Front cover draft

This is my first draft for the front cover. Although the main image makes a big impact the cover still needs more writing, but not enough to be over powering of the now dominant image. I would also like the masthead to make a slightly bigger impact on the page.

After reviewing the first draft, I have gone back to add a cover line relating to the image and double page spread, I have kept it quite simple so not to over power the main image but with the artists name in larger font. I have also added a drop shadow to the masthead and cover line to add to that impact. Along the bottom I have added a border with a strapline and price to fit into a house style of the magazine. I have also added in a barcode just to create the impression of a more real front cover.

Another small change I have decided to make is to put the masthead in capitals as I think it fills that space much better and also makes a bigger impact to readers of the magazine name. I have also put in what issue the magazine is and the date under the mast head.

Own photos for magazine

Magazine photos

 

 

These are images I've collected for my main image on the front cover. After comparing them I have decided to use the bottom right photo as I think it is the most dramatic and will make the most dramatic impact on the front cover. Because I would like to include all these photos whilst sticking to a similar theme throughout the magazine I have chosen to still use the other profile photos in the contents and double page spread.

 

 

 



Mock up plan of pages

Front cover

Contents

Double page spread

Artist planning

 

Feature artist Ali Grove

 

 

 

Existing female artists who helped inspire this is indie artists such as Lorde and Lana Del Rey. Their unique image and sound inspired me as I wanted a artist who is new and different to appeal to the target audience who are looking for something new and exciting in this magazine. This artists style was inspired but the mixture of indie but also slightly grunge image existing artists already have, I think this sort of imagery suits the unique indie image well whilst also being something which is eye catching to the target readership who may aspirers and explorers who would like to also venture out of everyday norms.

For the actual magazine, I think somewhere with a relatively plain or pastel background would be best for photos, this is because these settings embody a simplistic but also  theme but also to not draw attention away from the image of the artist. The simple pastel or cream will represent how the chosen artist is still down to earth. For makeup, something with splashes of soft pastel colour of glitter, like shown on the mood board, is something I'd like to include as they also represent the indie look. I will get my artist model to do a variation of photos from a up close and serious profile to things a bit different such as odd facial expressions or pulling parts of their face, which seems to be quite common on indie magazines. I also don't think any props are necessary, apart from an instrument as it implies her simple and independent persona.

For my content pages I will include a mixture of male, female and band names with a few different stories such as new albums, new band or people who are making a comeback after a scandal.

In house style planning



In house style designing

For my colour scheme I have chosen pastel colours as this was the most popular colour choice in the survey and fit an indie magazine the best. To vary the colour scheme and to make it not so repetitive I'm going to use a variation of shades of these colours like shown. I think I will stick to the lighter colours as back grounds or as boarders of the page that can fade into the background. However for the body copy I will just stick to black text as it is easier to read whilst using the colour scheme in texts like straplines, the masthead or pull quotes.

For the straplines on the front cover and inside the magazine I want to use a font that is bolder and a bit more informal than the ones used for the main body of text as it needs to be something more eye-catching and exciting but I still want it to fit the soft and elegant aesthetic of the magazine. I think the font I am most likely to use is 'Broadway' as it is bold and noticeable but also has a more elegant appearance, which fits to common font style in indie magazines, compared to a bold font like 'Bauhaus 93'. The informality is important to me as the personal side of the magazine is something that was popular with my target audience, so I therefore want to make as many aspects of the magazine give off this personal impression.

 

 

 

Visual features.

 

 

One feature I would like my magazine to have is a page number in black in quite a large and bold font like this. I would like to put it to the bottom left of each page because it will be easy to quickly find a page from the content but it also is something a bit different from a lot of magazine styles and I think it is one of the better and sharpest looking ways to label the pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the layout of the articles I also want to include a set design. I have decided to keep it to 3 side by side columns down each page whilst also leaving room for at least 2 pull quotes on each page. I have decided to frequently include pull quotes as the target audience for this magazine were mostly interested in personal interviews and other indie music magazine fans will want to read something new and different. Pull quotes will make this new and personal interviews very clear and apparent whilst also appealing to the readers more than just a big body of text would without them.

I would also like to include a logo in the top left hand corner of each double page. I would like the logo to link to one of the two possible mastheads, 'unique' or 'indi'. I will do this by either having the letter 'U' or 'I' in a bold font to the top of the page. I have been inspired by Q magazines 'Q' logo as I think it is a reminder of the magazine name to the reader and eventually becomes distinguishable on its own to readers, creating a good advertisement and recognisable house style

These are some possible fonts for the logo.
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Magazine mastheads and fonts

Indie music magazine mastheads

Unique  - this is a suitable name for an indie music magazine, as a more unique style and artist is something this target group are more likely to be looking for. This masthead will easily grab their attention and appeal to them.

INDI -  this masthead instantly sums up the style of music and also the whole feeling of the magazine. This would be quite effective for people who are interested in this genre as it stops them having to flick through other magazines to find the right genre, but instead instantly makes it clear and will attract their attention.

IM - 'im' standing for 'indie music'. This name is suitable in attracting new and old readers. New readers will be curious by this unique and slightly strange magazine name, but unique and strange may be the types of things that are appealing to an indie music fan, so it works will with drawing in their attention. It is also suitable to old readers as the in house abbreviation is going to be something they are familiar and fond with, so when they see it they will remember the times they've read this magazine before.

Aspire - a lot of indie music magazine fans fit into the demographic group of 'aspirers', therefore this single word as a masthead may appeal to what they tend to do when viewing magazines and artists. The more younger target audience of this genre music magazine may relate to this masthead straight away, sparking further interest.

Noise - this is a suitable name for a masthead as it instantly captures the sense of it being a musical magazine, this masthead may attract all music magazine reader's attention and further more the indie genre fans as they have a closer look at the magazine, but also people who aren't the typical indie fan but are now interested as they have picked up and genre they may not usually look at due to the more broad and wide masthead.

My final choices for a masthead is either INDI or Unique, as I think these are the two names that best sum up what the magazine is mainly about and the type of music, artists and features that will be included.

These are some potential fonts I have selected for the masthead of my magazine. The fonts with the star next to them are the ones I think I am most likely to use. I like the started fonts most as I think the sleek and quite elegant look is more suitable for the typical appearance of an indie music magazine, however although these fonts aren't overpowering and extremely thick or bold, they still make the impact I want them to.

Indie magazine mood board

 

Looking online, indie music magazines are most commonly targeted at females between the ages 16-24. These females are usually interested in social media as well with fitting into the demographic group of aspirers and explorers. Therefore, indie music magazines appeal to their senses by soft and more feminine colour schemes, with the more unique and edgy images attracting those who want to aspirer to someone, yet they want to aspirer to an artist who is different and new. 

Initial ideas for magazines

Indie magazine 



 

Rock magazine

Fashion music magazine

Final choice