personal study // JANUARY 2013
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
written and designed by elizabeth harrison
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // contents
An Investigation into how the Editorial Design of a Magazine Cover affects the Brand Identity
2 // JANUARY 2013
contents \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
CONTENTS introduction
4-5
the important role
6-7
a brief history mainstream womens fashion magazines
8-10 11
the cover star
12-13
attittude
14-21
multiple covers
22-23
celebrity culture magazines
24
newspaper pull-out magazines
25
a different kind of newsstand
26-27
conclusion
28-29
bibliography
30-31
JANUARY 2013 \\ 3
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // introduction
4 // JANUARY 2013
contents \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
INTRODUCTION The generic characteristics of a magazine are generally always the same; title, cover, images, editorial content. So how is it that different magazines of the same genre or topic can be separated and sub-categorized into their own established brand? Fashion magazines in particular tend to cover very similar content and topics, as they need to follow the latest trends, yet they often represent very different identities, looks and attitudes. These differing identites are portrayed through the use of design choices, editorial style, and fundamentally the key page that we first set our eyes upon, the front cover. During this study I aim to investigate the methods and results of the design choices various magazine brands make, comparing and contrasting the different aspects of editorial design for what is arguably the most important part of a magazine; the cover. I intend to look further into a selection of different magazine brands from various archetypes, which are all fashion-related so that I can evaluate the differences between magazines stemming from the same genre.
JANUARY 2013 \\ 5
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // the importance of the cover
THE ROLE
OF THE COVER The cover of any magazine not only bears the burden of selling the issue, but it also carries a much bigger responsibility of creating the personality or identity of the magazine brand. It determines the impression the consumer gets when looking at a first glance. When it comes to a magazine, first impressions are everything. Standing in a shop faced with shelves and shelves of magazines staring back at you, what is it that leads you to pick up that chosen magazine off the shelf? As the consumer, you will no doubt already know what type of magazine you want to buy, but with such a large amount of magazine brands stemming under each individual genre, the cover needs to stand out from these competitors. Yolanda Zappaterra sums up the purpose of the magazine cover perfectly: “The first and most important part of any publication on which to stamp the brand and its values, is on the cover.This is the part of the magazine that will work tirelessly for the publisher, both on the news-stand, where it must get its feel across and stand out from the competition, and after purchase, where it will continue to sell the brand values on a more intimate scale to both the owner and other readers.” 1 6 // JANUARY 2013
Zappaterra makes the vital point that a magazine cover continues to promote and sell the publication brand after the magazine has been taken off the shelf and consumed. This might be when it is carried under an arm in street, on a coffee table in somebody’s home, in a waiting room, or in a supermarket line. Essentially, the cover of a magazine is the part that reinforces and sells the brand – it has an enormous array of tasks and responsibilities. The cover needs to reinforce and deliver sales for the brand. It needs to stand out from the crowd in order to be the magazine that the consumer picks off the shelf, amongst the sea of other magazines, and takes to the till to purchase. The cover needs to be familiar to regular and repeat readers, but still has to look sufficiently distinct from its forerunner; varying in colour, mood and content from the last issue, with a fresh new (usually perfectly airbrushed) model taking centre stage. Repeat buyers instantly recognise it as a new issue and are impelled to buy it. Andy Cowles reinforces this point during an interview by stating “the key to making a magazine brand is consistency. It has to always be the same, yet also changing. The reader has to know what to expect, yet when the page turns they must be surprised.” 2 Cowles picks up on the importance of consistency, but also the
the importance of the cover \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
