My DPS analysis of two magazines

1. Double Page Spread Analysis

2. The range of different artists suggest that despite a large proportion of the magazine
dedicated to rock or alternative music, there is some diversity making the target
audience larger. The images of the artists are very different and diverse with half of
them being against coloured backgrounds then another half with natural
backgrounds. This further suggests the reader likes some diversity in their music and
layout.
“Musicians, eh. Always
moving from Slovenia to
America at the age of 16,
rejuvenating scuzzed-up
alt folk…”
The writing is very
informal and casual
possibly due to the main
target audience being for
young adults and
teenagers.
The tone is very similar to
how you would talk to
people knowledgeable of
the subject and you are
comfortable with such like
a friend.
Colour is used sparingly and in order to make the
main artists stand out. Half the titles are black with
white fonts then the other half are white fonts and
coloured backgrounds. By using colour like this is it
makes certain artists stand out and also doesn’t
detract from the images in the centre of the pages.
The red is also used within the headline as this is a
consistent theme throughout the magazine
The headline is made of more
than one font in order to create
interest. The main words that
stand out are “ON REPEAT” as
these words are the words that
most indicate what the article is
about. It is also the Slug
therefore this font is consistent
throughout.
The font of the main body of
text is clear simple san serif
font. This suggests the reader
prefers simple fonts and also
means the attention isn’t taken
away from the images. The
same text font is used
throughout.
Two-thirds of the page is
made up of text and the
other third is made of
images of the artists
mentioned in the article. By
having the visuals in the
centre of the page it draws
attention to the images
more and therefore suggests
that the reader prefers
visuals rather than too much
writing.
The blocks used behind
the words is consistent
throughout the magazine
including the front cover.
Gutter
The white space within
the gutter allows some
space and makes the
page look neater as
the splashes of colour
are quite vibrant.
Page numbers
They are in the middle as opposed to
in the standard corner suggesting
that NME readers like something a
little different as opposed to generic.

3. Title
By naming the article after the band, it shows the reader that the
band are recognisable by their name and also do not need any
further introduction as the name itself should lead to the reader
wanting the read this certain article. The use of a large bold font
emphasises that they are very impactful and stands out from the
rest of the page. The positioning of the title between the image and
the text also creates a natural eye flow as well as breaking up the
rigid form of the text.
Slug
The distinct slug which is small but colourful in
contrast to the rest of the page makes it eye
catching but not distracting. Therefore
reminding the reader of where they are in the
magazine but not detracting away from the
main article. Considering the rest of the page for
the exception of the pull quote being
monochrome, it emphasises the slug further as
well as the pull quote.
Kicker
By placing this kicker directly
under the Main Header, it
further lets the reader know
what the article is about. The
use of a rhetorical question
also lures the reader into the
article more as it makes them
want to know the answer and
therefore fully read the article
Pull quote
Since the pull quote is in
green and white in
comparison to the rest of
the double page spread
which is very
monochrome, it draws
the reader to look further
at the pull quote and help
them assess whether they
want to read the artivle or
not. By including a
reference to another
famous person in the
quote is entices the
reader to know more
about and learn what the
article is on.
Image
The monochrome long shot image of the band looking through
music records is used because it helps set the scene and also
emphasise what the article is about. It establishes them as a
musical band and the monochrome tone creates a darker
more sinister feel and this reflects the music they produce. The
band are so well known that even though the faces of the
band members cant be seen it is still easy to distinguish the
band members.
Caption
The short caption allows the
reader to immediately understand
the image and even if they do not
know the band is gives
information that may lead to the
reader more deeper into the
article and band.
Dropcap
The large interesting dropcap which fits in with the
monochromatic theme with hints of green further
expresses the band as a whole and also fits in well with
the page. By doing so it is also creating a more visually
simulating layout and design as it breaks up the image to
writing ratio and adds some more interest which would
appeal to the reader more as they are likely to get bored
if the page was made wholly of text.
Eye flow
The natural eye flow for
the page goes from the
large A4 image to the
bold succinct title which
then leads to the text and
lastly the image. This is
visually stimulating as the
images at the beginning
and the end let the
article in the middle
stand out more and
therefore readers are
more likely to read the
article due to the use of
images in this particular
order.