Rough Cut Feedback: Front Cover

Positive                                                                              Negative 

-Nice house style.                                                               -Need faces and '2014' not overlapped. 
-Good use of different fonts.                                              -Over crowded.
-Like the top banner, good use of fonts.                              -Can't read the red on white well. 
-Name of magazine.                                                           -White and red hard to read.

-Colour Scheme.                                                                -Put photo over 'watch out' story.
-Interesting language.                                                        -Feels cluttered.
-Lots of text and stories.                                                    -'Watch out' bit shouldn't overlap artists face.

-Title and top banner are really good.                                  -Too much white behind photo.

-I really like the layout.                                                       -Photo is bad quality.

From looking at my feedback I have learnt many good qualities about my front cover which I should keep, and many bad qualities that need improving. The feedback tells me that my top banner is good and appealing to the audience meaning I should keep it how it is. They also like the colour scheme and fonts used which is good as I put a lot of work into the selection of these. However, I got a lot of ways in which I can improve my magazine. This is good as I now know what I should be doing over the next few weeks. A few people said the magazine is over crowded and feels cluttered, I will have to cut down on the information I am offering in order to solve this problem. The most popular problem was my photos and the positioning of them, overlapping and bad quality. I will have to spend time going out and taking good quality photos and then spending time editing them to improve the appearance.

The Feedback...

I have just received my feedback for my rough cut from peers and tutors. I have been given more than enough to analyse for possible improvements and ideas that I can then develop. I will start on the peer feedback, but first I am going to cut it down to the most relevant, useful and popular comments. Then I will go onto the teachers feedback, analysing each point made and improvement suggested.

Preparing For Feedback

Now that I have handed in my rough cuts to my peers and tutors I will soon be receiving feedback. For my peer feedback I am going to take note of their possible improvements, and shortlist the ideas that are most popular and those that I find most interesting. Some of the possible improvements might just be the ideas of that individual, meaning others won't find it as appealing as my original design. I will take notice of all the feedback I receive from my tutors as they know how to create a professional magazine. Over the next week I will be analysing my feedback, getting back to you each day on what improvements I have taken note of and how I will use it. 

Rough Cut Double Page Spread

This is the rough cut for my double page spread. The colour scheme is different from the other pages as I have personalised it to fit the artists on the page. I made the colour scheme of the artists similar to that of the magazine to stop variation causing the magazine to have a colourful appearance, which is unconventional. Instead I kept the initial colour scheme, red, black and white, then added a dark green to make the artists unique from the rest, which is a convention usually found in hip hop magazines. Dark green is commonly associated with money and has connotations of ambition, greed and jealousy, which all are conventional to the rapper stereotype. I used my style models to notice that most music magazines use the left side of the double page spread for the image, therefore an image dominated approach. I have followed this approach to stay conventional, the only other feature I have used on that page is the name of the rap duo.  I have included all the text and article on the right side of the double page spread. At the top of the page I have used a header for the article to attract the viewer into reading it. Because I have written about new rappers I have included an introduction paragraph to the them. I then go into an interview, using the colour scheme, red and black, to separate the questions from answers. Half way through the article, at the top right, I have included another image for the double page spread. The image is similar to the other one I have used, so I plan to use two different photos for the final cut to add variation and make the images look individually interesting.

Rough Cut Contents Page

This is the rough cut of my contents page. Again I have stuck to my colour scheme of black, red and white. I have added an additional font to this page which is conventional of the rock genre, as well as using my original text font which is conventional of the hip hop genre. This adds variation to the page and allowed me to style my design to both genres. I have positioned my article page numbers down the left side of the page which I also saw being done in hip hop magazines. However I have challenged the conventions of a hip hop magazine and gone for the conventions of a rock magazine in terms of graphology. I have made all the text concerning artists the same size and haven't made any stand out over the rest which was used in the hip hop magazines. I also have used frames for 3 images, I haven't taken the photos yet so the photo used is just temporary so I can give you an idea of my design idea. A hip hop magazine mainly focuses on one photo, the main artist, and doesn't include any additional photos on the contents page. However, a rock magazine focuses on a few of the main artists that will be featured in the magazine on the contents page by including images of these artists. On the right side of the page I have talked about the 'road crew' and people involved in the editorial, contributions, publications etc. This is conventional of both genres so I made sure that I included it on the contents page. Finally when it came to language used I featured a lot of street slang and aggressive adjectives and nouns. This is very conventional of a hip hop magazine and will help to personalise the text to the idiolect of the target audience, creating a chance for diversion.

