The Conventions of the Cover

 Eudaimonia: The state of human flourishing and living well.

Sketch 1:

    This sketch begins with the masthead, placed vertically on the left side of the cover. The masthead is the largest text on the page as it is the title of the entire magazine, also giving the cover photo more vertical room. This magazine will be titled "Eudaimonia" meaning "human flourishing". As this is a fashion magazine, aesthetic improvement is the goal. The model is placed to the right of the mast head, facing sideways with their head slightly tuned towards the camera. This allows viewers to see closer shots of the model's face and makeup. The main cover line is placed directly under the model in bottom right corner. Besides the masthead, this will the be next largest text on the page. In traditional fashion magazines, this major cover line will hint to the feature article or celebrity posed on the cover. Beneath the main cover line will be a subheading further explaining the text above, as the text above is most often minimal words. Smaller cover lines will be placed farther up the cover to the right of the model, hinting to other minor articles within the magazine. This gives viewers insight to what else is featured in the magazine. Lastly the date is placed in the top right, and the bar code is placed in the bottom right. These are important features of a magazine despite their size as they give readers insight to how current information inside the magazine is.

Sketch 2:

In this sketch, the masthead is placed at the top of the page. Similar to Vogue, Elle, and other fashion magazines. The elevated masthead draws the eye directly to the title, alerting viewers about what they are about to read. The masthead is extremely important to magazine covers as it immediately labels and gives the magazine a reputation. The cover photo is directly underneath with the model maintaining a forward stance, directly looking to the camera. The chest of the model is ridden with the main cover line, similar to the previous sketch. This cover line will feature the main article inside the magazine, and is the last hope in capturing viewers interest based off of the cover alone. Minor cover lines are placed around the readers head showcasing smaller articles inside the magazine. While these minor cover lines may not receive as much attention, they create the idea that the magazine is filled with important information. The date is directly underneath the mast head to the right and the bar code is placed in the bottom right. These features are small and out of the way but must be on the cover for identification. 

Sketch 3:

Out of all sketches, this is the only one showing most of the body. The portrait of the entire model gives viewers insight as to the fashion statements made because of their clothing and their body language. Again, the masthead is at the top of page drawing the eye upwards. The date is placed directly under the masthead, aligned to the left. The date s extremely important despite its size because it dates the trends, opinions, and ideas inside the magazine. It also creates order when a magazine releases multiple issues throughout the year. The main headline is centered and placed below the waist of the model. This still allows viewers to see the styling of the model but does not crowd the top of the page. Beneath the major heading is a subheading. This subheading will give further information into the heading but not crowd the page with large type. A barcode is placed in the bottom right corner to identify the magazine and separate it from others, similar to the date.  Other minor subheadings are placed around the model to hint to what's inside the magazine, but not overcrowd the page. 

Sketch 4:

Similar to previous sketches, the masthead is bolded at the top of the page. The large masthead neutralizes the image is the bottom half of the page seems busy due to outfit details, colors, or type. the model is turned sideways in this image, with their head slightly turned towards the camera. This type of body language creates vulnerability but also allows viewers to see a different side of the model's body. If an important part of the clothing is the sleeve, this would be a great position for the model. Like sketch 3, the dateline is placed underneath the masthead to the left. To the right of the models head, are two subheadings. This could be decreased to one subheading if space does not allow both. The bottom left contains the heading for the feature story, and one to two smaller subheadings. The placement of the text across the cover creates a diagonal line going upwards from left to right, balancing the image. Consistent throughout all images, the barcode is placed in the bottom right due to space and aesthetic convenience. 

Sketch 5: 

Like sketch 1, the masthead is placed on the side of the image. Due to the longer area for the masthead to fill, the font of the masthead must be stretched wider. The placement of the masthead on the left side of the page also allows for more rom for a model on the right side of the page. In this sketch, the model is seen from elbows up staring directly into the "camera". This positioning creates a direct portrayal of emotion as the firm eye contact connects the viewers to the photo. The major heading is placed in the middle of the models chest but could be moved lower. It is most pleasing to the eye when text is placed where there is an absence of other subjects, so the chest is most likely plain or not extremely chaotic. Minor subheadings are placed around the head, almost as if they are thought bubbles. This technique creates a sense that the model is actively thinking about the subheading topics. The dateline is placed in the top right corner of the page as there is an absence of text there. Again, the bottom right of the page is decorated with the magazine barcode, as to inform readers as to what they're looking at.