importance of change. As well as appealing to its loyal customers, it has to appeal to potential new readers without distancing devoted readers. Balancing all these juxtaposing factors is a tricky task for a designer. Amongst all these roles, it is also vital that the cover of any kind of publication, not only a magazine, truly expresses the character of that particular publication. As clichéd as it is, the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is somewhat invalid when it comes to magazines, as the cover is what most people go off when choosing which to buy. It also needs to articulate the publication’s content in order to entice potential readers to take a look inside, and hopefully buy it. With all of these duties and roles, it is no wonder that “many publications and designers spend almost as much time, money and energy on this one page as the rest of the publication.” 3 After all, if the cover is not attractive and enticing enough when sat on the newsstand, it will simply not sell. So it is evident that the cover (or the designer of the cover) has a heavy burden on its/their shoulders! Zappaterra, Y. Editorial Design. London: Laurence King Publishng Ltd, 2007, p.29. Leslie, J. Mag Culture: New Magazine Design. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2003, p.8. 3 Zappaterra, ref. 1, p.30 1 2
JANUARY 2013 \\ 7
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // history
HOW HAS THE GENERIC COVER
EVOLVED Centuries ago, when a magazine was referred to as a ‘periodical’, the publications were worlds apart from the rows upon rows of glossy mags we see on our newsstands today. One of the first publications to be referred to as a ‘magazine’ was The Gentlemen’s Magazine [Figure 1], founded by Edward Cave in 1731. It is said that this periodical in fact gave the name “magazine” to its genre. The Gentlemen’s Magazine was a monthly magazine published in London during the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century.4 Throughout it’s longevity the cover almost always featured an image of St. John’s Gate [Figure. 1], the home of Edward Cave, and the location at which it was printed. The magazine developed into various subtitles such as ‘monthly intelligencer’ and ‘historical review’, but its publishing came to an end in 1907. As the printing industry grew bigger over the late 19th and 20th centuries, the magazine industry grew in correlation. Technical improvements and inventions such as the rotary 8 // JANUARY 2013
press, the halftone block and the making of cheaper paper, meant that magazines could start to print pictures rather than illustrations. Magazines also started to catch on to the idea of using advertisements to boost their financial revenue, which stimulated the growth of the industry considerably. More and more magazines aimed at women were introduced, mainly in the US, such as Ladies’ Home Journal in 1883 (Cyrus H.K. Curtis), Cosmopolitan in 1886, and not forgetting Vogue being founded in 1892 by Arthur Turnure and Harry Mcvickar. 5 Ladies’ Home Journal was originally set up as Ladies’ Journal, but when the magazine’s engraver made the decision to add the word ‘home’ beneath his cover sketch, the magazine became known to readers as Ladies’ Home Journal. The magazine was a huge success, becoming the first magazine to achieve a circulation of 1 million by 1903. Figure 1: The Gentleman’s Magazine cover - July 1771
history \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Figure 2: Ladies’ Home Journal cover - 1883
Shortly after Ladies’ Home Journal took off, Arthur Baldwin Turnure and Harry McVickar founded what has now come to be one of the biggest fashion publications in the world. Cue Vogue.6 Dodie Kazanjian discussed the very first cover, published in December 1892:
Figure 3: First ever Vogue cover - December 1892
“A young lady in a floor-length evening dress with a corseted waist and gigot sleeves holds a bouquet of just-cut tea roses and looks out at us with a slightly mischievous, sidelong glance. Above her, two barefoot sylphs recline on either side of the word Vogue; one regards herself in a hand-held mirror, the other leafs through the pages of a magazine. Style, refinement, leisure, decorum, and affluence are all on display, along with just a hint of seduction. It’s the upper-class American ideal of beauty at the fin de siècle.” 7
4 The Gentleman’s Magazine Library, 1731 – 1868 [online] http://search.ancestry.co.uk/ searchdbaspx?dbid=31424 [accessed on 24 January 2013] 5 Kazanjian, D. Vogue: The Covers. New York: Abrams, 2011, p.6 6 Vogue – Britannica Encyclopedia [online] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631831/Vogue [accessed on 24 January 2013] 7 Kazanjian, D. Vogue: The Covers. New York: Abrams, 2011, p.6
JANUARY 2013 \\ 9
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // history
Ladies’ Home Journal, Vogue, and Cosmpolitan all still run today. Unfortunately, their covers, like a lot of magazines nowadays, have taken the familiar route of overcrowded cover lines and lack of artistic flair, because they have to fight for attention on the newsstand. The way in which they are displayed is through total different media. The delicate illustrative feel is almost totally lost and replaced with crisp, airbrushed photography. It is a shame, considering how beautiful some of the earlier cover designs were. However, if we consider the Vogue covers being published today, they 10 // JANUARY 2013
still display most of the qualities Kazanjian talks of; ‘syle, refinement, leisure, decorum and affluence”, but they often display slighty more than “just a hint of seduction”. This is understandable though taking into account how much ‘sex sells’ in our society these days.
