Magazine Research

 This part of my blog will detail my magazine research

What is a magazine?

A magazine refers to form of media that typically resembles a thin book, featuring various articles & images, which are usually published periodically (monthly, weekly etc). 

How magazines are displayed in Indonesia (Periplus)

This section of my research will involve multiple genres of magazines I have gathered from the school library. My aim here is to figure out which genre of magazine I would find most interesting to create for comp 1.

Sharks Rulers of the Deep (National Geographic)

Genre: Wildlife

Uses & Gratification: Surveillance

Demographic & Psychographic:

Liked:

• I think the way the front cover was designed was really well-done. The typography used on the title & subtitle creates a bold feeling due to the capitalization + simple font and the usage of red against the blue background. It also features a single shark in an empty background of the ocean which isolates the subject and makes it appear more powerful
• The wording used on the subtitle also creates a sense of power. "Rulers of the Deep" puts emphasis on this. The reader may gather that sharks are powerful predators in their ecosystem.
• The contents page is simple and bold. It gets to the point and is easy to understand while still providing a little further context (on the image used)
• The content of the magazine itself are also really well-done and informative. It emphasizes that although powerful, sharks are misunderstood creatures. Despite already believing this as a huge fan of sharks, after reading I reflected on how the rhetoric of certain media texts may influence an audience (media texts such as Jaws may cause an audience to fear sharks whereas one such as this magazine could cause them to grow fond of sharks). This reminds me of a lesson I a
• I enjoyed the variety of shark breeds shown in the magazine.

Disliked:

• I am not a huge fan of the image on the contents page simply because I personally don't find it that interesting. It doesn't seem too clear what the sharks are doing and it seems, to me, like a picture taken on accident as it doesn't really make sense.
• Although I like the contrast of red against blue as complimentary colours work really well to create that boldness the creators of this magazine seem to be going for, I think that the red subtitle does not stand out well since the saturation of the colours are too close to each other.

Conclusion:

I overall really like this magazine. I love marine life and would love to do a magazine featuring them however I don't think it's realistic for a student (especially on a tight deadline) to do as it would require me to take images of marine life. Regardless, I found researching this magazine very fun and interesting. I think it's taught me a lot on how to design something bold/powerful.

Secret Societies (National Geographic)

Genre: Historical
Uses & Gratification: Surveillance
Demographic & Psychographic: 

Liked:

• The image used on the cover implies that there is some sort of mystery in the topic being discussed as it is an ominous stone structure that looks ancient, leaving the viewer wondering what it could be about
• The contents page is really beautifully designed. The image communicates the sense of secrecy; a hand reaching for a sort of contraption. The mise-en-scene of this image makes it look rich and luxurious, perhaps we can gather that secret societies are a common thing among the elite. The font used on this page matches that idea as it looks very formal.
• The introduction page features a renaissance-styled painting of what looks to be a person burning tomes in front of a crowd. Perhaps this implies the odd activities that secret societies partake in or that secret societies aren't particularly looked well upon by society. Regardless, the usage of a renaissance-styled painting fits with the discussion of historical concepts in the magazine.

Disliked:

• I feel like the font and colours used on the cover page of the magazine doesn't really fit well with the rest of the magazine and overall theme. Perhaps if they used a font more like the ones used on the content and introduction page, I would prefer it. I also understand that the usage of yellow is to probably match the signature yellow that National Geographic uses but it is a colour heavily associated with happiness which I feel like does not align well with the mysterious feeling that the magazines seems to be going for.
• I also feel like the font used on the top text of the contents page (font used for the word 'CONTENTS') does not match but I suppose it makes the overall design feel more balanced as it matches the rest of the unmatching font

Conclusion:

This magazine introduced me to more unorthodox magazine topics which I had previously assumed were usually not discussed in magazines. This widens my scope of choices a bit and now I am realizing that I can do more than just the more commonly seen magazine genres (fashion, travel etc.). I think I want to do something that's spookier. Maybe a crime or even paranormal magazine?

