After analysing the critical aspects of a professional front cover, I thought it would be appropriate to look at the finished work of a student undergoing a similar task in order to determine what conventions are successful and what aspects need improving. Above is the work of Alex Allin, and this was his final product.
As a sixth form magazine, I believe he has understood the content of a magazine to establish his cover lines, using relevant articles such as 'University Applications' and 'UCAS' which specifically apply to students of that age. However his masthead, 'The Sixth', lacks originality and so I don't think this is effective in distinguishing it from other covers. Despite this, the stocky font and lilac colour imply creativity and doesn't distract the reader from the cover lines or main image. One missing convention on the cover is the dateline and selling line, and the lack of these diminish the front cover's credibility and would look unprofessional to a reader.
The main image itself has contrasting insinuations. On one hand the student appears punctual (through using a watch) while on the other hand his facial expression depicts a look of discomfort, and the way in which he is gripping the railing adds to this suggestion. The bland contrast of his white t-shirt onto the grey brick wall provides a smooth transition between foreground and background, adding depth to the frame. The white circular object behind the subject of the image could have been used for a cover line since leaving it blank creates emptiness. Also there is a noticeable lack of gender mix within the photos, which has connotations that females are underachieving and thus has a sense of bias.
The range of font styles allows differentiation between topics, establishing a diverse culture within his sixth form. I think that his cover lines are strategically placed so as to not overwhelm the cover but still give it a busy appearance. Unfortunately I think that the placement of the images needed to be spaced out more, rather than cramming them into the bottom right hand corner.
In summary, the layout and variety of fonts and articles make the front cover a plausible read, but the insufficient use of empty space draws attention away from the cover lines themselves.
The main image itself has contrasting insinuations. On one hand the student appears punctual (through using a watch) while on the other hand his facial expression depicts a look of discomfort, and the way in which he is gripping the railing adds to this suggestion. The bland contrast of his white t-shirt onto the grey brick wall provides a smooth transition between foreground and background, adding depth to the frame. The white circular object behind the subject of the image could have been used for a cover line since leaving it blank creates emptiness. Also there is a noticeable lack of gender mix within the photos, which has connotations that females are underachieving and thus has a sense of bias.
The range of font styles allows differentiation between topics, establishing a diverse culture within his sixth form. I think that his cover lines are strategically placed so as to not overwhelm the cover but still give it a busy appearance. Unfortunately I think that the placement of the images needed to be spaced out more, rather than cramming them into the bottom right hand corner.
In summary, the layout and variety of fonts and articles make the front cover a plausible read, but the insufficient use of empty space draws attention away from the cover lines themselves.
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