Figure 4: Cosmopolitan cover - December 1919
This innocent and charming style of delicately designed cover did not last long, Condé Montrose Nast bought Vogue magazine in 1909, and he did not plan on keeping things the same. 8 Nast hired a new team of young illustrators, photographers and artists. He modernized the magazine, shifting its editorial design and transforming it into “a women’s fashion magazine focused on beauty, composure, and etiquette.”9 There is a clear shift in the cover design when looking at them chronologically. Over the decades the covers become more and more refined in editorial quality. Vogue was one of the first magazines to publish a cover with colour photography, which was revolutionary at the time.
Kazanjian, D. Vogue: The Covers. New York: Abrams, 2011, p.6 9 Vogue – Britannica Encyclopedia [online] http:// www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631831/ Vogue [accessed on 24 January 2013] 8
Vogue \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
MAINSTREAM WOMENS FASHION MAGAZINES “The celebrities are right there with us, friendly and smiling, dazzling but accessible, no distance at all. Drew Barrymore may be cuddling up to a lion, but we just know she’d like us to join them. And there, in March 2009, right on cue, is Michelle Obama – “The First Lady the World’s Been Waiting For,” as the cover line announces – whose style, beauty, and intelligence maker her the ultimate modern American woman.”
Figure 5: Drew Barrymore on Vogue in April 2005
Having taken a brief look at the early Vogue covers, I now want to concentrate on more recent issues, and how the brand is perceived through the cover today. Vogue’s publishing house Condè Nast defines the magazine as “thoughtprovoking, relevant and always influential, Vogue defines the culture of fashion.”10 It is clear that the magazine brand has an authoritative position amongst the other fashion magazines on the consumer’s shelf. Condè Nast claims that the foundation of the magazines authority is the brand’s unique role as a cultural barometer for a global audience.11 The fact that the publishing house feels the brand itself has a ‘role’ to give fashion guidance worldwide, sums up just how reputable the brand actually is. The timeless brand has been talking to the fashion world for over 120 years now, for over a century the brand has been building up its invaluable reputation in the fashion magazine industry. However, the time a magazine has been running is only a factor in gaining a valued reputation. For the entire time the magazine has been going it has kept its cover designs clean and classy, with only the best and most beautiful A-list celebrities on the cover. Dodie Kazanjian talks of these cover stars:
Vogue | Conde Nast [online] http://www. condenast.com/brands/vogue [accessed on 6 January 2013] 11 ibid. 10
JANUARY 2013 \\ 11
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // cover star case study
It goes without saying that a magazine has to have a good reputation to get the First Lady on their cover. However, Vogue is far from the only magazine to have the privilege of Michelle Obama gracing their cover. If we look at these five issues from different magazine brands, it shows how publishers make every single aspect of the cover exude their
brands personality and character, including the cover star no matter who she or he may be. Jennifer Scanlon is of the opinion that “the woman on the cover often tells us as much about the orientation of the magazine as it does about the woman.” I feel that these examples fully support this point.
US Vogue - January 2009 Photographer Annie Liebovitz captures the First Lady Michelle Obama in her sophisticated beauty. She is portrayed as the effortlessly fashionable yet independent and successful woman. She is a modern First Lady, unrestricted by outdated rules or ideas and opinions of what a woman in her position should wear. She is feminine yet strong, fashionable yet accessible. On this cover, Michelle Obama is sending out a message to modern women readers – you can enjoy fashion and look amazing while still looking appropriate. The masthead is taken behind her in a classic black, the cover lines are few and subtle in white, while she is bold in a fuscia pink and standing out from her beige surroundings.
A very contrasting cover to the Vogue cover featuring Michelle Obama. Both are from the same year, just different publication brands. Here she oozes determination and strength. Her facial expression is confident, and somewhat pleased with herself. The iconic red border and close up facial shot converse the voice of the magazine well – it is a direct talking, to-the-point weekly magazine that addresses current events head on. She appears to be very much in the background on this cover, yet still stands out due to the cropped facial shot and minimal strap lines. There is no need for a body shot or a glamourous dress and pose with this magazine brand.