A-ONE

Genre: Fashion
Uses & Gratification: Personal Identity, Surveillance
Demographic & Psychographic:

Liked:

• I love the use of red. Since the magazine is focused on East Asian beauty and health, it makes sense to use a lot of red since it symbolizes good luck in China. It also just makes the magazine look more striking and contrasts well with the other colours used. Along with the white and gold, it becomes elegant.
• The typography varies throughout the magazine. Although it makes it feel more cluttered, it makes this makes the magazine appear more interesting and appear more fun which is what I think it is going for.

Disliked:

• I hate the way the main cover line, "Eastern Beauty & Health" covers a part of the model on the front page. I feel like it's unnecessary to include this as it just makes the magazine appear cluttered. It would have been better to not include it as it it would allow more of the model to be shown which I feel like is important for a fashion magazine. It also would have made the magazine looked more elegant especially since the pink looks so out of place with the other colours
• On the article page, the word "Jepang" doesn't really contrast well with the background which makes it a bit hard to read and also considerably less striking

Conclusion:

I like this magazine however I feel like it could use more work visually as it doesn't seem to convey the elegance it seems to be going for very well. It makes me think about what I would do if I were to create my own fashion magazine. I think I would do something about fashion subcultures. I don't think I'll do a fashion magazine though, I don't know who I'd have as a model, I don't have enough pretty clothes to display and I wouldn't know what to write as I'm not really someone who's too into beauty.

Fall Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens)

Genre: Cooking/Food
Uses & Gratification: Surveillance
Demographic & Psychographic:

Liked:

• I love how clean and simple the magazine looks. Information is not cluttered. The colours do not clash together and the typography maintains boldness while not taking away focus from other information on the magazine. It reminds me almost of the menus you often see in restaurants
• The magazine keeps a 'warm and cozy fall' feel by maintaining a warm colour palette

Disliked:

• I don't think there is anything I dislike about this magazine. Maybe if I had to criticize it, it could include more fall imagery in its design but that's all.

Conclusion

I really like this magazine's design and the food displayed made me hungry. I love food a lot but I don't think I'll do a food magazine as I'm not really into cooking myself but I feel there is still a lot to learn from this magazine in terms of design. I think for my magazine, I also want something simple and bold yet still eye-catching and this magazine does that effectively.

Reflection: After this, I gained a better idea of what I want to do. National Geographic's Secret Societies magazine allowed me to realize I want to do topics that aren't commonly seen in magazines. I thought about what inspired me most creatively and decided to do a paranormal magazine. I'm also thinking of making it a satirical magazine but I am not sure yet.

Paranormal Magazine Conventions:

• Mostly monochrome (when containing colours it's usually red, green, blue or yellow)
• Harsh typography
• Featuring something 'spooky' (monsters, cryptids)
• Dark lighting
• Retro appearance

Fourtean Times

Media Language

As Fourtean Times is a magazine that focuses on anomalous phenomena, the language used here emphasizes that connotation:

• Their cover image features fish raining down on a city which illustrates their featured article (about a rain of fish) which is an anomalous weather phenomena. The colour used here further emphasizes that abnormality as the fish are coloured pink which is not a normal fish colour. By doing this, the magazine subverts from the typical paranormal magazine conventions which also adds to their connotation of abnormality.
• The language used in the coverlines also further emphasizes the 'weirdness' connotation of the phenomena. 'Cloudy with a Chance of Fish' is play on how weather is commonly reported by weather reporters but instead of the normal 'Cloudy with a chance of [rain, wind etc.]', it is 'cloudy with a chance of fish' which not only teases the content of the featured article to the reader but shows the connotations to the audience how weird the phenomena they report on is.
• The parts of the coverline that are selected and enlarged are the parts that emphasize 'weirdness' 
• The magazine's selling line further contributes to their identity of 'weird' through the usage of the word 'strange'

Representations

Since this magazine is about strange phenomena, this is what the magazine focuses on representing. There is selective representation as strange phenomena are shown to be weird and unexplained when there could in fact be perfectly natural and scientific explanations for these phenomena

Audience

The target audience could be young people of all genders aged 15-30 who have an interest in understanding anomalous phenomena. 

