Key things that make a good cover design

• Exaggeration is always useful but you should know what to exaggerate in every issue and it should remain within your concept and style.
• Each cover needs one headline that will pop out. In size, in color, in attitude.
• Cover page should always have a focus point. Something that can draw the eye of the reader.
• Rule of thirds
• Masthead should be clear and main focus point usually. Needs to stand out.
• Photography and images sell the magazine so they must be good quality and of people that the public can relate to.
• Give an answer to all your questions.
• The biggest cover line should appeal to the biggest section of your target readers.
• Use numbers when possible because this shows there is a lot in the magazine. For example, "22 top tips for..."
• For smaller cover lines, preferably go with black text or white if the background is dark. For bigger ones use colours.
• Main colour has to be different than the one in the previous issue. Buyers may mistakenly replace the new issue with the old one and not buy it.

Top of the pops magazine cover analysis - How does it appeal to it's T.A?

National Readership Survey

The National Readership Survey was established in 1956 and today provides the most authoritative and valued audience research in use for print and digital advertising trading in Britain.
The survey looks at Britain's most popular and major news brand's and magazines covering the size and nature of the audiences they achieve.

NRS PADD:

Print And Digital Data

A fusion of NRS print data and comScore digital data

A single database for planning across print and digital platforms of NRS publisher brands

Led by requirement from our stakeholders for NRS to represent the expanding reach of publisher  brands through non-print platforms

Various possible solutions assessed

The favoured approach was a partnership with an established provider of online audience data

PADD will provide full data for profiling and targeting and focus on which websites a publications readers visit.

Analysis of my favourite magazine cover - NME

Billboard magazine cover analysis - how does it appeal to its T.A?

Kerrang magazine cover analysis - how does it appeal to its T.A?

Shindig magazines

Shindig! began in 1992 as a photocopied garage-punk fanzine called Gravedigger. A couple of years on editor Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills and PJ Crittenden reinvented the title as Shindig! Shindig! was distributed via record shop before falling in the late ’90s and becoming a reviews website. Shindig! re-emerged under the wing of Volcano Publishing in the early noughties and has been popular throughout the high street ever since, growing way beyond its garage roots... In 2015 Shindig! left Volcano and joined forces with Silverback Publishing. The magazine is now monthly.

Why is Shindig's design innovative?

The overall appearance and design of Shindigs magazines largely differs from any magazine that are published these days. Some of the reason it appears this way is the fact that these issues are a lot older and more vintage that recent ones, however I also believe that there is small intention to make the magazine a certain way to show readers how much you can enjoy these ones if not more than others. It definitely presents the older days to younger generations and helps keep the vintage look to many people who haven't experienced this era before and some people find this fascinating to read through and learn about because they haven't personally lived through this time. Everything was different including the clothing, the music and general lifestyle. They present this by the fonts, images and headlines they use. For example, the ombre bright red and yellow colours the headline uses is very unlikely to be seen nowadays in recent publishing's.

Bauer publishing

H Bauer is the largest privately owned publisher in Europe and one of the most successful media companies in the world.
The Bauer Publishing Group was founded in Hamburg in 1875 by Johann Bauer.

• 570 + magazines
• 300 + digital products
• 50 radio and T.V stations
• 6,600 employees worldwide
• annual turnover of 1.79 billion Euro

Bauer entered the UK scene with Bella Magazine in 1987. They introduced a new format that mixed previously unseen real life editorial and exciting service features. Bella made a large significance on the women's market. The company gained attention again in 1990 with the launch of Take a Break magazine. With its unique style of real life and competitions, the title quickly became market leader as it touched the lives of millions of women. Despite strong competition, Take a Break has maintained its No.1 status, currently selling over 1 million copies a week.

1990's - launch of 'TVQuick'  in 1991
2008 - changed UK businesses to Bauer media and expanded its portfolio further by acquiring Emap’s Radio and Consumer Magazine divisions

Bauer is now the largest consumer magazine publishing company in the UK, playing a primary role in the Women’s Weeklies, Women’s Interest, Women’s Lifestyle, TV Listings, Puzzles, Men’s Lifestyle, Music & Film and Specialist magazine markets.

David Carson

David Carson is an American contemporary graphic designer, art director and surfer. He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography (the theory and practice of letter and typeface design). He was the art director for the magazine Ray Gun, in which he employed much of the typographic and layout style for which he is known. In particular, his widely imitated aesthetic defined the so-called "grunge typography" era.

Would I attempt this design?

I think this design is very peculiar and unusual. However, I would attempt this deign when creating  magazine cover because the style is very intriguing and catches the human eye. Most people I have spoken to have said that they prefer this style compared to styles such as Kerrang and billboard. The cutting-edge advertising, musical artists and pop culture icons spotlighted were typically ahead of the curve, putting such artists as Radiohead, Bjork, Beck, Flaming Lips, PJ Harvey and Eminem on its cover long before its better-known competitors.

Qualitative, quantative, primary and secondary data

Qualitative - The human touch - interviews, surveys and observation
Quantitative - Data - statistics and numbers
Primary - Research you conducted yourself
Secondary - Using existing research

So far I have used mostly secondary data because it was easier and much faster to produce, however I think I should also include more primary data as its more accurate as I have found it out myself.

 Advantages and disadvantages of primary data:

• Data is more reliable as its came from them
• Relates directly to persons research

• Expensive to collect the data
• Takes a long time to process information

Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data:

•  Saves time
• Accessibility
• Saves money

• Lack of control over data quality
• Inappropriateness of data