Ladies’ Home Journal – Mission Statement [online] http://www.meredith.com/mediakit/lhj/ print/2013/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] 13 ibid. 12
12 // JANUARY 2013
cover star case study \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Glamour - December 2009 Another issue with cover star Michelle Obama – this time for Glamour’s 2009 Christmas issue. It is not obvious to see what the main characteristic they were trying to get across with this cover is – it is in the name of the magazine after all. For this brand, Mrs. Obama comes across as youthful, elegant and, you guessed it, glamourous. She looks sassy yet innocent. Cover lines have not been minimised though as they have been in Vogue and Time, perhaps in an attempt to still appeal to Glamour’s younger readership, who may not be bought into the magazine by the cover star alone. The cover adds a Christmassy vibe with her fashionable red dress and snowflakes in the background. It successfully lets the reader know what to expect inside: a busy, jam-packed, slightly cheesy, fun, fashion magazine – but still manages to keep Michelle Obama looking as classy as ever.
Hello! Magazine - June 2011 Yet another variant of a cover with Michelle Obama on, only this time she is not necessarily the ‘cover star’. Hello! Magazine, a weekly publication dedicated to celebrity news and human-interest stories, features an action shot of the Duchess of Cambridge and the First Lady mid-conversation. Celebrity gossip magazines such as this often have to take precaution when covering topics such as the royal family and the president, as they will no doubt want to stay on good terms with the stars and keep a good relationship. The tag line to the cover photo reads “Kate and Michelle, the first ladies of style” – respectful and charming. Here Michelle Obama is depicted to look social, stylish, and friendly. The shot looks natural, unposed and believable – all things that Hello! magazine is about – and most importantly, real.
Ladies’ Home Journal - 2010
The final cover featuring Michelle Obama that I have selected is the September 2010 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. The magazine states that “it is for women who recognise the importance of taking time for themselves” in their mission statement.12 The magazine uses Michelle Obama, as they will do with all their cover stars, to get across the persona and character of the magazine. She looks perfectly made-up, and extremely happy. The magazine is engaging with it’s audience by showing a mirror image of what she will aspire to be - happy and beautiful, no matter how hectic or difficult her lifestyle is. In a way they are saying “you can be this happy too!” (cheesy, but true.) The brand ends their mission statement with “Ladies’ Home Journal engages women with relevant conversations about health and relationships; beauty and style; food and finance.”13 All of these ‘conversations’ they talk of are cleverly advertised through the cover. JANUARY 2013 \\ 13
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // attitude
ATTITUDE For a magazine brand to become successful, it needs to clarify what kind of attitude it wants to take on. Is it cheeky or serious? Is it seductive or innocent? is it edgy or conventional? Nearly all of successful magazines will have a clear attitude exuding from the cover. When thinking about what ‘attitude’ Vogue magazine has, the first term that came to mind was actually ‘Vogue’. The magazine has now become so globally iconic that it is in a leading class of its own in the fashion magazine world. The superior magazine oozes classiness, style and sophistication, with a hint of seduction. It calls out to the fashion lover and sophisticated woman. It is vital that a publisher achieves a consistent attitude across all issues of their magazine.
Figure 12
14 // JANUARY 2013
Figure 13
attitude \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
If we compare the attitudes of these two Vogue covers [Figure 12& 13], although they both have different overall looks, they actually still have very coordinating personalities. Both covers are from 2011, and are from two consecutive months one after the other. The February 2011 cover featuring Victoria Beckham makes use of a colour palette of soft pastels, while the March cover uses a warm palette of vibrant red and orange. The February cover comes across as very sweet and innocent, and the March cover is sexy and seductive, but in a very classy manner as Rosie HuntingtonWhitely is actually very covered up in a long sleeved jacket. The February cover still features a hint of seduction through the use of photography and the model’s eyes. The photo is a close up so the eyes are bigger, almost lifesize, and making direct eye contact with the viewer enticing them to open the magazine. Despite the different temperature feels to the magazine covers, they both maintain the Vogue attitude through the use of photography style, typographic choices and placement. Not forgetting the A-list celebrities that often resemble a mirror image of the reader’s aspirations and idols as previously discussed.
JANUARY 2013 \\ 15
Figures 14-18
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // attitude
16 // JANUARY 2013
attitude \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
ATTITUDE
14
If we look at these i-D covers [Figure 14;18] which span over 3 decades, it is clear how i-D have successfully kept their covers constant, yet still managed to modernise the look. The brand has kept its design aesthetic strong and bold from the offset, bursting with personality, keeping its identity clear and hard to ignore on the newsstand. Unlike Vogue, typography is continuously varied on every issues cover, picking the most appropriate typeface instead of sticking with the same one. Across all the covers, the only similarities are the constant logo of the winking face, and the winking or covered eye of the cover star. The covers are always extremely recognisable as i-D covers.
