Preliminary Task: School Magazine Front Cover

I started with sketches of the front cover and the contents page. I did group work and this was our initial idea. 

The plan was to put the masthead on the left because it seemed appropriate as our image is on the right so that there would be some balance. Originally our magazine cover probably would cater to more to parents of the school, teachers and older students due to its serious, educational vibe. The font for the masthead is a serif font, and the main image is of our school principal - so it's very formal. However, I really liked the "'s monthly" because its slanted position and handwriting-like font helped the cover be a little less informal and dynamic as opposed to the neatly structured and organised layout of the cover. 

However, as we happened to have changed our main image, I had the opportunity to reinvent it to suit my personal aim more which is to create a magazine that looks both educational and serious (appropriate for a school magazine) and is appealing to students at the same time.

Analysis:

The font is in block capitals and is dark blue, suggesting a slightly more mature approach to a typical school magazine along with the fact that the teacher is wearing formal clothes with a tie. I liked that the masthead covers the whole width because it’s bolder that way. However, I got rid of the serifs to create a cleaner look and positioned it across the width of the page to make sure that it really captures your attention. 

The reason I used overlapping for the image over the masthead is to create some visual depth since the background is quite simple. By overlapping there is a background (the masthead and the white wooden wall), a middle ground (the teacher) and the foreground (the anchorage text).   

I didn't include a skyline because I didn't watch it to be too tabloid-like and that would distract the purpose of the magazine. 

I used transparent colored rectangles for my sell lines for two reasons: I wanted to keep the text white and not black (which would make the font inconsistent) and it would be a difficulty to read if it’s white against a white background. Also, I wanted to make it more appealing so it would create a serious magazine that is still appealing to my target audience, the sixth form. Older students may resonate with the colored highlights because it may remind them of highlighters being used whilst studying, which gives the impression that it’s “highlighted”, because these particular sell lines are important for the reader. Moreover, for the puff at the bottom left, I used orange, because it is the opposites on I used overlapping for the image over the masthead is to create some visual depth since the background is quite simple. By overlapping there is a background (the masthead and the white wooden wall), a middle ground (the teacher) and the foreground (the anchorage text).   

The language I used is simple and informal. For the puff, I wrote “FREE!” so that it will catch the audience’s attention. Sibilance is used as well - “sixth” and “success” makes the anchorage text more memorable when it is read. By creating this link, it implied that if you want " success", you go to "sixth" form to succeed.

For my anchorage text I made use of convergence by incorporating a hashtag as a reference to social media to which teenage students will recognise instantly. It also makes things less formal, which most teens tend to like. In addition, I put a barcode on the bottom right to balance the design.

If I were to improve this cover further, is to make sure that the main image suits the anchorage text more.