Flat Plans with Written Rationale

Colour Usage:

I will be using a grey/blue colour scheme specifically for the front cover of my magazine. After conducting my research I decided on the colours to bring a more original look to the conventional music magazine cover so my product will stand out among competition. I will be sure to tailor the colours of my main image to the colour scheme of my magazine.

 

Image Usage:

For my main image I plan to take photos of a band in an organic background without instruments. The body language of the band will reflect the overall tone of the magazine as serious but accessible to the target audience as I don't wish to intimidate any potential consumers of the magazine with a magazine that may appear pretentious or too niche.

 

Text Usage:

I don't want to litter a lot of text onto my front page but at the same time I wish to have just enough to attract consumers. Through my research I found that magazines with too much text on the front cover can be off-putting by having a messy presentation with the majority of the contents of the magazine being all over the front cover and distracting attention from the main image. I will have a brief main sell line which will showcase the exclusive interview inside my magazine. I will also have sell lines which will mention the other artists featured inside.

 

Layout and Font:

The overall font of my magazine will be serious and stylish. The font will be easy to read but won't attract all of the attention away from my main image. I aim for my font to have the effect of impressing my target audience through it's style and sophistication, also how it reflects the overall theme of my magazine.

 

 

Colour Usage:



For the colour scheme on the article page, the colour scheme would generally be that of grey/white, similarly to the front cover page. There may be certain colours that are added/changed depending on the colour of the background image. For the background of the article I intend to use white with a very dark grey font to set a serious tone for the article and connote the dark melnacholy of the featured bands music. I will colour the caption box black and use a white font there to give a bit of variance to the overall double page and continue the serious tone.

 

Image Usage:

For the images used within the double-page spread, there will only be one prominent image used. This is the image featured on the left hand side of the page, above the start of the main article. This image will be of the subject of the article, the new artist of whom the article is reporting on who is also featured on the front cover. As for the second image, this will be featured in the top corner of the right page and be related to the article.

 

Text Usage:

The article text would be written as a first person account to start with and then go onto the typical interview format. The language used would be positive, but not hyperbolic and have connotations that resemble the subject's desire and determination to be successful. The article image may be accompanied by a caption which may border on hyperbolic as many other music magazines do. This enforces a contrast to the overall serious tone as to counterbalance the effect it will have the on the reader, ensuring they do not take the publication they are reading too seriously. The article would also feature a drop capital at the start of the article.

 

Layout and Font:

The fonts featured on this page will be consistent, sophisticated and will compliment the styling of the article. Like the previous two pages the font usage will be completely consistent with only one change in colour for the caption. The font would still need to be serious but not gothic, I have been considering a font similar to New Times Rome but with a variance. Impact may be a suitable font to use due to it's simplicity yet emphasis on the text. There is no overlapping on my double page spread in order to keep overall layout tidy. I found in my deconstructions that double page spreads can appear messy if the majority of it's features are going across both pages which would contradict the style of magazine I am trying to make. Now the reader is reading the magazine, grabbing their attention is not required as much as it was on the front cover, so text can be more traditional and plain.

Colour Usage:
Much like my double page spread, a grey/white colour scheme will be implemented. The white gives a subtle and gentle highlight to the page, yet the grey allows a subtle implementation of emphasis without being too overpowering. The grey will standout just enough from it's white background and should provide a good aesthetic for the overall page. For other areas where causing the areas to stand out is not a priority and not required as much as other parts of the page.

Image Usage:

For the contents page, the images which are used would not be as prominent as the one(s) on the main cover, and would generally be smaller. This even includes the image used to represent the main article, which may only be 60% of the original page size. There could also be many smaller images used to represent the numerous other articles within the magazine. The images would link to the magazine's theme of featuring new and upcoming artists, therefore feature images of the artists the magazine will feature, standing confidently to represent their desire to be the biggest they can possibly be.
 

Text Usage:

The text featured on the page would be generally in third-person, and give clues as to what will be featured within the article. This would mean that parts from the article are not revealed in this section, but are hinted towards. This is an example of how the contents page would use teasers to draw the reader into the magazine and get them prepared for the articles inside. A masthead would also be present on the contents page, creating a sense of cohesion throughout the magazine.
 

Layout and Font:

The font style for the contents page must be coherent throughout the magazine to ensure that the font is also professional and simple. The simple fonts work best in professional magazines, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Using fonts that are seen as unprofessional will cause the magazine to appear in the same way. The contents page is also structured so that there is room for everything to be featured on the page without making it seeming overcrowded.