How to do Cover Analysis

Target Audience:
Say the genre of the magazine.
Age:
Gender:
Social Grade:
Ethnicity:
Interests:

Masthead:
What words are used in the masthead?
How do these words coyote the genre to the target audience?
What typography style has been used for the masthead and why does this attract/represent the target audience?
What colour/s have been used for the masthead and what do they connote?Why will these colours attract the target audience?

Colour Pallet:
What Colours are in the colour pallet?
What do these colours connote?
Why do the colours represent/attract the target audience?

Layout:
What does the layout look like e.g. is it cramped? is it stylish?
What does this connote about the magazine content?
Why does this layout represent/attract the target audience?

Images:
What is the main image e.g. shot type (close up/medium close up etc) and what/ who does it show?
What does the rise-en-scene (e.g. costumes/lighting/facial expression)in the main image look like?
Why does the main image attract/represent the target audience?
How many minor images are on the cover? What type of shots are they and what sort of things are happening in them?
Why/ How do the minor images represent and attract the target audience?

Typography:
Say that all the images have teasers to reveal more about the stories in the magazine?
What is the language like (use quotes from the text to support your points)? E.g. is it formal? Sophisticated? Informal? Simple?
Why does this choice of language represent the target audience and what does it say about the content of the magazine?
What punctuation is used ( use quotes from the from the text to support your points)? Why will this represent/ attract the target audience?

Other Features:
What else is on the cover? E.g. bar code,issue number, price and date
How big are these features?
Why are they the size they are (link your answer to the audience)?