• It can be assumed that the demographic is younger people (15-25) as the magazine uses a casual mode of address which appeals to a younger audience as younger people are still maturing hence prefer something less mature. However, since Fourtean Times is an older magazine (first issued November 1973), the target demographic's age could be stretched as there may be older people (25+) who have read the magazine since they were younger and still continue to enjoy it as they age as they've become used to it.
• The target demographic could be people of all genders as the magazine doesn't seem to be leaning to more feminine or masculine topics/content
• The audience could be reading the magazine for surveillance and social relationship uses & gratifications. This is because information on anomalous phenomena is uncommon so, for those who have an interest in understanding anomalous phenomena, this magazine could serve as the source for that information and, since information on such topics is uncommon, people interested in this magazine could form social relationships with others who read this magazine as a way of meeting others with similar interests (anomalous phenomena)
• It could also be for the use & gratification of diversion as the mode of address is casual, making the magazine feel less serious and more entertaining.

Industry

Fourtean Times (originally The News) was first issued on November 1973, before digital media, and distributed through traditional methods (such as mail). As their demographic consists of younger audience, they need to keep up with technological changes so that they are able to reach their demographic. Now, Fourtean Times has a website where they release digital versions of their issues.

Fate

Media Language

• Unlike most magazines, Fate includes considerably less information on their front covers, causing more empty space, which sets them apart from other magazines. Through this, they may have the preferred reading of being unorthodox just as the topics they discuss
• Fate's cover lines are are short and don't really tease much of its contents beyond the general idea. This follows the last point of having less information on their front covers unlike most magazines. This is also further emphasized by subverting from regular paranormal magazine conventions and using simpler bolder typography rather than the expected harsher serif fonts. By doing this, their articles sound more mysterious which would intrigue audiences and encourage them to read the magazine to discover what the contents may be about. As they often discuss paranormal topics, creating a sense of mystery in the audience through the language they use may be an effective way of attracting their target demographic
• Their selling line, "True reports of the strange and unknown", suggests that they prioritize factual information in their articles. Since their target audience may be consuming media for the uses & gratification of surveillance, this selling line tells them that this magazine will give them what they want.

Representations

The most prominent representation on this cover is how it portrays angels. Here, the angel is illustrated as a glowing faceless being with multiple sets of wings which paints it as a powerful mysterious being. This is different from the common representations of a stereotypical angel (more human-like with one set of wings). By taking away the more human features, the audience relates less to the angel which makes it more dehumanized and amplifies its 'otherworldly' character.

Audience

The target audience could be assumed to be people ages 25-50 who want to know the truth relating to the paranormal

• Fate is an old magazine that retains a retro style which may cause it to appeal to older audiences better.
• As Fate's tagline is 'True reports of the strange and unknown", they have a rhetoric that states their accounts are factual therefore would attract those interested in knowing honest accounts of anything 'strange and unusual' which would usually be the paranormal

Industry

Founded in 1948 by Raymond A. Palmer and Curtis Fuller, Fate has made a name for itself by becoming the longest-running magazine devoted to the paranormal. As with most print media, technological advances have caused Fate to create a website where they provide e-issues and international shipping for print issues. This is an effect of globalisation as e-issues and international shipping for print issues allow their magazine to be read by people all around the world, meaning they are able to gain a larger audience (resulting in an increase in profit).

Haunted

Media Language

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Representations

As this issue covers women in paranormal, the most prominent social group represented here is women. Most of the time, stereotypical witches are depicted as women which is reinforced here by including objects that are often connotations for witches (black cat, pointed hat) and since witches are commonly depicted as 'evil', this magazine may indirectly reinforce negative connotations about women. This connotation is actually further strengthened through the usage of a woman in the front cover. Here, she wears black and a skull covers the font of her face. Skulls and the colour black are hermeneutic codes for death

Audience
Industry

After conducting a more thorough research, I've decided to focus on what I like/dislike about each magazine cover and how I would be able to apply it to my own. However, since paranormal is a very niche genre for magazines, I struggled in finding a lot of magazines that matched the genre so I will be doing research in magazines of similar genres (mainly horror fiction magazines) here as well

