades back to the darker [but still neutral] colour. All of this adds together to create an overall calm, simple, neutral and aesthetically pleasing magazine.




Spin magazine - Azealia Banks issue

This cover is a bit different to the other two, as it's a colourful, fun, and busy layout. It's also quite a feminine cover due to the background which appears to be a girly room (hinted by the baby pink walls and flowery curtains, which would definitely attract the female target audience), however, the colours of Azealia's green hair and multi-coloured clothing draw all of the attention to that main image. This clash of colours, alongside Azealia's pose/action, creates quite a busy cover but one that still works and is still aesthetically pleasing to the reader. Text is scarcely used except for the masthead, heading, and two subheadings, and the fonts are simple and bold - to balance out the busy image. From a magazine titled 'Spin', this cover is everything that is expected - a fun, busy, and colourful layout. It's different and that is one of the main reasons why I like it.