by Eugénie Besson
Media Studies Blog
Magazine Analysis
On this page you will be able to read my study on three different magazines ( , , ) which influence me by having similarities and differences of the archetype I want to create.
The analysis will also help me understand basic elements that need to be incorporated in magazines design, the technical conventions, codes and elements of magazines, the strategy and different mode of address used to appeal potential buyers , the use of design and language to stand out from their competitors in the same sub-genre and the particular features of Fashion and Cultural magazines.
I have decided to analyse the May issue of L’Officiel-Levant.
L'Officiel is a French fashion magazine first published in 1921. Aïshti launched in 2009 a lebanese version of the magazine : L'Officiel Levant. The genre of this magazine will be featured in my prototype which lead me to analysis it in-depth.
Main image : The model take up large amount of the page , the three main colors (red,blue and black) attracted the readers and make the magazine stand out on the shelf. The expression of the mannequin , which look straight forward , may also integrate and make the cover more appealing. A conventional way in fashion magazines.
Masthead : The distinctive masthead used saying ‘L'Officiel’ is very eye catching , it is large and in capital letters, the serif font is stylish to match the fashion genre and the bright blue color of the first letter stands out to the people looking at the front cover. It is also the logo of the magazine , which allows the readers to recognize the magazine.
We also can notice the issue's number and the dateline under it.
Cover lines : They acts as a summery of what the magazine editors feel are the most enticing. Here they are place below the Masthead on left , a marketing strategy. The color used isn't eye catching which make it more minimalist in favor of the picture to be more visible.
The bar code is placed at the end of the column, and this choice of putting on the front correspond to a commercial fashion magazine's feature.
It is from the composition of the cover that we can deduce its genre : a commercial fashion magazine. The target audience would be affluent young or aged women of a middle/high class interested in the world of fashion and beauty.
Important detail : we can notice at the top of the first page, the typography '0 , which represent only the blue font of the masthead analysed on the cover. It is also used through the entire magazine on various pages. It works as the logo of the magazine.
The Table of content of L'Officiel-Levant is really complete and clear.
Each articles is presented with the title, the page number and a picture. Usually most of ToC in this genre of magazine doesn't contain that much pictures, which make it standing out among the other known commercial fashion magazines.
I believe that this choice of format is more aesthetic and help the readers to track which articles is the most interesting for them.
Moreover the whole result is really symmetrical : each pictures are aligned and have the same dimensions with a bold title under and the page number in italic.
It able the reader to read it trough really easily and emphasize the aesthetic part.
This double spread is an article focused on jewelry: a sub- field in fashion
At the top of the page the category "beauty" and the number of the page are noticeable, which give a guideline for the readers.
A little description of the editorials is also given, which is actually the introduction that matches the picture on the right page: "The diamond...form with the water a perfect contrast..."
The title also refers to the water with the noun "splash"and perfectly stands out by being in the middle of the page in capital letter.
I guessed that the concept here is to show jewelry with a "sea" environment
The picture connotes what the right pages stated: the sea on the background and the diamonds showed on the model wearing a swimsuit and having wet hair
At the bottom of the left page,
the credits of the photographs and of the realization are written also in black in the same font than the introduction and the title.
Overall the Officiel-Levant magazine adheres the main conventions of a commercial fashion magazine. By highlighting all the latest international trends for the fashion-savvy women and presents compelling stories about the most talented people behind fashion industry as well as news about the latest hotspots, the art, interior design and fashion, internationally and at home in Lebanon.
Fashion is a category I want to include in my magazine: the analyze of L'Officiel-Levant helped to understand more in-deep this area. Moreover the structure of its table of content pleased me , as I want mine to also have a lot of visual content.
However it has some code and conventions I wouldn't use for my magazine, such as the use of several taglines and the bar code on the cover.
I found HerCulture Magazine on an online publishing platform named recommended by my Media Studies teacher. HerCulture magazine is dedicated to sharing women's culture worldwide.
Masthead : The font is really basic. Only the word "HER" stands out in bold to accentuate the fact that the magazine contains only female experiences and focus.
We can clearly read the dateline below it, which has the same font than the name of the magazine and is written in capital letters.