Skeptical Inquirer 

Uses & Gratification: Surveillance

Demographic & Psychographic:

Likes:

• I like the retro style of the illustration. I think a retro style suits a paranormal magazine as older things are often associated with being haunted
• Colour: Aliens are depicted as green so the colour green would be hermeneutic code for the extraterrestrial. Paired with the random objects floating about the illustration, it makes it appear like an alien abduction 

Dislikes:

• I feel like the lack of coverlines included in the cover would make it ineffective in attracting target audiences as coverlines would typically provide insight into the contents of the magazine which would intrigue audiences and encourage them to purchase the magazine

Application:

• I already intend to apply a retro style to my magazine but this magazine has served as further inspiration for this intention
• I like the focus on investigation and factual information on this magazine therefore I intend to enforce these rules in my own magazine

Cosmic Horror Monthly

Uses & Gratification: Diversion

Demographic/Psychographic:

Likes:

• The usage of red: In colour theory, red symbolises danger so when paired with the illustration, it may signal to the viewer that the creature depicted is something dangerous. Additionally, red is a complementary colour to blue which makes the blue used a great contrast to red. Blue is also often associated with sci-fi which becomes a hermeneutic code for the contents of this magazine.

Dislikes:

• Typography: Throughout the front cover, the magazine uses various different serif fonts. I feel like this prevents the typography from matching with each other which makes for a cluttered design

Application:

• Usage of colour theory: This magazine cover has reminded me the importance of colour theory in making an effective design. Therefore I will do more research into it and apply good colour theory in my design

Hellebore

Uses & Gratification: Surveillance

Demographic/Psychographic:

Likes:

• The usage of colours: Green is colour most dominantly used and this is contrasted with its complementary colour, pink, which separates the rabbit from the rest of the background. Since the theme for this issue is animals, this might've been done to highlight a focus on the animal on the front cover (the rabbit).

Dislikes:

• The head of the model on the cover slightly obstructs the mast head which makes it a bit hard to read as the 'E' could be mistaken for an 'F' and the 'B' looks like an 'R'

Application:

• The way the colour contrasts here makes an excellent tool to guide the audience to the focus which I could attempt to apply in my own magazine

Apex Magazine

Uses & Gratification: Diversion

Demographic/Psychographic:

Likes:

• The composition of the magazine ensures that none of the information clash against each other, making it easy for the viewer to process. The text is easy to read and illustration isn't obscured by the other elements

Dislikes:

• I wish the magazine had more indications as to what the content of the stories inside were as that would've helped attract the target audience better as they would be able to determine if this magazine had what they were looking for

Application:

• This magazine reminds me to ensure that my composition works well so that information is not cluttered and so is easy to read

The Deadlands

Uses & Gratification: Diversion

Demographic/Psychographic:

Likes:

• I find the main cover image to be really creative. The Deadlands is a magazine that publishes written work regarding death so the scattered papers seem to resemble the various little stories that make up the magazine

Dislikes:

• It's unclear what the object on the middle right of the main cover image is supposed to be
• I feel like if the cover contained more clues on the content of the stories, it would attract audiences better

Application:

• I admire the simplicity of the typography on the magazine

Rue Morgue

Uses & Gratification: Diversion/Surveillance

Demographic/Psychographic:

Likes:

• The main cover image is a close up of the subject who stares at the audience which creates a direct mode of address with the audience which may create a connection with the audience making them more attracted to the magazine

Dislikes:

• Some of the text in the magazine' front cover is quite small, making it hard to read

Application:

• This magazine makes me consider how I could use different camera shots to entice my audience

Reflection:

• At first, having to do this much research felt very overwhelming. It was hard to find time between this and my other academic tasks especially. It felt really demotivating but when I actually started the task, I found myself really enjoying the analysing process which made me able to finish it faster and with more motivation
• This research really helped me familiarise myself with magazines (in my genre especially) and how they are typically formatted. This helped me a lot when I was coming up with ideas for my magazine as I understood how I could use conventions in my product