Firstly, the masthead, 'Q', stands out greatly against the main image of the magazine cover, which is used as a background in this case. The masthead is bold and has contrasting colours (red & white) so that it catches the eye immediately. The main image, Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine, is used as a vibrant background and a hint of the main focus of this particular issue. The gripping coverline - "Woman on the edge" and a quote from the artist - "I feel so alone" - is used to show how the magazine may include an intense/personal interview with Florence which would have fans of the artist wanting to know more. In regards to the colour scheme, it is kept to a minumum of red, blue and white. The red is obviously caused by the artist's hair, however works well as it contrasts to the much bolder red used to make the masthead stand out, reinforcing it further. Coverlines are wrote in white, to make them stand out against the red of her hair, and also to match the other colours, so there is no awful clashes which would take attention away from what it actually says. Blue colouring is used in minor aspects of the cover, such as bulletpoints and to seperate different coverlines etc. There is a specific part of the cover regarding the Radio 1 DJ, Zane Lowe, which has a blue highlight around it, possibly to appeal to audiences of the alternative/indie genre of the music he plays on his radio show, and also audiences of the magazine. It is evident that the colours have been chosen for a specific reason, as the artist in the main image has blue eyeshadow to highlight her eyes - linking with the other blue aspects of the cover.
The coverlines are used in an intelligent and gripping way - to create an idea of what the magazine will entail, but to also allow the audience to use their imagination as to what it may mean. For example, "SKRILLEX - Dance genius or noisy git?" as well as humouring the audience, this coverline demonstrates that the article may portray two different opinions, which can also attract a larger audience - those who hate Skrillex, and those who are a fan. Similarly, '16 page gig blow-out!" is used as a selling point as it shows how the magazine will focus a lot on upcoming gigs, which would appeal to the whole audience as they would all be interested in music/live shows.
Charlotte, you have produced three very good deconstructions of your chosen magazines, identifying the key features of the covers, describing these in terms of their appeal to the target audience, the reasoning for the design choices, and connotations of the images, colours, text. Key media terminology used frequently throughout. A very good effort, well done!
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