Rough Cut Front Cover

This is the front cover from my rough cut. Because my magazine is going to be created to include a mix between two genres I have taken ideas from both Kerrang! and Vibe. For the header I have used the font Tw Cen MT Condensed which is similar to one I saw used in a Vibe magazine, talking about a rap artist. This convention is then reinforced by my logo which uses a large bold font spreading across the page, this convention is consistent in hip hop magazines. I have styled the name of the main story differently from the rest of the page to help it stand out, this is also going to be the house style of the rappers in the double page spread. On the right I have included short introductions to stories inside the magazine which I also found used on the Kerrang! front cover. However, instead of using a black background to the text I have used white to play on the black clothing the model is wearing. At the bottom of the page I have used another feature I saw on the front cover of the Kerrang! magazine I researched. I have listed all the band names that will be featured in the magazine, using the same plus sign between each name. I have placed the photography behind all the text but in front of the title, which again is conventional of a music magazine. This helps to create a 3D effect with the photography, I have only covered a small amount of the logo to make sure it is still readable. The final feature I have included is the box dedicated to another article inside. Again I saw this feature on the front of the Kerrang! magazine. I included an additional image in it and used a quick description to attract people to the article. I have kept my red, white and black colour scheme consistent throughout the front cover, except for when I wrote about the main article. I did use 2 of my original colours to help it blend in a bit. If I used 3 completely different colours it would cause too much variation causing the magazine to lose its serious tone, this would be unconventional of a rap/rock magazine. 

Photo Shoot 1

I have completed my first photo shoot for my magazine. I don't think I will use these photos for my final shoot, I wanted to have a practise for my rough cut so I could get to terms with photography. I have taken a photo for each page of the magazine and a fourth to go as an extra on my front cover. I concentrated on the costume and posture of my models, making sure the clothes and pose were conventional to the genre. I will now use Photoshop in order to edit the photos, which I have already started to do with one of them, so they will look professional in my magazine. The main tools I will be using will be saturation, brightness, magic wand tool and the spot healing brush. These all allow my photos to look a better quality and also improves the appearance of the models. I wont be bogging for the next 2 days as I am putting my full attention on the completion of my magazine rough cuts. However, I will be back to show you what I have designed.

Writing My Own Magazine Article

I went back to look at my double page spread introduction where I analysed an article so I could see a rough idea of how one is constructed.  After I came to terms with this I then went back to look at my double page spread research. Here I had made note of ways in which other magazines had use language and information to meet conventions of the genre. I had also noted how I would use these techniques when writing my own article. Here are a couple of the main techniques that I learnt:

Using lexical features which promote the artists lifestyle is suitable for the target audience as it creates a chance for personal identity and and diversion to escape from reality.

Using slang associated with the genre targets the demographic as this is most likely part of their idiolect, meaning they can relate to the magazine.

I have applied both of these techniques and theories to my article in order to create the same result. In the top screenshot I have used an introduction paragraph which talks about the audience. In this part I have used a more sophisticated formality in order to reflect the intelligence and statues of the artist, using jargon and musical knowledge. In the bottom screenshot I have written an interview with the artist. My research shows this is a popular convention with established magazines. It also allows me to show the personality of the artists through language used and topics that I talk about.

Hand Drawn Design: Double Page Spread

This is the hand drawn design of my double page spread for my music magazine.

