Q Magazine Evaluation

This front cover from Q predominantly uses 4 colours – red (for the logo and some headlines), white (for some headlines and the background), black (for some text) and browns (for text). These colours mesh well with the photograph, whose colours are mostly brown and black. The red stands out against this, without looking obnoxious, whilst the other colours complement the photographs own colours. This clever use of cohesiveness between the colours of the photo and the text produces a stylish and remarkable colour. The photograph itself is an extreme close up – the level of detail provided by this proves very striking. Red text is used to highlight certain features – for example, the magazine logo – and contrasts highly with the black, brown and white. This prevents the magazine looking dull, and also draws the eye to key areas. The language used is mostly sensationalistic – for example “LIVES ORGY!” This makes the magazine seem very and therefore the magazine you should buy. The cover features several common conventions – for example, the magazine logo is situated near the top left of the page. The price is listed just below it – and on the opposite side of the page, at the bottom right, is the bar code. These are extremely common features to see on a magazine front cover. Other are listed on the page, though in smaller text than the key article. These are mostly names of bands, making the magazine appear packed full of music news. It also features some nicknames, such as “Macca” (referring to Paul McCartney). This suggests that the magazine is knowledgeable enough to know these, but also suggests closeness with the artists – after all, you only really ever refer to someone by their nickname if you are fairly close to them. All text on the cover is in capitals, making the articles stand out.

This contents page is a very intriguing design, mainly following conventions of the “blocky” style. The right hand side of the page is taken up by several images – some partially cut out from their background, and some overlapping. However, there is a clear line running through the center, adding a sense of style and order to the page. Each image is labelled with the page number for the article from where it is taken. The images are a mixture of types – ranging from long shots to close ups, live photos to studio photos. This adds a sense of variety to the articles from the magazine. The colour scheme is continued – the predominant colours still being white, black, brown and red, giving the magazine a sense of cohesion. At the top of the page is a smaller version of the magazine’s logo, and a headline showing which issue of the magazine it is. On the left side of the page is a list of the most important articles from this particular issue – there is a page number in black, next to the title in brown, with a smaller description in black. This difference in colour makes it easy to skim down the page and quickly find which article is where.

On this double page spread, the colour scheme from the other pages is once again continued. This cohesion is integral in giving a magazine a particular “look”. The right hand page is taken up solely with a long shot of Liam Gallagher. The mise en scene is very typical of his character, dressed in a sort of neo-mod style. To his right is a quote from the main text, written in red. This highlights a key point of the article, and gives a brief insight to what it may entail. The text itself is on the left hand page, and is split into columns. This is far more aesthetically pleasing than huge blocks of text, and much easier to read. At the top of the page, a quote serves as a headline – this gives people a taste of what the article may entail, and draws readers in. Underneath, in a smaller font, is a brief subheading, and then – separated by a thin line – the article itself. At the start of each major section, a large drop down letter is used to signal this change. A huge T – the first letter of the article – is written in red, and serves as a background for the article. This sets is aside from other articles, as they are generally simply written on a blank white background.