Existing Product Research

DJ MagazineFront Cover

Writing and FontAs the image is the main focal point for the

audience, there is minimal writing. However, the writing that has been used gives us a

brief insight into what to expect in the magazine. There is lexis in the semantic field

of music (“dancefloor”, “tunes”) which is selected for the specific audience.

FrontImages

The image is used in order to draw the reader in as it is the first thing you would look at. It is meant to be the main focus

for the customer and used as the primary indicator of what to expect in the magazine. The audience judge the

magazine on what they immediately see. Therefore, the image has been specifically

pixelated which brings a modern and contemporary element to the magazine.

Also, it has connotations with technology, and as dubstep and drum and bass music

is created primarily by electronic equipment, it fits in well. All of this makes the image specific to the target audience.

The main photograph is a portrait of a man and looks to be taken in a studio (not a live shot).This could have a connection

to the type of music featured in the magazine which is electronically produced

and perfected in post-production.

Colour SchemeThe red/orange colour scheme is designed to catch

the eye of audience. Personally, I think it has worked well as further inside the magazine this

scheme is continued. The colours are vibrant and lively. As the magazine is about dance music -

which is typically lively - the colour scheme could be an attachment to the type of music the

magazine is about.

Font The mainly black and white font

shows signs of a conventional magazine. However, the font used on

the left hand side indicates a futuristic, modern factor which may

appeal to younger readers rather than adults and be directed at the

correct audience.

Overall lookThe overall look that the front cover gives off is modern and hip. The image and font particularly enforce this. The layout implies that the magazine is professional as

it follows the normal conventions of a magazine.

Publisher James Robertson is the publisher of DJ Magazine. As well as DJ Magazine, he

is also associated with MIM (Music Industry Manual). MIM is often

known as the “music bible” and an “essential for djs”. This show

Robertson’s wide knowledge of djs and the genre. Therefore, you would expect the magazine to be realistic

and very reliable.

Cover

DJ MagazineContents Page

Contentspage

ImagesOn the contents page, there are a lot of images. This has been done in order to keep the reader interested and engaged. The images specifically are of artists, fans and musical equipment. This gives us an insight into what we can expect and

also is of interest to the specific audience. Furthermore, the image from the front cover is featured on the contents page. This indicates

that what you were initially drawn in by is still prominent. There are page numbers by each image to indicate to us what page to turn to.

Colour SchemeThe colour scheme has not been carried over

from the front cover. However, the image from the cover is featured in the bottom left of the page. On this page, new colours such as pink,

blue and grey have been introduced. This keeps the theme of “modern” running.

FontThe font used ion the contents page is also used on the front cover. The

font is clear and easy to read however some of the letters such as

“M” and “N” are different to the rest. This shows that, although the font is generic, it still has a little bit of flare

and individuality about it.

Writing Style

The writing style for the contents page is relatively relaxed and

colloquial. Using phrases like “we give you the low down...”

demonstrate this as they could be made more formal but have been

written in this specific way. Furthermore, the word “coming” is

abbreviated to “comin’” which shows how colloquial the magazine is aiming to be.

Text to Picture Ratio

Although the contents page is mainly writing, there is a section on the right hand side which is filled

with images. This gives a balance to the page. Most readers will want to read the text, but including the images breaks down the bulky writing and makes it

seem less harsh and overpowering to read.

Overall lookThe overall look of the contents page is

defined by boxes, columns and lines. This may appear harsh but it is broken down by the feature of the variety of

colour.

DJ MagazineDouble Page Spread

Double page spread

Text To Picture Ratio

There is a fairly average balance of writing and text on this double page spread. There is a large

amount of writing but this is equalled out the large, central photograph. The equality of this

will be of great appreciation of the reader as the writing has been broken down and doesn’t

appear overwhelming.

PhotographyThe main image used has been taken in a

studio. You can tell this due to the perfection of the image. A live photograph

wouldn’t be as perfect as this one. The camera angle used is a mid shot. This mid

shot incorporates just enough relevant information about the subject being

photographed.

Colour Scheme

The vibrant colours from the front cover are not apparent here. There is a lack of colour on this double page spread . This

could be perhaps to blend the image and writing together. The photograph itself

has connotations of an urban area –particularly the wall in the background – and the colour scheme is continuing this.