Hand Drawn Design: Contents Page

This is the hand drawn design of my contents page for my music magazine.

Hand Drawn Design: Front Cover

Here is the hand drawn design for the front cover of my music magazine.

Hand Drawn Design Introduction

I am now going to design my 3 hand drawn designs for my music magazine. I am going to go back through my initial research in order to find codes and conventions from my genres to help create each design. Each design will vary, putting different ideas I have came up with from my research together. Designing each section of my magazine, front cover, contents page and double page spread, will help me experiment and evolve my idea to create my final product. I wont be doing any target audience research for this task as I feel confident with which design I am going to choose. I will now get back to you daily with each of my 3 designs.

Survey Results For Magazine Fonts

I now have my results for the final part of my magazine preparation, the fonts. Again I interviewed 20 people from my target audience, asking them which 2 fonts were their favorite. I had to ask a mass audience because of the wide range of fonts that I had shortlisted. For the header the Eras Bold ITC font just came out on top with a couple of votes. I will now use this font for all my headers and sub headers in my magazine, because it is the most appealing and best looking to the target audience. My results for my text font research showed that the target audience found the Tw Cen MT Condensed most appealing. Personally this is my favorite as well due to the fact it is condensed. This allows me to include more text in a smaller space as each word wont be spread out taking up loads of the area, it is also clear to read as well. Now that I have completed all of my magazine preparation I will go onto my hand drawn designs. I will start of with an introduction, coming to terms with how I am going to approach this task. I will then design 3 possible designs for my magazine, giving reason behind my decision for each feature I include.

Possible Magazine Fonts

These are the fonts that I have shortlisted to show my target audience. For the headers I have used bold fonts which stand out and also stay consistant to my logo design, I used Eras Bold ITC for my logo. Bold fonts also look powerful and dominant which reinforces the stereotype of rappers, especially when their name is in that font. For the text I have chosen fonts that are thin and condensed, this makes them more clear to read when cramped together. Also using thin text exaggerates the size of the headings, reinforcing the connotations that will be in place. I will now do a quick survey like I did last time with the colour scheme. I will ask 20 of my target audience for their opinion on these fonts and get them to choose their favourite from each section. My next post will be the results from my survey, which again will be in the form of a pie chart.

Survey Results For Colour Scheme

I asked 20 people from my target audience which colour looked best to them. The results came in showing 14 people thought the red looked best, 4 people thought blue looked best and only 2 people liked the look of green. My original idea has came out on top, so it looks like I'll be sticking with red. I can now go onto my final stage of preparation, deciding which fonts I'll be using for my magazine. I will choose 5 possible fonts for headers and sub headers  and then 5 possible fonts for my text. Again I will present these fonts, in my colour scheme, to my target audience so I can get an insight in to which they would find most appealing and conventional. I will then present my results back to you again in the form of a pie chart.

My 3 Colour Scheme Designs...

I have recreated my final Logo design 3 times, varying the primary colour between blue, red and green. I have kept the white and black to stick to conventions and reinforce my magazine connotations. I will now present these three designs to my target audience asking which one they find most appealing. I will use a tally chart in order to keep count of votes for each design. A tally chart will be useful as I can quickly convert it into a pie chart like I did for my last target audience research. This time I won't be receiving any feedback as there isn't any need to improve my design, however I will take notice if they don't like any of the colours used. Because I don't need any feedback more people will be willing to do my survey so I can ask a wider audience to comment on my 3 designs.

Final Logo Design

This is my final logo design for my magazine. I have stuck to my design idea which I thought of when looking at possible improvements in my feedback. Now I have used the colour scheme to tell the stereotypical story of a rappers life. I used the black background to help create the 3D effect, also black has connotations of death, evil and mystery which relate to the actual background of most rappers. The next colour that comes along is red which associates with war, danger, determination and passion. This shows that even though they are in a dark place they are using determination and passion to get out, even though they are still around war and danger. Finally the white shows after that determination they have taken on qualities of goodness and innocence in the life out of their 'hood'. Instead of a red outline I have used two copies of the font and made one of them red and the other white. I then arranged the white copy to the front so it's on top of the red and moved it slightly to the right so some of the red is shown, which gives the 3D effect.