Moser, H. The Art Directors’ Handbook of Professional Magazine Design. London: Thames & Hudson, 2009, p.54.
A magazine with bags of attitude, so much attitude that it kicks all the other magazines attitudes off the shelf, is i-D magazine. I am yet to see a dull, uninteresting or generic front cover from i-D. Photography styles are out-there and daring, and they are not afraid to keep cover lines to a bare minimum. Horst Moser makes the interesting point that “through all the changing times, it’s a remarkable feat to have maintained the running joke of the winking eye – whether in photos or comic illustrations – right through to the present day”14
JANUARY 2013 \\ 17
Figure 19
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // attitude
Figure 20
Even if we take away the i-D logo [Figure 19, Figure 20], it is still be obvious to anyone with any knowledge of the publication what brand the magazine is because of the famous wink.
18 // JANUARY 2013
attitude \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Figure 21
Figure 22
In comparison to Vogue, or almost any other fashion magazine, i-D’s editorial design is so much more innovative. During an interview featured in his own magazine, Terry Jones, the founder and editor-inchief of i-D magazine explains that “The punk, pistols, and anarchy ethos of our early issues is still in our DNA”.15 If we compare one of the very first covers with a recent cover, this statement is proved correct. Above are two covers [Figure 21&22]; one from 1984 and one from 2011. Considering there is almost 30 years between the two, it is remarkable how similar they are. The i-D logo is practically identical, the colour palettes used are both vibrant and strong, and the overall feel of the covers is astonishingly alike. There are less cover lines now than on the 1984 issue, and the obvious difference of the styling due to different decades. It is clear that i-D have managed to keep their attitude the same throughout its longevity. It is playful, mischievous, experimental and innovative. Didn’t i see you on the cover of i-D? – i-D Online http://i-donline.com/magazine/the-wise-up-issue/ didnt-i-see-you-on-the-cover-of-i-d/ [accessed on 24 January 2013]
15
JANUARY 2013 \\ 19
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // attitude
Figure 23
Figure 24
If we compare two Vogue issues from the same years as these two i-D covers, it exaggerates the achievement i-D magazine have made.
Kazanjian, D. Vogue: The Covers. New York: Abrams, 2011, p.6 17 Crowley, D. Magazine Covers. London: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, 2003, p.5 16
20 // JANUARY 2013
Unlike the two i-D covers, these are barely comparable. The 1984 issue has mimimal cover lines, interesting typefaces and is not overworked, whereas the 2011 issue seems overloaded with cover lines and generic typefaces. The business of the cover makes it difficult to know where to focus attention. Between the two covers, the attitude has shifted from edgy and fun to serious and sophisticated. However, a constant between the two is the VOGUE masthead, and the fashionable style they both radiate. Also, it has be taken into consideration that Vogue has been around for 200 years, and i-D only a fraction of that at 30 years, so it is generally a much more modern magazine brand, and has had much less time to adapt it’s brand identity. Vogue has also had many different art directors over the years,16 whereas i-D has remained under the same control of Terry Jones.17
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // multiple covers
Figure 25
Figure 26
Figures 22-32
22 // JANUARY 2013
Figure 27
multiple covers \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
MULTIPLE
COVERS Horst Moser makes the point that an interesting variation “is to get the same edition displayed at the news-stand with different covers, either quite independent of each other or complimenting each other like a kind of puzzle.”18 Recently i-D have been creating multiple covers, publishing up to seventeen different front covers per issue.19 These examples of multiple covers from i-D magazine are all easily identified as one issue because of the way in which the logo has been stamped in a different shape and colour. Multiple covers seem to be an upcoming trend in the industry, Love magazine also utilises the marketing strategy. It is a clever way of increasing revenue, as having several different faces to choose from will no doubt lead to increased sales of the issue. A reader may not be a fan of Lady Gaga [Figure 26], so opt for the Kate Moss cover instead [Figure 27]. Avid collectors might feel they have to purchase all of the copies to add to their collection, so with the largest number of i-D covers for one issue being seventeen, that’s a large increase in revenue. Moser
goes on to talk about the aim of this idea; “The object can be to test readers’ reactions, or simply to get them to buy more than one copy.”20 A company would need to have a large budget to print numerous copies with different covers, but Terry Jones is of the opinion that “multiple covers are the future”.21
