Slogan – a short,
catchy statement or phrase, intended to ‘sum-up’ the magazine’s image and
to stick in the reader’s mind.
Central image – most magazines tend to employ a single, strong central image
which serves to ‘anchor’ the cover i.e. provide it with weight and focus,
and help establish the magazine’s core values and identity. When using
human models, the designer will be careful not to obscure the mouth or
eyes, as they are the most expressive part of the face. It is interesting
to note that magazines aimed at both males and female audiences commonly
use female cover models – the difference will usually lie in the way in
which the model is ‘addressing’ the gaze of the camera.
‘Flash’ –
once the cover is anchored by the image, text will be strategically placed
around it so as to advertise the contents of the magazine. Usually, there
will be one larger ‘flash’ and a series of smaller ones. The larger one
will often be placed in the bottom left quarter of the cover and
frequently connects with the central image. This is an example of a
‘convention’ – a common device to which the audience have become
accustomed and whose ‘sense’ they take for granted.
Free offer –
magazines sometimes come with small gifts or product ‘promotions’
attached. A short message will alert the reader in case the object has
gone missing! To be effective, these gifts need to be closely targeted at
the magazine’s core consumers.
Colour scheme – in order to avoid a cover becoming too ‘busy’ and therefore
difficult to ‘decode’, designers tend to stick to a limited colour scheme.
Certain colours are generally felt to work well together and to provide a
particular ‘vibe’ – oranges, reds and pinks are warm and ‘fun’; blues,
greens and blacks are cool and fresh. There are no absolutely hard and
fast rules regarding colour – red, for example, depending on the context,
can suggest ‘danger’, ‘boldness’, ‘passion’, ‘sex’, ‘heat’ or ‘energy’ or
a combination of them all. Experienced designers develop a ‘feel’ for the
way colour works – their skill lies in combining colours effectively to
create an impression that might ‘feel’ right but be extremely difficult to
place into words.
Name/Game Checks – the name checks (or game checks) on the front cover act as a
clear indicator of the ‘cultural territory’ on which the magazine focuses.
These names act like signposts to map out the region in which the magazine
is interested. Note that, in this issue of 360, only the main game review
is featured. However, four other games are alluded to along the bottom of the magazine – those readers
who recognise those references will feel they ‘belong’ to the magazine and
will enjoy deciphering the clues.
Language -
the language employed on the cover is also significant. It will be snappy
and ‘economical’, with no wasted or unnecessary words. Often
quasi-poetical devices will be used – puns, plays on words, metaphors,
alliteration and so on. The idea is to interest and intrigue the audience
in as short a ‘read-time’ as possible. The vocabulary chosen will reflect
the TA and will often be chosen so as to ‘reward’ them for understanding
it – specialist terms or slang words help to make the reader feel more
intimate with the magazine: we both speak the same language; we’re all
part of the same gang!
Most often, covers will only employ one or two different typefaces,
varying the effect by using different point sizes and bold & italics. Too
many different typefaces tend to make the cover feel disorganised and lacking
in focus. Some typefaces come in ‘families’, giving several versions with
different weights or modified formats e.g.
Eras
Light, Medium, Demi and Bold
Using one of these families can provide for a tidy, harmonious feeling.
Competitions –
competitions and other opportunities to win prizes are a further way of
‘seducing’ the reader. Quizzes and questionnaires can also serve to ‘draw
readers in’ and make them feel more personally involved with the
publication. These are an example of ‘interactivity’.
Direct Address & Asking Questions – magazine covers frequently address their readers as ‘YOU’, as if
they were in direct communication with them. By asking a question of their
readers (“Could YOU be a movie star?”, “Which Atomic Kitten do YOU
fancy?”), magazine covers give the impression of opening a dialogue that can
only be continued by purchasing the publication.
Bar code, Date and Price – for
straightforward selling purposes, all commercial magazines need this
information on their cover. However, most designers will consider them an
encumbrance and will make them as small and inconspicuous as possible, so
as not to compromise the ‘integrity’ of their compositional work.