Writing Style

The text very briefly outlines who the featured artist is and what his childhood was like. This is quite a

typical occurrence among magazine articles. It then goes on

to talk about the release of Fergie’s (the artist) new album. The

register of the article is fairly high. This is due to specific lexis such as “contemporary”, “interloper” and

“effusive”. This type of language is of a standard that children

wouldn’t be able to comprehend and indicates that the audience

must be older and of a reasonable level of education. Font

The font used is standard of magazines. It’s simple, easy to read and mature. It differs from a magazine aimed at children in the way that it’s simple colours – black and white – and is easy to read as it’s a basic

font. The “Take 10” in the top left corner of the page has the fill of the letters cut out to

reveal the image behind. This shows that the magazine is current and modern.

Overall LookThis double page spread emphasizes the

urban and hip scene of the magazine. This relates to the type of music featured and

appeals to the specific audience.

NME MagazineFront Cover

Front Cover

PhotographyAs this edition of NME features the “Cool List 2010”,

the images used on the front cover give you an insight into what to expect inside and who will be featured.

All of the images look to be taken in a studio. This shows that the cool list is something of importance as the artists have had their own photo shoot especially.

All of the photographs are of artists who we should expect to see inside. The artists don’t have their

names captioned underneath or next to them because the target audience is supposed to be aware of them and recognise them due to the type of music they’re

interested in. Text To Picture Ratio

The cover predominantly uses image over text. thus, the division being relatively uneven. This is not to say that there is no writing at all however. The text that is on the front cover is fairly small and pushed to a corner. This is in order to keep

focus on the images which represent the magazine. All of the images flow together as if they were taken in one shot. This contrasts the

nature of the writing which is seen mostly in chunks and blocks.

FontThe font featured on this cover is fairly standard of

NME. It uses bold, clear text throughout making it easy to read and keeps it fresh. Also, “Who’s in? Who’s out?”

uses a more delicate font. It is used in order to show separation from the other text around it. It also has some connotations of being “unique” and “vintage” which is often valued highly by the indie culture who

are typical readers of NME.

PublisherThe publisher of NME magazine is IP

Media. They span the genres , publishing magazines such as Country Life, Marie Claire and Golf Monthly. Not only does this show versatility,

but it shows that the publishing company is highly regarded and

knowledgeable when it comes to magazines.

Colour SchemeBlack, white and red appear to be the most

commonly used colours on the front cover of NME magazine. This gives the magazine an

overall fresh and minimalistic look.

Overall Look

The colour scheme, photography and font are all factors which influence the overall look of a magazine’s front cover. NME’s

overall look is bold, simple, cool and fresh. The simplistic

photographs and basic colour scheme is something which

reoccurs throughout the weekly editions of NME magazine. It

gives the reader a sense of familiarity.

NME MagazineContents Page

Contents Page Colour Scheme

The colour scheme on the contents page is not as vivid and noticeable as on the front

cover. There black and white is still very much present but it doesn’t incorporate the

red like before.

PhotographyIn contrast to the front cover’s photographs,

the contents page’s images are sectioned into boxes and columns. Out of the 7 images used, only 1 is a live shot. NME tends not to

use live shots of artists and sways more so to use studio produced images. This way the

reader is able to fully see the artist in their prime and how they want to be represented. With a photo shoot, the artist is styled, make

up is applied and afterwards, the image is airbrushed. This ensures that they look their

best so that the audience can see them looking “cool”. This is a good way for artists to portray themselves and for the reading audience to replicate them by wearing the same clothes, having the same hair style, etc. The one live image shows that NME is also very focused on the music (contrary to what the “Cool List” front cover may imply.)

It shows that NME is involved in the live music side, which is also accurate with the

reader too.

Writing StyleLike the front cover, there is very little

writing. The only writing included is short captions underneath the dominating images. These captions are all quotes

followed by an extremely brief explanation of the quote. This gives the reader an

insight into what to expect. There is also a column which is off-centre at the bottom

called “Plus” which indicates to the reader what else is included. They show a page

number and a few words: “5. On Repeat” and “6. Upfront”

Text To Picture Ratio

Similarly to the front cover, the division of pictures and text is not equal however it is

more balanced than the front cover. The images are supported by a caption which briefly

explains the photograph. The image offers visual guidance as to what to expect.

FontThe font used on the contents page is the same

as what is used on the front cover. This maintains the fluency and familiarity within the

magazine. The font, again, is bold and simple making it easy to read. It also incorporates

more italic font where in reference to the “Cool List” which can also be seen on the front cover. This links the two features together yet keeps it separate from the rest as it is the main feature

of this edition.

Overall LookAt first glance, the contents page may appear unorganised and messy, but the columns and

boxes which separate each feature from another implies formality. It is not your typical list layout

of a contents page which is most likely to be appreciated by the audience as individuality is

highly appreciated in the indie subculture.