Colour Scheme

Now that I have created my logo I need to get a final verdict on the colour scheme. Although I am confident with my black, red and white colour scheme I think it would be useful to get my target audiences opinion on it. I will present the colour scheme to them giving my explanation behind it so they can understand it. Then if they don't like it I will offer two alternatives for them to choose from, which I will decide up now.

After researching magazine colour schemes I have learnt most use black and white with a primary colour which stands out on the page. Although mine already uses one, red, I think I should offer a choice of two other primary colours and keep the black and white. If they don't like the connotations idea behind the colour scheme then they are more bothered about how attractive the colour scheme looks. I think the two colours most suitable would be blue and green as they are clear to view, over colours such as yellow and pink, and still offer a serious and sophisticated appearance.

I will now create the logo again using these colours and show my target audience. Again I will make a chart explaining which colour came out on top and I will be using for my design.

Survey Results and Feedback for Magazine Name...

I now have the results from my target audience for my magazine name. The winner is Redrum! I will now look into the feedback I received on how to improve the design into a professional media product. I was given a compliment and an improvement from each member of my audience. I believe receiving feedback from my target audience instead of tutors will be more useful as I am designing it to their interests and they do know what they want to see. Obviously each member had different ideas on how to improve, so I analysed each idea and decide which ones I will actually take action with. I created a shortlist of my top 3 suggestions, I will now present the feedback and explain to you how I will act upon their possible improvement idea. 

Feedback

Target Audience 1 - "I love the way you have put 3 words together that each relate to the genre. To improve you should add an effect to the font used, so it looks more appealing on the front cover of your magazine." When analysing front covers I noticed a 3D effect was popular and used consistently throughout the page. I could use a drop shadow effect on the text so it stands out of the page and into the viewers eyesight.

Target Audience 2 - "The colour scheme stands out and they have good connotations to fit the genre. However, I don't think they go that well together so you should choose another colour." I'm happy with the connotations of red and black, and they do agree with that. To solve the problem I will add a third colour of white to my design. White has connotations of goodness, innocence and purity which all subvert the rap stereotype. However, they all link to the common story of the bad rapper, with connotations of red and black, turning to the light through their skill of rapping.

Target Audience 3 - "The bold font really stands out on the page and works well with the red font colour. It could be improved by including a background for the colours to play on, this will make them stand out more." This advice has given me an idea on how to develop my last possible improvement. I will give the logo a black background and use white for the font with a red border. This way I can include all the colours as well as adding a 3D effect.

Asking My Target Audience: Logo/Magazine Name

Here is a short clip of my target audience commenting on my logo designs.

Redrum

The third design I have created is again based on a term from my key genre, however this time I have been more specific. The main style of hip hop I am focusing on is Horrorcore so I have chosen a popular term found there, 'Redrum'. The noun 'red' in the name has connotations of war danger and blood which all link to the genre of music, attracting the target audience. Redrum also includes the word 'Drum' which is the main instrument used in a hip hop beat, most MC's just use a drum line to put their lyrics over. The final word that has been included is 'Rum', which is an high percentage alcohol. The rappers that I will be focusing around will be them from a bad background, who used alcohol as an antidepressant. Making the name relate to the contents, purpose and audience of my magazine helps to create a specific idea on what to expect when reading the magazine, reaching the expectations of my target demographic. I have made the text bold so it stands out to the viewer as strong and powerful, which reinforces the rappers mentality I will be writing about. The red font with a thick black outline is used for the same connotations as I talked about in the '4Real' logo design, anger and violence which are stereotyped into the street life of early rappers.

