Magazine analysis; Identifying elements.
1. Masthead
Magazines always have mastheads, no matter what genre it is. The masthead is the name On the Magazine, or in some cases, Its logo. Over here, the Masthead is "Popular Science".
2. Sell Line
The selling line is exactly how it sounds; It is what people see that might decide if they want to buy the magazine. It is usually under or over the Masthead, and in this case, it is "Build the future".
3. Coverline(s)
The coverline(s) are the small headings on the cover of a magazine. In this case, there are many of them, left to right, showing hints of what might the magazine contain.
4. Main Image
The main image is the main image on the cover of the magazine, usually the biggest. In this example, there is only one image, so it can be inferred that this is the main image.
5. Date and Time
The date of the magazine is when the magazine began production and is optional to have on the cover specifically. If not on the cover, it is usually on one of the pages inside. This magazine cover does contain this element on the cover.
6. Barcode
The only real reason for this is to buy the magazine itself, but some magazines do not include this, like the one in the example.
Draft 1
This draft is one of my most "traditional" covers, the reason being it is the base format for magazines in general. This is an all-around magazine, showing the sell line, masthead, cover lines, and barcode. The main image in this Is the shark, even with the sea behind it and what it contains. There are 3 cover lines on the right side and 2 on the left so that the reader is not overwhelmed with the content, showing only 5 hints as to what could be inside. I also put the date under the masthead, because based on my research, many science magazines have the data right under the masthead, probably so the readers know how recent it is. So I concluded that based on how readers usually read the masthead, they might want to see what is right beneath it, which is why they keep the date there.
Draft 2 and 3
I put these two drafts together because they both have similar layouts, but more importantly, the same desired outcome. Both of these drafts have a masthead and cover lines, but the positioning is slightly different because of the main image. On the left, the planet earth takes a circular shape, so the sell line could be right next to the image for a more engaging look, as the heading would be right next to the main image. Both of these drafts have cover lines on the bottom, but for the right draft, I kept only one cover line, making use of the leftover space so that the reader can infer themself what is going to be in the magazine Both of these drafts, though, have a big main image, which is essential in the format of science magazines to show what the sell-line is talking about and how it relates to the image. As an example, the draft on the left utilizes the background of the image too, showing stars in the back, but the draft on the left, which also shows the main image, focuses on the image better. That is how I think that these covers can be both effective and related to the science genre.
Draft 4 and 5
These two are paired together to explain how diverse the formatting conventions of science could be. These two covers bring up their own pros and cons when it comes to relating to the genre. The draft on the left shows both the main image and information needed (cover lines, sell-lines, price and dates, etc.) This cover, although having a big main image, has more focus on the information aspect, containing around eight cover lines, all scattered around the magazine cover. This is a good thing for formatting a science magazine, because most science is about information, and this type of cover focuses on that almost entirely. It also includes a subheading at the bottom of the main image, giving the audience a question, showing that the answer to that will be in the article somewhere inside. However, the cover on the left relies more on white space, which challenges the science genre formatting entirely, because when formatting a science magazine, either information or illustrations are required, but here, it shows almost none. I thought that this draft could be acceptable because of how modern these times are, and to attract someone new to this genre, the best way might be to change how specific the formatting of the magazine is compared to orthodox ways, somewhat like using the rule of two thirds. That is why I think both of these magazines can be excepted as science magazines
Conclusion
In conclusion, science is all about learning new things, and the images in the drafts are hard to capture in real life. I will try to use an image like the spiderweb for my final cover because I think that the image would be easy to capture and there would be a lot of information behind it.
Works-Cited
Instructions for preparing an initial manuscript. Science. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://www.science.org/content/page/instructions-preparing-initial-manuscript
McDanial, Z. (2020, September 23). How to design the Best Science Magazines. Flipsnack Blog. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://blog.flipsnack.com/how-to-design-science-magazine/
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