1. Although this is an older issue of the magazine (2008) it looks very dated. The type for the page banner is definitely more hard core rock than designer. It tells you what you need to know about what’s in the magazine but the NME outlined in white and the red arrow lean towards a nostalgia for the 70’s. I think this magazine is more concerned with the content than the design.

2. A page from a 2005 issue but this is another long established title (Issue number 968 from 6 years ago!) that looks as though it cares more about content than design. The basic layout is utilitarian and looks like it just fits into a standard layout format that they would use and maybe vary only slightly each issue. The nice black and white shot gets your attention as does the title underneath, the two main articles are both highlighted straight away by the use of large type for the page numbers as well as the only photographic elements on the page. Neat, serves its purpose but not exciting in design terms.

3. Using a cut out snapshot of the cover on the main page banner to complement the intro cleverly combines what would be two pages in some magazines into one. The images are neatly boxed with a controversial picture pulled out and bled off the page to the left braking up the overall scheme. Yellow and black boxes with type reversed out of them highlight and split the sections of the contents up and draw attention to specific page numbers. I find the layout too busy but I think people who buy this magazine would probably like it.

4. Red, black and white seem to be favourite colours with music magazine designers – in this instance the effect is clean and clear. The solid black headings with reversed out ‘Q’ logo work well and the main section headings are highlighted by the same technique. The only other coloured type on the page is used in the Oasis Special panel seaparating it from the rest of the contents. The main photo is very posed and doesn’t sit well with the guys featured in it – they look as though they were being told exactly what to do and they weren’t particularly enjoying it. Nice that they used a quote from a band members’ mum to focus the readers attention on the article.

5. A very striking photo dominates this page the image is fun and the typography is too. The letters piled onto each other with just the white outline of the ‘V’ which is repeated in the position of the girls legs is very clever and well thought out. The rest of the type is neat with main headings pulled out in a modern script style font while the body type is clean and simple but picks out elements in capitals and black and grey to make it more interesting.

6. Quite a retro look to this page (although it is from 2002) again using those music magazine designers favourite colours. On the right the page has a scrapbook feel to it as though each photo and title have just been cut out and glued in place. The comic book imagery is amusing but does not complement the general feel of the page. I find the typography messy and disjointed although the font is quite nice.

7. Images take up the majority of the page with type overlaid onto each photo making it quite easy to see and locate, by page number, the main features inside. The content lists are quite bland in small type running on the left in coloured outliner text boxes. The solid band of black at the top of the page is quite a nice heading and the arrows pointing to the right in the reversed out orange block at the base right hand corner encourage you to turn onto the next page.

8. Great use of the image as an overall background to the page with a nice quirky pull quote from the article presented in a fun pink cartoon style quote mark. The font used is a non serif modern looking one and the information on the page is presented clearly and cleanly. I think the tag line at the bottom promoting the website is another clever design feature.

9. A very neat clean layout, with very good use of white space and bold black type. The theme of this particular issue is a review of 2010 and there is no way any reader is meant to miss it. The strong typography is really in your face. The images with page numbers draw your attention to specific articles that may be of immediate interest. Other regular features have their pages highlighted in red but much smaller type. Nice neat picture credit run vertically down the right hand side of the page.

10. The contents page reflects the overall style of the whole magazine – the name is carried on in the same font and colours used for the front cover and the ‘Contents’ and ‘No1’ headings use the very graphic split lettering font to show cohesion on the overall page. Visual images dominate the layout and coloured text draws attention to particular articles and features to entice the reader. Page numbers on the photos allow you to skip to the pages that interest you most.