DOPE

This is my second name hand drawn design, 'DOPE'. Instead of an O I have used a microphone. The microphone is a main feature in rap music and has connotations of skill and lyrics, which is what rappers pride themselves on. The target audience will see the microphone and instantly associate it with hip hop. I have used the word 'Dope' because it is commonly found in rap slang. This way I am directly targeting fans of rap music and they will appreciate it as they are reading for personal identity and diversion. This time I have stuck to a plain black colour scheme. This is to reinforce connotations of poor and dark backgrounds many of the rappers I will be writing about will have come from. Again the microphone shows that they used skill and lyrics to get out of that dark place. 

4Real

The name '4Real' is taken from hip hop slang instantly relating the magazine to the genre and attracting the target audience. I have then used. Instead of using 'For' I have used '4' to show informality which is a convention of rap music. The word 'Real' has connotations of quality which shows that the magazine focuses on the most talented of rappers in the business, this is the theme that I am going for. I have used a red and black colour scheme as they have connotations of anger and violence, which are conventions of the rap genre. Also 2 coloured colour schemes are consistent in music magazines, again sticking to the conventions I have found in my research. I will use bold white writing for the text as it works well against the black and will be more appealing for the viewer. Finally, I have taken the use of an '!' from Kerrang! and used it for my design. It adds emphasis on the name and makes the magazine appear as more exciting and fun. 

Initial Name Hand Drawn Designs

I have now designed my 3 name designs which I will present to my target audience. I have 10 potential customers ready to choose their favourite and give feedback on how to improve it further. Around each image I have done a few annotations explaining the purpose behind each design to give them an idea of what I am trying to achieve. Because it is quite difficult to read the annotations I will now explain to you, in detail, the purpose behind each design. 

The Next Step...

Now that I have completed my research on all 3 sections, it is time to start designing my own music magazine. The first step is to use the knowledge I acquired from my research to create 3 hand drawn designs. However, before I do that I want to design the name and logo for my magazine so I know how to create my header and make it most effective in my designs.

To start off I am going to choose the name for my magazine. From my research I have noticed they all base their name around a convention, feature or stereotype of the genre they write about. NME (New Musical Express) and Q (Quality) write about the best and biggest modern music, so they use names that reflect this. Kerrang! is an onomatopoeia, which makes sense as the rock audience stereotype listen purely for the music so expressing it in the name will reach the target audience. The Source don't only write about rap music but also deliver news that would only be relevant to the main rap target audience. Because of this they think of themselves as 'The Source' for all important news, like hip hop shouting themselves out as the number one place to go to over every other magazine. Vibe refers to a convention of music, although vibe isn't just a convention of hip hop it still refers to the idea of quality music. Vibe focus more on the most successful names in rap instead of the underground MC's, so the name is suitable for the style of the magazine.

My initial name ideas are:

• 4Real
• DOPE
• Redrum

I will now create hand drawn designs for each name so I can undertake a short survey with my target audience. I will also listen to feedback on my winning design so I can make final changes for my magazine design.

XXL Double Page Spread Research

*I struggled to find a Vibe double page spread of good quality in which I can study, so instead I have chosen to study another of their biggest rivals, XXL. The double page spread will still help me to understand codes and conventions that are used in a hip top double page spread.*

