Format Research Double Page Spread 2 - Vibe Magazine

For my second format research about double page spreads, I will analysing the double page spread of Vibe Magazine

Layout: The layout of this double page spread looks very effective and different to other double page spreads seen in previous music magazines. The norm of double pages spreads of not just music magazines but any magazines is to have an image on preferably the right hand side of the page with the article on the left as this is what the normal eye flow is when the receiver first looks at the page. In this case then, this magazine defines the norms of double page spreads with the layout and eye flow that it contains. Saying this however, the previous music magazine I looked at, 'Billboard' also conveys the norms of double page spreads so maybe this is the norm for double page spreads of music magazines. The way in which the image, article and the headings are displayed make the page look very professional and very vibrant due to the use of colours and different images used across the top of the page. The way in which the articles are laid out also makes the page look really good and appealing to the reader as they are broken down into columns which are the norms of typical magazine articles. There are articles on each page, even though there are more on the left hand page where the main image is displayed on the right which sort of acts as the norms of eye flow but as the image isn't filling up the whole right hand page I would still say it contradicts the norms of a traditional eye flow. Overall, I like the layout of this double page spread as it is diverse with a good range of colours and the articles are placed well which makes the reader what to look at this page more in depth. 

Images:  The images used on this double page look very effective because of the use of colour and the style in which the images are laid out across the page. I like how there are multiple pictures of the same women across the top of the page and she is posing in different ways. The way in how there is a main image of her in colour at the front and then the smaller images in black and white in the background makes the double page spread appeal to its target audience. By looking at the double page spread of this magazine, I would say that the target audience of this article would be for women as the images show a women in a nice, fancy dress so this could suggest women are reading this article because they are inspired by her look at feel that if they read the article then they can look like her. This image is an iconic image because the article is actually about her so they use an iconic image to relate the text to the picture, this way the reader feels more connected to the article and knows what it is about. The image is also the first thing the reader sees when they open the page because it follows the norms of eye flow. If the reader likes the image then it is most probable that they will want to read the article because they want to find out more about that person. This is also why the producer used an iconic image rather than a symbolic image. Although there aren't many images or even a contrast of images on this page I think that  the images that are used makes this double page spread look very effective.

Font/Colour/Articles: The font used is a san serif font which is very effective as it portrays informality to the reader which could then consequently gain the readers trust as they have a more personal and special feel when purchasing and reading the magazine. Like Billboard magazine, this double page spread has a very distinctive house style.  The colours of grey, black, white and blue are presented as the house style in this double page spread as the colours are repeated and shown throughout the article. Furthermore, the font used is a serif font which makes the article look really interesting and presented professionally. In addition, unlike what we saw in Billboard magazine, the article is a the traditional style with columns as this makes it easier for the receiver to read. On the other hand, just like Billboard, there also isn't any sign of a drop cap which is what most magazines have at the beginning of an article to attract attention and make the page look more appealing to the eye.