Magazine Cover Review

    Michael Scherer’s article about text blocking, made clear that the future of magazines isn’t very hopeful. The once promising magazine industry is declining as the use of media is more common and captivating. Unfortunately, over recent years attention spans are decreasing and reading a long article isn’t as common or interesting. Before I read this article or analyzed magazines, I didn’t realize that magazines were struggling to compete against the growing film industry; I blew past the fact that a ton of work goes into these magazines . I never considered all the thought and details that go into a magazine design and article like font, color, and cover pictures.

    According to Michael Scherer, “the future of magazine writing, at least according to the latest buzz, resides elsewhere.” It is harder to find someone who actively enjoys and can read a magazine rather than finding something else to do. However, many magazine companies are including bolder covers and text to mimic the bright flashy appeal that films and media use. For example, the Conde nest Traveler’s magazine had very bold colors on the cover with various fonts and sizes to lure the reader in. The focus on color catches the reader's attention and draws them in to read an article like media ads and commercials. Another use of bold color is a lot of the male targeted magazines such as Men’s Health and GQ. On the cover of GQ there was a blue font used that was shaped like flames. The background on the cover was in contrast, dark, which made the colors pop more especially Travis Scott on the cover. Magazines also link the feature article with the same flame-like blue font. On Men’s Health magazine there was big bold red font used with a white background that highlights the red font used. Throughout the magazine the red font is tied in along with white and black. All of these magazines draw the readers in with the use of bold font, in order to keep their magazines being read. The use of these flashy covers draw interest in the magazines. 

    According to David Carr in the New York Times, “consumers who actually open a magazine at the front and commence reading are becoming an increasingly rarified demographic group.” Throughout the article there is a common theme of this, in the fact that readership has been down for magazines due to the media and change in attention span. Despite the lack of interest in magazines many use techniques that keep readers interested. In a lot of the women magazines there are large women featured on the cover. On the cover of Cosmopolitan, there is white, black, and pink font used surrounding the woman in the center. The content page follows the color scheme as well when it emphasizes the main article in pink. Another great women magazine is Vogue. Instead of flashy colors on the cover, Vogue uses black and white to give the magazine a classier feel. The white background and black font are used throughout the magazine. This color theme gives a classy high-end feel for the magazine. 

    Overall, after analyzing these magazines, I think I will choose the magazine as my project for AICE. I like the way the magazines have little details that draw everything together. I feel as though the way magazines are designed really tell a story and are impactful.