The XXL double page spread I have chosen to study is written about the 'old school' infamous rapper, Nas. In the image he is wearing a watch, chain, diamond ring and a vest. These all carry connotations of prestige and wealth. In addition, Nas is revelling his tattoos on his arm, which is a common theme amongst urban street culture which reflects his statues of being a street rapper who prides himself on his urban background stereotype and image. I will have to use costume in order to reflect the rappers story and reveal features from his background as well as show off the position they are at now. This is done in the photography by using temporary items, watch, ring, chain, to show luxury which is only recent in his life and permanent details, tattoo, to show that there are still elements from his past that are still with him. My magazine could use this as this is the character profile my artist will have. The use of props is evident in the background with various gym equipment including Everlast punch bags, gym mats and weight machines. These pieces of equipment, for example the punching bag, carry connotations of training to fight. This is significant as it may reflect that Nas is preparing for a battle with his career, or against another rapper, which is conventional with rap as rappers see it as one big competition to be the best. Relating to conventions of the genre I am portraying will be vital when meeting the demands of my target audience. I will use props that stand out in my images to reflect the story being told and catch the eye of the reader. If the photography doesn't meet the expectations of the target audience they won't believe the story will be any better. The setting appears to be a dreary, old fashioned gym with windows looking out to the city Nas prides himself for being brought up in. Again this backs up the convention of raps battling to be top of the game, reflecting his 'Rags to Riches' background. The image has a lack of lighting on the left side of the rappers face and body , creating a dark and ambiguous side to his life which may be spoke about in the story. The setting of the photography plays a big role in presenting the style and characteristics of the artist. I will have to spend time searching for a location in which I can take my photography. I will then edit my photos to play around with the lighting and colouring to help reinforce the stereotype I am presenting. The most dominant text on the screen appears to be the artists name, Nas. The font used is old fashioned, carrying connotations of elegance and class which provides the reader a positive image of the rapper. It may also suggest XXL magazine is one of class and provides stories and news that people would not usually stereotype with rap. As I am slightly challenging some conventions of a rap magazine I will have to do the same. I will use conventions that are most appealing and important in rap magazines, but  then include features that fit my own personal style.

The Source Double Page Spread Research

I have found a double page spread from The Source Magazine which is written about the rapper Rick Ross. They use a simple black and white colour scheme, although it isn't colourful it still stands out effectively as it matches the tuxedo Rick Ross is wearing. This reflects the lifestyle of the artist, rich and classy, a colourful colour scheme would not suit the personality of the rapper. After I take my photos I will experiment on them by changing the hue on the clothing worn to match the colour scheme of my magazine, and seeing which ones offer the same effect as this double page spread. This will ensure that my magazine fits the style of my artist, again relating to the target audience for personalisation and diversion. I like the way Rick Ross has been positioned on one side of the page and the text on the other. Not only does it make the text clearer to read, it makes him appear dominate on the page which is a quality of Rick Ross and rap of being the best in the business. Again I will follow this convention as this is what the audience of rap music will be expecting to see. Making sure it fits the requirements of the target audience is essential as they will be reading the magazine for personal identity and diversion to escape from reality and into the dream world of the rapper. I think the way a bold drop capital has been used is effective as it fits the qualities of Rick Ross, big and powerful. Also the introduction paragraph is a feature which is also very effective as it gives the reader a basic idea of what the article is going to be about. The quote 'You ain't seen nothing yet' has been used as a short sentence that grabs the reader's attention and urges them to see more. Also the slang 'Ain't' gives the reader an idea of the artists idiolect and maybe targets younger age groups (16+). The phrase, 'He arrested speakers nationwide', relates to the rapper stereotype of violence and lawlessness, however it subverts where Rick Ross is doing the 'Arresting'. What makes this quote clever for Rick Ross fans is the fact Rick Ross was once a corrections officer, again personalising the article to the target audience. When considering the language styles for my double page spread I will have to think into what will fit into the magazine effectively, as well as what will seem realistic in relation to the artist. Personalising language features to the target audience will also help fit the conventions of a successful magazine. Not only will it be understood by new readers, but have qualities aimed at the fans making them feel special in contrast. Rick Ross is dressed in a smart black suit which presents him as being someone of power and class. The way he is casually holding a champagne glass and lifting his head high, not looking towards the camera, demonstrates his wealth and masculinity. I think the use of props, balloons, champagne, sunglasses, expensive suits and jewellery reinforces his dominance in the music industry and defiantly portrays the high life that he lives. When taking the photos of my model, I don't want to challenge the conventions of clothing too much as the qualities of my artist won't be the high life, but the opposite side of rap involved around hoods and grit. I have to make my styling realistic to the artist so I will be using clothing such as hoody's and caps. This way I will expect people who are more interested in hip hop to be more intrigued to read the article.