NME MagazineDouble Page

Spread

Double Page Spread

Writing StyleThe article itself is about the departure

of guitarist Adam Kessler from the band The Drums. The register for the article is neither especially low nor

high. It has some lexis which may be deemed difficult such as “frenetic” and

“trauma”. However, most of the writing is fairly easy to understand and

as there is only two columns of writing, it isn’t an overpowering

amount. Additionally, the writing is relatively detailed and makes good use of quotes from the band. By including

quotes, it lets the reader have the opportunity to see the expressed

feelings of the band members. This is a basic yet useful technique used to

make the writing style more reliable. The overall feel of the writing is that it’s not overly colloquial. It keeps the

reading age fairly low but has elements of intelligence throughout.

This may appeal to the target audience as they are able to understand the

article but are also perhaps introduced to different language.

Overall LookThe majority of the double page spread is

photographs. It appears that the main focus is the band rather than the images due to the composition. The overlapping

of images signifies a quirky and non-conforming nature which perhaps the

audience could relate to.

PhotographyThe main focus of this double page spread is the photographs. As the

article is about the departure of one member of indie band The Drums, the

image in the top right corner clearly portrays the fact that the band has

gone from 4 members to 3. In addition, 80% of the images are live shots. The use of live shots aids the fact that the band are all about the music and not the image. However,

this is uncommon for NME magazine as they usually focus on studio photo

shoots in order for the audience to grasp the perfect image the bands

wish to expose. Also, the photographs are all fairly dark in colour. This could be because the band aren’t trying to be seen as a joyful, happy band but a

sombre one.

FontLike the rest of the magazine, the font that has been used is

fairly simple and easy to read. There is a quote at the top left of the page which is dramatically larger and in bold.

This stresses the importance of the quote. The writing is all in one colour which doesn’t draw attention away from the images. There is also a set list inserted into the middle of the two columns which uses the same, familiar font as on the front cover and contents page. Also, the quirky italics

can be seen on this page too which keeps this theme fluent throughout.

Colour SchemeThere isn’t really a colour scheme on this page. However, the red from the box which says “Front Row” and the column of “The Setlist” both match. The font, like usual, is in black and the background is white

which is a common occurrence in NME.

Mixmag Front Cover

Front Cover

PhotographyThe front cover only incorporates one main image. The image is of Deadmau5 who is a music producer, focusing mainly on house

and electro. Although the image is central to the page, the focus is in the top right corner.

This adds a quirky and non-conventional twist which will appeal to audience who are

of a young and lively personality. Furthermore, the photograph’s main

colouring is black with neon white and blue. These colours are often associated with dance music due to the connection with clubs. So, the specific audience will be

familiar with these. The photograph is a live shot which is a typical convention of a dance

music magazine. An active, energetic and lively sensation is created by using a live

photograph. It will also help the reader to feel involved with the magazine as a lot of

readers will have already attended festivals/events/clubs and can relate to this.

Colour SchemeRed and white are the dominating colours

of the front cover. The title of the magazine, main feature and sub features are all displayed in red. The red used is

bold and not a pastel shade so is therefore striking. The colour scheme is kept

simplistic due to the potential clashing of the text and photographic background. The photograph is mainly dark colours, so the contrasting bright colours have been used

on top of this.

Writing StyleLong, complex sentences have not been used on the front cover of Mixmag, and instead short snippets have. These sentences give a very brief insight into what is inside the magazine. Occasionally, questions are posed such as “Is Watergate Europe’s best club?”. By including these rhetorical questions, the reader feels more inclined to read on as they are wanting to know the answers. The questions are ones which the audience can relate to and ones

which have possibly been asked by the general public. In addition, the majority of the text on the front cover is the name of artists. Magnetic Man, Sigma and 2ManyDjs are all listed. This explicitly indicates who the audience is as they are ideally supposed to indentify these names without any sort of

introduction as to who they are. A lot of lexis in the semantic field of dance music is used too. Language such as “raves”, “club” and “techno” are used on the front cover. This is the type of language that only the specific audience – young, dance music enthusiasts - would be familiar with as I would strongly

assume many people of the older generation are unaware of the meaning of some of this specific lexis.

Publisher Development Hell are the publishing company of

Mixmag. They are also linked with the magazine The Word and, in 2009, they created the world’s biggest clubbing social networking site called Don’t Stay In. We can tell that Development Hell are educated in

the area of dance music as they have two main projects dedicated to it. They not only cater for the music, but also for the fans by introducing a social

networking site used by them.

