GRAPHIC DESIGN
Analyse, design and create a magazine cover…
Can you identify the
design elements of a
magazine cover?
Work in pairs and list 10
design features that every
magazine cover should
have.
Slogan in a Strapline
Masthead
Price in a
Circular
Callout
Date
Weblink
Coverline
Coverline
Mise-enscene
Coverline
Subheading
Contrasting
colours
Central Image
Puff
Readable fonts
Coverline
Uses pink to emphasise femininity; in
capitals to show certainty and
confidence
Pink=feminine; bold capitals
= confidence
Implies there is more
online
Anchors main image – refers
to popular singer
Emphasises value; black on
yellow is a distinctive contrast
with dominant colour scheme
of pinks
Date
Key words emphasised in pink
capitals. Suggestive; direct
address to reader
Pink background to emphasise
femininity; brighter light near
price and title, fading to dark
Quotation – sound bizarre
but also serious
Anchors quotation – intriguing
and disturbing
Emphasises quantity –
you’re Puff
getting a lot
for your money
Direct address – staring straight at
the camera. Shows confidence
Addresses reader
directly – personal
touch
The masthead
appears in front of the
image. This is unusual
as often the image
covers some of the
masthead. This shows
that perhaps this
magazine is
rebranding its image
and needs to
audience to get to
know its new logo. The
font is quite angular
and sophisticated and
reminds the audience
of fashion magazines
aimed at older
females.
MASTHEAD: The word Bliss has
connotations of relaxing in comfort and
being happy and content with life. It is
orange which creates connotations of
sunshine and warmth and is not the typical
girly pink, suggesting a more mature
teenage audience.
PUG: This looks
like a sticker stuck
on to the magazine.
The word ‘sexy’
suggests that this
magazine appeals
to the more mature
or daring teenage
girl! It also appeals
to the target
audience who will
communicate with
their friends via texts.
FONT: The font used looks
like chalk on a blackboard, or
certainly handwritten. Only
the celebrities first name is
used which suggests she is
well known and that the
audience may relate to her
like a friend.
Budget fashion. Aimed at the target audience
who care about their appearance but don’t
have much disposable income. ‘193’ makes
the audience expect to have lots of choice
and want to buy the mag to read on.
ARTICLES TRAILED: The
IMAGE:
Studio shot of
the celebrity
looking directly
and
seductively at
the camera.
Her body
language
makes her
seem
mysterious but
also sexy.
straplines use colloquial
(chatty) language to appeal to
the target audience of
teenage girls. Words such as
‘spesh’ and ‘lovin’’ bring the
audience closer to magazine
so that the reader feels as if it
speaking directly to them.
A quotation from a real-life story
and the sense that ‘you’ can do it
too directly addresses the
audience.
ARTICLES TRAILED:
These articles will appeal
to the target audience
of teenage girls as they
are interested in ‘lads’
and bands such as JLS
who are top of the
charts.
Magazine Analysis
Navigate fiastech.weebly.com download the magazine
cover.

Open your Weebly site and add a divider “a line” below
your last task.

Add a main title ‘PHOTOSHOP SKILLS’

Add a subtitle ‘magazine covers’

Add a description (this can be added at a later stage)
Magazine Analysis
Upload the ‘Empire magazine cover to your Weebly site.
Analyse the cover using the bullet point list on fiastech – year 9 – term 1 –
Magazine Design

For teacher reference:
Analyse the Empire magazine cover and remember to explain why things have been set out the way they have.

The choice of title - where is it on the page? What are its connotations - what does it make you think of?

Who is the core target audience for the magazine? How do you know this?

What about the cover lines – are they at the side? What colours are they in? What size are they? What font styles are used?
Why have these decisions been made? How does the magazine give clues and tease the reader by withholding information
to make them buy and read on?

Fonts – What type of font styles/typography are used on the cover? Are there any special font designs/effects?

The use of colour - contrast to attract attention, the connotations of the individual colours chosen.

The images used - the significance of facial expressions, clothing, positioning. Is it representing men or women in a particular
way, or making assumptions about its audience?

Additional features – Are there any other features that are essential to a magazine cover? Why are these features important?

Overall impression –How effective you think the magazine cover is. Have the right images, fonts and design been used? Does
it all work? Is it successful in encouraging the target audience to buy it?