Kerrang! Double Page Spread Research

This is the Kerrang! double page spread that I have chosen to research, it stood out from the rest and I liked it's unique style. The title of the main story is very upfront and stands out because it is scribbled down on the page, this reflects the characteristics of Blink 182, immature and childish. This is then reinforced by linking it to dinosaurs and Mark's childish pose impersonating a dinosaur. In terms of connotation the main story title is very upfront and stands out because of the way it has been scribbled on the page. Again this is important for the target audience as the rough and rebellious qualities of the article reflect the characteristics of the band. By designing the double page spread to the bands personality it will match the expectations of existing fans, having a close link with your favourite band is stereotypical of a rock fan. I will follow this  idea and design for my double page spread so the target audience can read it for personal identity and diversion to escape from reality and into the world of the band. After analysing the article for lexical features I noticed "Getting Naked." and "Dick Jokes." These make the artist sound like he has a wild lifestyle as he discusses how life differs away on tour from his home life. Again this makes the information suitable for the target audience, creating a chance for personal identity and diversion to escape reality. Instead of using Standard English while writing my article I will use specific informality. Using the language of the band not only helps to personalise the article to the band but also targets the demographic. Targeting the demographic will make the article more interesting to read and give new readers an insight into the band and their fans. The two main colours for the text are red and black, these colours could connote emotions such as hate and depression. this will be suitable for the target audience of teenagers as they are stereotyped as rebellious and usually depressed. They will see music as a place to escape to so relating to their feelings is something they are searching for. I will use my colour scheme to fit the stereotype of my target audience which is around the same age. In terms of semantics the red dinosaur claw tare through the page will attract the target audience through the same stereotype. The strike of a claw has connotations of anger and violence linking to the idea of teenagers being rebellious to the point they are most likely involved in criminal activity. Using graphology to target the stereotype of the target audience will attract them into the article as they believe they can relate to it. Because I am going into a more sophisticated style I won't be using much imagery on the double page apart from my photography. Therefore I will look to relate features of the photography to meet the interests of my target audience.

Q Double Page Spread Research

The Q double page spread focuses on Jay Z which will help me understand how an article of a rapper is created without using all the conventions of a rap magazine. The image of Jay Z takes up one page of the double page spread like the NME one did, this enforces his identity on the article. He is wearing black sunglasses along with a black t-shirt. This is consistent with his overall image, he is known for wearing 'all black everything'. The sunglasses completely conceal his eyes and give a feeling that there are many things that remain untold about him and could possibly be told in the article. The sunglasses also add emphasis to his trademark mouth and lips which have helped make his career and fortune, which is then reinforced by his necklace being a symbol of wealth. The image also appears like the Obama campaign poster suggesting similarities between the two world figures. It relates to some of Jay Z's songs about trying to achieve equality, power and wealth as a black American.  Telling so much information through the image adds significance to the article and makes the reader want to find out more. It also adds a lot of attention to the artist themselves and their personality making them the centre of attention. Concentrating on portraying information through my photography will be one of my aims in order to add the same effect Q do. The image is cast with a red wash effect on his right shoulder, as well as red being the colour of the Q logo, it also has connotations of passion, love and blood. The other side is white which has connotations of purity and cleanliness, suggesting Jay Z is now tainted and his purity is disappearing as he has now sold his unsavoury past through music. This adds an insight to the story inside the article and draws the reader in to want to find out more about the life of the world superstar. Like the last feature this can only be understood by fans of Jay Z making it personal for them and letting the article appear with knowledge and relevance. The large red J behind the text is a mirror image of the Q logo, however it is made into a J because the interview is about 'Jay Z'. The text used is classy and upper-end which reflects the qualities of Jay Z and the conventions of Q magazine. Across the double page spread Jay Z and other key words are in a red font to add the connotations of power, passion and then Q magazine. For my magazine I will add conventions of my magazine design to the article and help it link to the artist. However I don't want to go as far as Q have as I want to bring all the attention of the double page spread to the artist.