I chose to annotate the contents page of Q magazine, I used the October issue as I had previously annotated the front cover of the same issue. For this task I placed the page in the middle and wrote around it. Learning from previous experience I will also be typing up my annotations as I was aware that they may of been unclear and illegible in my last annotation blog post. Hopefully this will solve this issue and my work and annotations will be clear to see and understand.
The Research
Starting from the top left hand corner and going around clockwise I will be explaining my evaluations in an attempt to ensure that my work will be able to be understood.
1. The black box and the text inside is a clear and bold section of the page, it shows the reader what this page is displaying (the contents/an overview of the magazine)
2. The numbers displaying which page the article is on is larger that the word page due to the fact that the magazine are probably certain that most people will already know what the number stands for without needing the word 'page' however it seems like it has been included to ensure that there is no confusion amongst readers. This is a convention that I will aim to use in my contents page.
3. The white background of the page ensures that all of the articles and colours on the page will stand out and will not be missed
4. The bright colours in the image and on the clothing of Mick Jagger attracts the readers eyes and catches attention over to the right side of the page where more articles are being showcased.
5. By using a larger image of a very well known musician people will be drawn to see what it going on, and will then read down and this could cause them to look at the review pages. However in the image the magazine have included the name of the musician incase people cannot recognise him but may recognise the name
6. Using the word 'new' interests readers as it will cause them to believe and think that this is something they do not know but need to. Or it will cause them to want to know this 'new' thing
7. Even though the small 'Q' is hard to see and right at the bottom of the page it is reinforcing the message to the reader that this magazine is Q and reminds them what they are reading. It is also interesting as it is showing its name which is well known and easily recognisable
8. The rhetorical question used provides humour to the article and uses one of Blumler and Katz uses and gratifications to sustain an audience (in this case entertainment is used)
9. The larger text and bolder font used shows clearly what artist will be featured and this is especially useful if a well known and liked artist is mentioned or featured in an article.
10. The bright colours used to back the page numbers can signify the range of articles present in the magazine and is also a way to attract audience attention.
11. In this image he is the only one not wearing glasses and is making clear eye contact with the camera and reader, this could relax the reader and make them enjoy the magazine as they feel more important(this is directed at me).
12. The use of adding the sticker 'cover story' to the article, helps readers link the two pages together and if thats what drew them in to the magazine will help them find the article they want quicker
13. Satire is used in this article description and is another example of Uses and Gratification- and entertainment is used again
14. The page layout goes through the magazine e.g. the article in the first few pages is presented first and then the article on the next page slowly weaving around the contents page to end up and the other side with the article on one of the last pages.
15. The use of the word 'exclusive' shows that this magazine has something different to offer than the other magazines around it.
The Conclusion
By doing this task I feel a lot more confident in designing and started to plan my contents page as I have a clear idea on what makes a successful one. Doing this task has also allowed me to see some conventions that I will need to use when creating my magazine to ensure that it can be recognised and used as a music magazine. Some problems I encountered with doing this task are similar to some that I had annotating the Front cover. These problems include not being able to read the annotations and to help with that problem I wrote them out again about to ensure that they can be seen and understood. Another problem I had with this task was the spilling of nail polish over the page as can be seen on the left hand side, this was due to some unfortunate events which may or may not have included my cat knocking over 5 different nail polish colours. However I thought that as I decided to right out the words again the writing it obscured would not be a massive problems- instead it now just looks messy.
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