Q Magazine

Front Cover Analysis

Masthead

The masthead bold and large. The "Q" logo is written in a serif font. Serif suggests an established brand which has been in existence for a long time. Q magazine combines this with Sans Serif which is more modern looking font. This combination tells the reader that Q is both a long running, established brand; as well as up to date and current. The masthead is combined with a red backgrounding. This helps it to stand out from the pale blue background of the central image, of which it would've been lost in front of otherwise. 

Central Image

The central image is the centrepiece of the front cover. The subject (artist Jake Bugg) has been edited to overlap the masthead and the puff on the upper right hand side. This accentuates the central image to grab the reader's attention. Similarly, the artist is emphasised due to the plain backdrop. The pale blue background gives a clean, fresh appearance to an otherwise grungy, dark looking image.

Coverlines

The coverlines seem to frame the central image. The coverlines are in red, black, gold and white. These colours are used elsewhere in the front cover - in the masthead and central image.

Splash

The "Jake Bugg" splash frames and accentuates the guitar. The splash seems to be made up of a selection of different fonts.Its appearance is unusual and fun. This suggests that the artist's music is quirky and distinctive.

Layout

The layout of Q's front cover is very compacted with information. There is a range of coverlines, which also include quotes from the articles. The different elements are overlapped to create more space. This prevents the cover to look cluttered and overly busy.

Contents Page

The contents page features exaggerated page number references to make it clear to the reader where to find the pages they're interested in. The titles of the featured articles are short and direct. They each feature a more detailed explanation of the content of each article below. There page appears balanced due to the fairly even amount of images against text. The page is also unified due to the colours used in text and in images. Red is used heavily throughout Q magazine, and is shown in the contents page in large amount; header backgrounds as well as feature titles are coloured red. The images compliment the contents page through the use of colour. The lipstick on the image of the girl connects the page together. Similarly to the front cover, the large image in the contents page is also overlapping the "Contents" heading.

Layout wise, the contents page is put together in such a way that the large amount of text doesn't seem overwhelming. The block of images break up the features so they're easy to find. The features relating to the images are placed next to the images, and the bottom third of the page is designated to articles. The right hand side features a column containing reviews. This layout makes the mass information manageable and is simply laid out for the reader to find what they're looking for easily.

 

Double Page Spread
The double page spread contains a long interview with Jake Bugg. This is in fact the block part of a seven page feature on the artist. Q magazine's stable colour palette of black, white and red can be seen on these pages. This helps in unifying the magazine, creating house style and establishing brand identity. 

The text is set in a simple sans serif font and columned for legibility. It also features drop caps and pull quotes. This makes the article feel familiar as these are staple features of magazine articles. Unlike some double page spreads, this article does not feature an image which fills one or both pages. More traditionally, Q has put images alongside the article. One aspect I find interesting in this article is the way that the text its around the pull quote. This brings the pull quote forwards from out of the article and draws the readers eye towards it. It is an efficient use of space rather than columnising the writing in a simple square shape. This technique, much like the clever use of bordering around the pull quote connotes the type of artist which the article is based on. It tells the reader that the artist is young and playful.