Moser, H. The Art Directors’ Handbook of Professional Magazine Design. London: Thames & Hudson, 2009, p.88 19 Didn’t i see you on the cover of i-D? – i-D Online http://i-donline.com/magazine/the-wiseup-issue/didnt-i-see-you-on-the-cover-of-i-d/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] 20 Moser, H. ref. 18, p.88 21 Didn’t i see you on the cover of i-D? – i-D Online, ref. 19. 18
JANUARY 2013 \\ 23
Figure 35
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // celebrity gossip
CELEBRITY CULTURE
Figure 34
Figure 33
MAGAZINES
24 // JANUARY 2013
After looking at the beautifully designed i-D magazines, and the sophisticated Vogue covers, at the other end of the design spectrum, come the celebrity culture fashion magazines. This is where the fight for attention on the newsstand gets messy‌literally. The above examples of Grazia [Figure 33], Look [Figure 35] and more! [Figure 34] covers contain a minimum of four different typefaces on each, and three different colours. Layouts are unorganized and chaotic, and teasers of stories inside are splattered all over. There is no room to breathe on these covers, simply because it is not needed. All three of these publications have the same brand message and identity, they are not there to look pretty and to be bought for a keepsake or a collection, they are simply there to give the reader their weekly fix of celebrity gossip and images. Our society seems to have developed a fascination with celebrities and their lifestyles, and these magazines are there to feed it to us.
newspaper pull-outs \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
NEWSPAPER PULLOUT MAGAZINES Magazines with similar content to the celebrity culture magazines are those that come inside our newspapers. Examples of these are Stella magazine from The Sunday Telegraph and Fabulous Magazine from The Sun on Sundays. These magazines have the same genre and content as a fashion/lifestyle magazine such as Grazia, however the covers have a totally different purpose and role. The cover of a newspaper pullout magazine does not have the responsibility of competing on a newsstand amongst all the other magazines – the newspaper has that job.
free magazine that comes with the Sunday Telegraph – show the variation of the masthead positioning. Cover lines can be minimised for bigger visual impact, often down to a single but strong taster of what’s inside the issue – as seen in these Fabulous magazine covers. [Figure 38; 39]
These magazines don’t depend on newsstand sales, so the possibilites to experiment with the editorial design are more or less unlimited. As long as the essential recognition factors of the magazine are still evident, the cover design can be played around with. The masthead can be moved around, it doesn’t have to be permanently at the top of the page so that it can be seen amongst others on a newsstand. These examples of Stella [Figure 36; 37] – a Figure 36;39
JANUARY 2013 \\ 25
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // digital covers
A DIFFERENT KIND OF NEWSSTAND
It is inevitable that the content of a magazine has to be altered for easy reading on a tablet or a smartphone. Double page spreads will become single pages, and the pages will become interactive, but what about the cover? It could be suggested that the front cover loses the majority of its important roles when a issue is taken into a digital format on screen. The cover no longer has to fight for readership on the newsstand. Does this mean that the usually crowded cover filled with cover lines and inside story tasters can be toned down? Does the layout have to be changed for better hierarchy? To find out how these advances in technologies have affected the design of the cover, I researched magazines on the iPad. It is clear that some magazine brands are way ahead in the game than others are in the iPad transition process. Condè Nast’s most popular magazines for example seem to be well on their way to solving the problems that may have come with the arrival of the iPad. Vogue and GQ 26 // JANUARY 2013
both have their own app for reading the magazines on. GQ in particular has some very impressive features on their app, which could be due to the majority of its readership being male, and the stereotype that males are supposedly more into their gadgets and technologies than females. Other magazines seem to be slightly behind with the transition, perhaps they are reluctant to move to new platforms, or intimidated by what it might do to the sales of their print magazines. GQ has a fully interactive iPad magazine with links, videos, reader interactions etc., whereas Elle magazine has not changed its design to adapt to the iPad whatsoever [Figure 40]. Elle have not even gone to the trouble of removing the barcode or price, which is unnecessary on an iPad version. The only difference Elle have made to their cover is making the spine visible on the screen.
