Design Anaylsis

 I analyzed a magazine on my same topic on its design in order to learn more about design theory. Here is some of what I picked up and plans on how to design my own magazine.

1. Study the Cover 

Forks over Knives PLANT BASED 

1. I like that the cover is vibrant with color and picture quality. 

2. The food that is in the center (possibly a stew) catches my eye. 

3. The masthead is on top, the cover lines are on the side, the barcode is in the bottom right far from view, the main image is in the center. 

4. The photography is taken from a shallow depth of field to focus on the cover image and the details within it. 

5. The main cover line is colored green to correlate with the “Plant” aspect of the magazine as plants are typically green, it also complements the green parts of the food. It is also big with a good font giving it high readability.  

6. It does not include a strapline. 

7. I will use the Masthead, main coverline, secondary coverlines. 

2. Study the Table of Contents 

Forks over Knives PLANT BASED 

1. I like that the Table of Contents is sleek and modern with the fonts and style along with the text wrapping around the spinach. 

2. The huge spinach in the Table of Contents catches my eye. 

3. The title and the fact that it also says it is Winter 2024. The page number is 1 and also includes a large spinach as an object in the table. 

4. The photograph of the spinach uses an incredibly shallow depth of field to see very specific details and also allow it to appear large. There is also external light slightly lighting the background spinach which is blurry to the shallow depth of field. 

5. The font is small, and it holds the main topics of each page. The color contrasts with the background, being white on black, and it is placed around the spinach. 

6. The table of contents does not include every convention as it is missing a social media plug. 

7. I will use images, a TOC title, a magazine title and date, section headers, article topics, page numbers, and social media in my Table of Contents. 

 3. Study the Two-Page Spread 

Forks over Knives PLANT BASED 

1. It allows for a larger encapsulation of the main picture and the text fits comfortably around the image. 

2. The headline catches my eye due to the overwhelming size and the use of bright red as a color. 

3. The headline is placed in the top right corner as westerners start reading from the top right, this allows for an immediate grab of attention towards the headline. The picture is used as the background and allowed for empty space for text, therefore the text is in fact placed in that empty space. 

4. The light of the picture comes from an alternate indoor source as shown by the cup reflecting that light as well as creating a shadow. The depth of field is shallow allowing for more detailed pictures. 

5. The font of the headline is made to grab attention using vibrant colors and placed optimally in the top right. The subheadings are also bold meant to divide each of the sections. Italics and small print are also used to credit the author. 

6. All conventions are used in the magazine two page spread including typography, color scheme, visual/verbal connection, layout, contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity, 

7. I will use all the aforementioned conventions. 

 

4. Target Audience & Representation 

1. The target audience for my magazine is middle-aged women who cook and are interested in culture. 

2. Representation is used in my magazine by showcasing food cooked by another individual from another nationality being a Peruvian woman.