FontSome letters - such as “Z” – show that the

font has an eccentric and quirky streak to it but isn’t too far from classic, easy to read fonts. The capital letters just add to the

striking element of the front cover. There is a very slight variety in fonts, but they do not steer far from the standard, generic fronts. The headings are in bold but the

subheadings aren’t, this breakdowns the harshness of using bold fonts throughout.

Mixmag Contents Page

Contents Page

Overall LookA fairly simplistic layout is used for this

contents page. The black background shows the classic yet modern element of the

magazine. The image is large and almost central. This creates an uneven balance but

targets the audience directly as the photograph is of what two females who look

as if they are in a club dancing.

Text To Picture Ratio

The large, bright image dominates the contents page whilst indicating what we are expecting to see inside the magazine. The text is sectioned off into columns and is numbered. In comparison to the size of the image, the amount of writing it pretty minimal. However, it gives an insight into what is featured such as “Mixmag tour”

and “Tinie Tempah”.

Writing StyleMinimal yet informative is the style of the text. Length wise, there isn’t much to read. However what is there, is a reliable indicator. It doesn’t

give too much away so that the feature is spoiled, but it reveals enough to make the

reader want to engage and read on. It has a fairly colloquial register, using phrases such as “shedloads” and using exclamation marks. By doing this the reader feels relaxed and in sync with the magazine. The benefits of having a

relaxed tone is that it is appealing to the younger generations as they are typically

associated with slang and are aware of it. Also, it’s not too overpowering to understand and is of the same standard that the readers of this

particular magazine will be able to understand. Subheadings – ranging from 1 to 7 words – are used which are then followed underneath by a

mini statement which elaborates on the heading.

FontSimilarly to the front cover, the font is

not in italics or swirls as this would have strong connotations with classical and

relaxing music. The strong, bold wording is coloured white to contrast the black

background. There is a variety of about 4 fonts on the page however the

differences are only slight and isn’t overpowering.

PhotographyLive shots of fans and crowds of music events

are fairly common throughout dance music magazines. They show the atmosphere and

excitement present at shows which are featured in the magazine. The reader can

identify with the people in the images and feel involved with it. The largest image used on the contents page shows this thoroughly. In the top right corner is an image captioned

with “The most amazing shows in dance music”. As this shot is relatively small, it is not

the main focus. It also continues the colour scheme of the photograph on the front cover

over into the contents page. The colour scheme in them two images is fairly typical of

dance music shows.

Mixmag Double Page

Spread

Double Page Spread

Writing StyleFrequent reference to other artists - such as Daft Punk - throughout this article make the reader

aware of what they should already know. It targets the specific audience. It also engages the

reader more as they should be familiar with these references. The style is fairly informative

as it makes good use of facts and statistics, which would be highly appreciated by the young

adult audience because they will enjoy discussions about dance music, being the music enthusiasts they are. However, throughout the

article is not just factual language. There are also some more relaxed phrases such as “ram-raiding

the cheese counter” and “a little on the short side”. These types of quotes make the writing

more upbeat and down to earth, something that the reader can relate to. This DPS follows the

typical conventions of a magazine by making use of a brief introduction prior to the main article.

Another typical feature is the layout. The writing is in columns which shows formality. It also makes the writing easy to read and easy to

follow. Furthermore, the title “Big In The Game” is brief and to the point. It doesn’t particularly play on any words, but uses the phrase “The

Game” as an abbreviation of the music industry. The lexis isn’t challenging, as displayed in the

title, and would probably appeal to the younger, lively readers.

Text To Picture RatioThere is a full page dedicated to an image of Tinie Tempah – the artist who the article is about.

The page opposite is only roughly one quarter full of text. I think the reader will appreciate the ratio as the writing doesn’t

appear too overpowering or challenging.

PhotographyThe image which covers the full

left page is a mid shot of the artist. It is a studio based photograph

which means it has been planned out beforehand. Studio shots

ensure that the subject is looking their best. They usual wear their

nicest clothes, have perfect makeup etc. This way it ensures

that they are portraying their image in the best possible way. The subject isn’t looking square into the camera which adds an

element of quirkiness. The background also shows this as it’s

not a plain, simple background. There is also a studio based image of Swedish House Mafia, a band who are mentioned throughout

the article.

Overall LookThe overall look is one of a classic and simple look. It’s

not overpowering and complicated but still appears fresh and cool. The amount of writing isn’t challenging either

as the images break this down.

FontThe font is slightly different from what has been featured on the front cover and contents page. The font of the title is contemporary, current and modern. The size of the title is very large, covering more space than the actual article does. This grabs the reader’s attention straight away and

encourages them to read on.