Figure 40
Another factor to take into consideration when discussing cover design is the unavoidable area of new technologies. The transition of the way in which we read has taken a huge turn towards digital in recent years; so publishing companies would be naĂŻve to ignore this digital revolution.
digital covers \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I purchased the December 2012 issue of British GQ on the iPad for £2.99 (from the comfort of my own home), and the print version from a shop for £3.99. The first difference I noticed was the quality of the image on my screen. Ashley Greene’s beautiful eyes staring at me were much more impressive than the print version of her staring at me. The iPad cover did not just have one cover either; at first it showed me a simplified version of the cover with minimal cover lines [Figure 42]. It gave me a ‘more’ option to tap, which reveals the rest of the cover lines [Figure 43]. This cover differs slightly from the printed cover[Figure 41], the lines of text are moved around and changed slightly for easier hierarchy.
Figure 41 - British GQ Dec 2012 - Print Version
Figure 42 - British GQ Dec 2012 - iPad Version 1
Figure 43 - British GQ Dec 2012 - iPad Version 2
JANUARY 2013 \\ 27
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // conclusion
“magazine covers are more than just ‘page one’. They’re the public face of the publication. They are its image and its main marketing tool. They aim to catch the eye of the passer-by and to tantalise the onlooker with the promise of fascinating content within.” 22
28 // JANUARY 2013
conclusion \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
CONCLUSION Before I started this investigation into magazine covers, I had never really considered the importance of a magazine cover. I just naïvely appreciated welldesigned covers, and critisized the badly designed ones. After looking further into their important roles, I have come to realise that covers are not just there to look good. I feel that Andrew Losowsky sums this point up well when he says that “magazine covers are more than just ‘page one’. They’re the public face of the publication. They are its image and its main marketing tool. They aim to catch the eye of the passer-by and to tantalise the onlooker with the promise of fascinating content within.”22 Losowsky picks up on the fact that they are used by publishers as a key ‘marketing tool’ to do the most important job of all – sell. With a lot of magazines, exceptions such as i-D magazine, the cover is designed with one thing in mind: sales. I consider this to be such a shame if we look back at the minimal designs from early magazines; I think they were much more visually attractive than a lot of covers nowadays. I feel that magazine design would benefit if publishers concentrated less on trying to jam pack the entire content of the issue on the cover, and focused more on the art direction and overal visuals.
Losowsky, A. We Love Magazines. Luxembourg: Mike Koedinger, 2007, p. 34. 23 Owen, W. Modern Magazine Design. USA: Rizzoli International Publications, 1992, p.186.
Losowsky also picks up on my earlier point that I made about covers having to be eye catching in order to lure the reader in to look at the content within. However after studying further into new technologies, I feel that in years to come, as these technologies progress further and the way in which we read changes even more eradically, the ‘cover’ for a digital version of a publication will be totally different to the cover of a printed publication. From my comparisons between print and digital covers, as it stands there are no major differences, but I predict that this will change in the future. Throughout this study I have realised that what a designer, such as myself, would consider a ‘good cover’ and what a publisher would consider to be a ‘good cover’ are worlds apart. In the eyes of a publisher, the best cover is the cover that sells most copies of their issue. Many publishers seem to think that a cover with a beautifully symmetrical human face staring back at the reader, surrounded by as many cover lines as can be squeezed on beside their life sized head, is the perfect cover. This, however, is understandable considering the front cover provides around 40% of a magazine’s distribution.23
22
JANUARY 2013 \\ 29
FIRST IMPRESSIONS // bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY Books • Crowley, D. Magazine Covers. London: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, 2003. • Duperray, S. & Vidaling, R. Front Page: Covers of the Twentieth Century. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003. • Leslie, J. Mag Culture: New Magazine Design. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2003. • Kazanjian, D. Vogue: The Covers. New York: Abrams, 2011. • Kitch, C. The Girl on the Magazine Cover. USA: The University of North Carolina press, 2001. • Klanten, R. & Ehmann, S. Turning Pages: Editorial Design for Print Media. Die Gestalten Verlag, 2010. • Losowsky, A. We Love Magazines. Luxembourg: Mike Koedinger, 2007. • Moser, H. The Art Directors’ Handbook of Professional Magazine Design. London: Thames & Hudson, 2009. • Owen, W. Modern Magazine Design. USA: Rizzoli International Publications, 1992. •Zappaterra, Y. Editorial Design. London: Laurence King Publishng Ltd, 2007.
