Layout- Q has stuck with the blocky layout as everything has it's place and is in order. The main texts tends to form in the shape on a L. I really like this idea by Q as it makes everything look neat and tidy and it helps the reader access certain parts quicker. Again, it contains the title of the word contents and features the name of the magazine. To provide a consistent theme throughout. To split sections up they use red and black bold lines these are a common convention found in many magazines as everything becomes easier to read due to the line separators. Spacing is a key feature when it comes to layout, nearly everything is filled however small spaces are left to make everything look neat and in line. When I create my magazine I will enable I get my spacing just right and measure everything up before hand and enable that the text and images work together and furthermore, I will use line separators as its a common convention used in all magazines to help divide up specific sections of the magazine.
Style- When you first glance over at this magazine you instantly get the impression it's a contents page and that it's Q. This is all due to the style. Q often use boxes and squares as it creates a modern look for the audience. Like Billboard it has a special where it contains the "every month" column where it's the things that will always appear within the magazine. I think this is a good idea when creating my magazine as it shows the already established things. I will have a look and see if the other contents page that I study features that too, before I make the decision to fully use the idea. Q also use chronological order in their contents page (apart from the every month) this provides structure for the audience.They also have a very personal touch to the magazine just like Billboard and they have a special "Q Review" section. Which allows Q to express their personal opinion of things and it gives the audience advice. Even the name "Q Review" is quite catchy and rolls off the tongue. I really like the idea of having something personal towards your magazine and I will consider doing something like this when creating my magazine.
Images- Contains 2 images. One dominant image takes up around 40% of the magazine and it features a band. It's a long shot of 4 males. This suggesting that the band are quite serious about their music and it's not a personal occasion to get up and close with the band but more to focus on their type of music. The background of the photo is unusual and suggests they are edgy and something different. This image suggests the type of the music the people buying the magazine will have. Their pose and facial expression suggests a very casual atmosphere and one appears to not even be looking at the camera which shows that this band may subvert our expectations of the stereotypical band. Due to the age and the look of the people within the image it suggests a wider audience than Billboard possibly stretching more to 18-40 as they seem quite casual and not bothered. As, their clothes (t-shirts) further imply the fact they are a laid back band and are not interested within looking good and more focused on their music. The second image is very unusual and it features a man smartly dress leaning against a column. This image further enhances the fact that this magazine is more focused on the music rather than getting close and personal with the band/artist. This image could show the artist as quick afraid and more committed to performing rather than his personal image (although he is in a suit which suggests some upper status) For my contents page I am thinking of using around 2-4 images that help portray the genre of the magazine. When taking my photographs I will make sure that I get a few different shots as the image can represent the type of music.
Colour- Red is the dominant stand out colour within this contents page. However we know that this is a common convention used with Q as they liked to stick to red as dominant colour to create an established theme. The red matches with their brand name. I really like the idea of this and will consider using it when creating my magazine as I believe it helps the target audience more and allows a persistent theme running through the magazine. The contents page has stuck to a 3 colour scheme of red, black and white. As these all contrast with each other. Of course the red is used for the main titles as when you first glance at the contents page these stand out. Text is in black and I like this as it makes it readable for the audience working against the white background. These two colours are often used throughout music magazines as they are nice colours that look good and work well with other colours. I will consider using these colours when creating my magazine as they add to the appearance of the magazine.
Font- After analysing so many different pages its beginning to sound very repetitive. I know. But, it must be done. Yet again it's the same font throughout to add consistency. The sans serif is used as it's a modern magazine that likes to use different bands and artists that are new to the market. Capital letters are used to show the titles of things. It provides clear information for the audience. It's then followed underneath with a brief description of what each page is about.
Language/Article- The language suggests the audience that Q are trying to attract. The titles of their articles include "mp4" "my brilliant career" "buskers" these suggest a possibly young working adult who enjoys technology. Possibly from around the age of 20-35. It suggests they have quite a wide variety taste in music and enjoy like easy listening music that is always going to be good. For instance this issue features an Oasis special therefore Q already have an established audience as they know many people are fans of Oasis and will buy the magazine just due to Oasis featuring within it. This suggests the audience are quite open minded about the music taste, as Q don't has a specific genre they just tend to go for modern/classics. My articles will be picked out and I really like the idea of having a special edition of something as its an already established audience and it always the audience to learn a lot about the artist/band.
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