sixth form magazine cover

Creating a cover for a fake sixth form magazine made me understand how difficult is taking an image and putting some words on it.
The choice of the image, its quality,size are really important, but even if you spotted the right image and you got the right tools it takes ability to take it with the right light and at the right angle.
After having an imagre ready you have to communicate what the image doesn't say on its own by writing on it.
I spent hours in deciding the colour, the font, the size and the position of.. what? 20 words!
It is probably because I don't have any experience, but I bet professionals spend more time than me every time they have to make a product because it has to be a 100 times better than mine; it has to attract and most important to sell
I will sure try to make a better job on my next task with my few new skills  (the music magazine) but the main thing is that now I will look at front covers in a different way.

Music magazine deconstruction

This is the front cover of XL, an Italian music magazine produced by the newspaper "la Repubblica"
Target audience: young adults and adults.
Even though the magazine has evolved since the first time it came out, it has always maintained the same scheme in the magazine front cover.
The name of the magazine has always been at the top left corner in the same size and font the only thing that changes is the colour.
On the top it doesn't have a proper and regular masthead, but it is just a space used to show tertiary news and features of the magazine.
The left side third is quite typical and it is used for secondary news and exclusives of the magazine.
The most important part of the magazine is the central image and the main article.
In this particular issue it has been decided to leave most of the space of the cover to a beautiful, strong and evocative picture.
That's probably for twpo reasons: 1) the picture is technically and artistically spectacular and well made. 2) This image was with other colours the front cover of the album "London Calling" and it was proved to work with it. They knew this would have attracted people from the previous genereation because they recognized it; at the mean time because it had attracted teenagers to buy the album then, they were sure to attract new people now.

NewSixth

1st Attempt to create a decent Sixth form Magazine.



Magazine deconstruction

This is a sixth form magazine created by students of a British school that treats topics related to it.

• The title "aspire" suggests that the magazine will be about sixth form and how to get the best results.
• The masthead isn't in it's usual position and it's not used to describe the magazine, but it tells us one of the main articles in this magazine
• The left side thurd is simply a preview of the magazine contents
• In the sweet spot there is just an image and there is no price.
• date and issue are indicated under the title
• in this magazine the central image is a composition of multiple images.

Now , there are several reasons why this front cover wouldn't be appropriate for a normal magazine:

• the choice of colours connote that the magazine is for youngsters but because they are in contrast and do not mix well it denote inexperience.
• the top right picture is completely covered by the title so not very useful.
• there is no masthead that tells you why you should read this magazine instead of another
• the central images just distract the reader and gives us a sense of an amateur magazine. The bottom  right image would have been enough for the cover
• the puff would have been good if in the left hand thurd under the title

Of course they do not have to compete with other magazine being, probably, the only one in that school, but, nevertheless the mix of colours and the layout could be made a lot better.

Barnardo's campaign

During my media studies, I came across this picture from a Barnardo's campaign and I was asked for an opinion.

If the aim of this ad was to shock and horrify the viewer it surely worked for me, but because that is not the achievement that Barnardo's wants to reach I can't see its effectiveness.

Before I start explaining my statement I have to say that I've never heard of this association before this ad.

In this picture we see a baby, probably with just a few minutes on this world behind his back, with a bottle o pure alcohol in his mouth. The writings on the side of the image clearly explain the message of this image: in situation of poverty some children future is already written in alcohol, a destiny that will condemn them to a life of misery, if that can be called life.

We got the image, we got the explanation, so why do I think is ineffective?

Simply because this ad is missing something that all ads have: an order.

In this ad it's not clear what they want you to do: they do not  ask you to donate money and they do not ask you to go on their website.

So  after seeing this, what am I supposed to do?

I mean, the only result of this ad was confusing me.

I see a clearly exaggerated image, with an explanation of its meaning that doesn't name people or specific places that does not want anything from me apparently. It's confusing.

Of course after going on their website it was clear that they ask for donations, but I went on their website just because I had to do homework on this poster.

 I reckon that most of the middle/upper class fathers and mothers to whom this ad is for, will prefer to erase that image from their mind instead of doing research to understand what this ad wants from them. 

That's why I think it's ineffective.