The bar code isn't showed in the front which emphasizes the non-commercial type of the magazine. For commercial ones, the choice to place it on the cover is mainly use as a marketing tool. Here they focus more on the aestheticism of the final product.
Main image : The colors of the picture are really neutral with fade tones.
The model doesn't take all the space in order for us to understand more what she is doing, facing a saber towards us, however her determined facial expression still makes an impact on the audience, she doesn't need to be shown closer to create an intrigued effect. The picture also corresponds to the main cover line, which gives it description and may also means that it is probably the most important article of the magazine.
Cover lines : there are only a few ones (3) present on the cover. They don't have the same font but it isn't noticeable as they have the same white color than the masthead and are place without disturbing the main image.
The Table of Content is laid on three pages spread , starting with the number of the issue and the dateline without advertisings
The layout is set out in three columns, with 6 images in two pages representing the articles, but at the end of the table of content more articles is written only by its title without any pictures.
The alignment of the ToC creates an eye-catching layout, easy for the readers to navigate.
The major color that come out on the ToC is pink, which emphasizes the women's focus of the magazine.
The Headline is enough big to be noticed, and stands out from the text with the use of the green color, which also matches the military vest of the women.
Just under it, the author name is written, know as the byline, which acknowledge the name of the person who work on the article.
I have choose this double spread of the magazine, which is the beginning of an article. It is presented with the main image on the left featuring the start of the story on the right.
The theme here is the army, showed by how the women is dressed and by the meaning of the title.
The body text isn't placed in columns which may decrease the readability but the text written isn't long and doesn't occupied the whole page so it the reading easier.
Noticing the simplicity of the layout in the whole magazine, I conclude that the aesthetic isn't the main priority of the creators which contrasts the features of L'Official Levant.
Its complex and well detailed articles will inspired me to reproduce an elaborate content on my prototype, but as my gender highlight Art, I wish the design to be more creative and stylish.
This first spring/summer 2017 edition of BLURRED magazine is about how art & fashion can collide as one, as stated below the Masthead on the cover.
The Masthead is written in white capital letters without serif font. It has also a blurred style, which correspond to the meaning of the Masthead.
This characteristic show an artistic feature of the magazine that also matches with the tagline below.
Having that description isn't common in magazine's cover, but it gives a direct information for the audience, it describes the magazine straight to the point and may be easier to attract potential buyers.
The choice of not having cover lines and the bar code is usually for the cover to look more artistic or aesthetic which once again point out the genre of the magazine. But it can also be judge as uncercely by having already a informative sentence.
The pose of the model is quite similar to a commercial fashion magazine: it takes a large amount of the picture and make an eye contact.
However, once again, an artistic touch is noticeable:
she seems to collide with the wall behind her, she has an uncommon make up and flowers come in the frame in front of her. Those characteristics are a good way to integrate.
Moreover the colors matches perfectly, her clothes with the masthead and her makeup with the informative sentence.
The Table of content is spread on a double page and has an unconventional style.
First of all the tittle has an handwritten font with a paint style that matches also with the traces of paints in the background.
There is four pictures on the right and on the left that has quit the same dimension which make the page more easy to read through.
All the font used are different and placed randomly next to the related pictures with the page number.
This ToC is really artistic and differs from the two previously ones analysed.
The double spread I have chosen is the beginning of a shoot based on photo-montage. An introduction of the topic is found on the previous page.
The headline is placed on the first picture with a particular font that connotes the word "mixed" and matches the color of the top, seen in the background. It is meaningful and compelling enough which increases the chances of the article to be read.
This image is actually the only one of the serie that is not a collage which result to a simple composition for the first page.
At the bottom of the page some bylines are noticeable, which acknowledge the photograph,styling,post production and the model of the article.
As well as the props used are written, an essential feature of an editorial.
From the three magazines, this one coincides the most with the ideas I have for my prototype.
The cover, for example, is minimalist and express the creative feature of the magazine and regarding the table of contents, the layout is original, colorful and artistic. Those are some characteristics I hope to produce.
However this magazine doesn't focus much on culture diversity, but focuses only on art and fashion, in contrast my product.