Improved Front Cover Layout Plan And Research

(click to enlarge)

After much thought and research, I have decided to change the layout plan for my final front cover. I believe that this version is far more professional looking than the previous one that I had posted, and therefore it shall provide me with a greatly improved final product.

These are the main cover designs which I was inspired by:

Has a really nice range of cover lines, good positioning of the models and an interesting barcode. However, I feel that it lets itself down due to the excessive use of large text over the models. I think the main feature that I shall be using from this magazine is the barcode layout, as it includes the price, release date, website and correct barcode type. I shall need some research to find out what barcode type they have used (generic barcode style but with an additional shortened barcode type at the end which contains two digits and a '>' sign)and then I will create my own using a custom barcode making website.

This is not a professional magazine as such (is not sold anywhere, instead it was created for somebody's portfolio: click here to visit site). However, I believe it contains all the necessary vital elements and looks extremely good. The main elements I shall be using from this magazine are the positioning of the model and main cover line.

This magazine design is my personal favourite. The hiding of the models identity via the mask is a vastly desirable feature and I certainly aim to produce something of a similar sort. In addition to this, the text is not overly cluttered like in most magazines and gets straight to the point via their main cover line (the theme of 'Dance Madness'). Finally, the background has been removed from the photograph thus giving a more simplistic and professional feel to the magazine.

The use of a 3D shattering effect is particularly interesting to me as I am considering using a 3D font for my masthead. By doing so it will provide me with a completely unique cover, however it will going against the traditional magazine conventions as has been done in this cover of 'Q'. As well as this, I admire the humorous quote 'I bought 50 cans of beans and an axe'. It is rather bizarre quote but it provides a good hook and is therefore likely to attract more of an audience.