Preliminary Task - Front Cover Flat Plan

I have decided to abide by the traditional magazine cover convention and position the masthead at the top. This would allow the audience to instantaneously recognise the brand of the magazine. However, I will have the masthead falling behind the main image as I believe that the person on the main image is usually more of a selling point than the brand of the magazine itself. As well as this, I have chosen to make the main image the full size of the magazine cover and not include any other images as I believe this simplicity is very effective and would make the magazine appear professional. Furthermore, I have positioned the main coverline between half way/three quarters of the way down the cover and will have it fall in front of the main image. I have decided to do this as I believe that having the name of the person pictured in the main image stand out, an increase in sales will occur as a result. On top of this, I have chosen to position a subheading beneath the main coverline as this ensures that the audience are aware of which story within the magazine this quote relates to. The inclusion of a subheading will intrigue the reader and make them want to know more about this story, consequently increasing the popularity of the magazine. I have chosen to position coverlines on both sides of the magazine as I believe that 2 shorter lists of text appear less daunting and less boring to read than one long list. Therefore, the audience would be more likely to read these coverlines, find out what is included inside, and subsequently purchase the magazine. Finally, I have included essential information both below the masthead and in the bottom right hand corner. Below the masthead I will write the date of issue and price and in the bottom right hand corner I will include the barcode, issue number and website. I have chosen to position them in this format as I believe the information I have positioned beneath the masthead is more important than that in the bottom corner.