Journals Scanlon, J. The Womens Review of Books. Not Just a Pretty Face, 2002, vol.19 (6) [online] http://www. jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/4023963.pdf?acceptTC=true [accessed 22 January 2013]
Websites • The Gentleman’s Magazine Library, 1731 – 1868 [online] http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/ db.aspx?dbid=31424 [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Vogue, Condé Nast [online] http://www.condenast.com/brands/vogue [accessed on 6 January 2013] • Magazines as Brands [online] http://www.brandlabuk.com/Branding%20for%20Tomorrow%27s%20 Publisher.pdf [accessed on 22 January 2013] • Magazine - Britannica Online Encyclopedia [online] http://www.britannica.com/ search?query=magazine [accessed on 23 January 2013] • Vogue – Britannica Online Encyclopedia [online] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/ topic/631831/Vogue [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Ladies’ Home Journal – Mission Statement [online] http://www.meredith.com/mediakit/lhj/print/2013/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] • First kisses, first times, first covers. i-D Online [online] http://i-donline.com/2011/08/first-kisses-first-times-first-covers/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Didn’t i see you on the cover of i-D? – i-D Online [online] http://-donline.com/magazine/the-wise-up-issue/didnt-i-see-you-on- the-cover-of-i-d/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] 30 // JANUARY 2013
bibliography \\ FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Images • Figure 1: The Gentlemen’s Magazine Archives http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/ serial?id=gentlemans [accessed on 23 January 2013] • Figure 2: 125 Years of Ladies’ Home Journal http://www.lhj.com/style/covers/125-years-of-ladies-home-journal/ [accessed on 23 January 2013] • Figure 3: Catalog Record: Cosmopolitan, Hathi Trust Digital Library http://catalog.hathitrust.org/ Record/000544108 [accessed on 23 January 2013] • Figure 4: From the Archives: Vogue Looks Back at 120 Years of Covers http://www.vogue.com/voguedaily/article/from-the-archives-vogue-looks-back-at-120-years-of-covers/# [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 5: Drew Barrymore‘s Vogue Cover – Shaping a Decade: Ten Years of Vogue Shape Issue covers – Vogue Daily [online] http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/the-past-decade-of-shape-issues/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 6, 7: Michelle Obama’s Vogue Cover [online] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/11/ michelle-obamas-vogue-cov_n_165764.html [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 8: TIME Magazine Cover: The Meaning of Michelle – June 1, 2009 http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20090601,00.html [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 9: Michelle Obama’s Inspiring Mission: glamour.com http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/ blogs/smitten/2009/10/on-the-cl-michelle-obama.html [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 10: Hello! Michelle Obama cover [online] http://www.whosdatedwho.com/sections/magazines/ archive/2011/june_28 [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 11: Ladies’ Home Journal Michelle Obama Cover [online] http://www.lhj.com/style/covers/ michelle-obama/ [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 12: Victoria Beckham February Vogue [online] http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2011/01/04/ victoria-beckham-february-vogue [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 13: Vogue Magazine Cover Archive – Kate Moss [online] http://www.vogue.co.uk/magazine/ archive/issue/2011/March [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 14;18, 21;22: Various i-D covers [online] http://i-donline.com/magazine [accessed on 26 January 2013] • Figure 19;20: Photoshop generated images • Figure 23: Vogue Magazine Cover Archive – August 1984 http://www.vogue.co.uk/magazine/archive/ issue/1984/August [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 24: Lady Gaga America Vogue Cover [online] http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2011/02/11/ladygaga-american-vogue-cover [accessed on 24 January 2013] • Figure 25;27: 308. The 30th Birthday Issue – magazines (x3 images) [online] http://idonline.gostorego. com/magazines/308-the-30th-birthday-issue.html accessed on 26 January 2013] • Figure 28;32: 309. The Define Yourself Issue – magazines (x5 images) [online] http://idonline. gostorego.com/magazines/309-the-define-yourself-issue.html • Figure 33: Grazia magazine cover [scanned image] • Figure 34: more! magazine cover [scanned image] • Figure 35: Look magazine cover [scanned image] • Figure 36;39: Stella and Fabulous magazine covers December 2012 issues [scanned images] • Figure 40: Elle magazine cover [iPad screen shot taken on 26 December 2012] • Figure 41: British GQ magazine December 2012 Cover [scanned image] • Figure 42;43: British GQ magazine December 2012 Cover [iPad screen shot taken on 26 December 2012] JANUARY 2013 \\ 31
personal study // JANUARY 2013
written and designed by elizabeth harrison