Research

Cover research

September 8, 2023

Layout

World Soccer magazines almost always have a soccer player posing in the middle of the magazine. In all World Soccer magazines use bright and eye-catching colors to capture the reader's attention.

Main Image

The main image of this magazine cover is a photo of the famous Cristiano Ronaldo posing with his hands on his hips looking away from the camera. Throughout the whole magazine, the same three colors are used which are red, white, and black.

Masthead

The masthead, also known as the title of the magazine, is located at the top of the magazine. For the World Soccer, the masthead can be found at the top of the page and centered in bold font. The masthead uses two different colors, light red and white, which help stand out against the darker red background.

Cover Line

The cover lines are the fairly smaller words on the magazine which can be found around the edges of the magazine. These are the supporting stories that can be read in the issue. Under the cover lives they have a brief description of what that section will be discussing.

Lead Article

The lead article has the second-largest writing in a magazine. In this article is "Awards" and the font in highlighted by a yellow background to call out the attention of the reader.

Barcode

The barcode is directed at the center on the far right of the magazine and only has the UK price for the customers. Also, it shows that it was printed in the UK and shows the websites.

Color Palette

The color palette is composed mainly of 5 colors. The background of the magazine is brick red which serves the purpose that when using red brings text and images to the foreground. Red is used as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions. Bright yellow is associated with intellect and freshness which allows the reader to understand that they will be provided with information and that the information is recent. White and Black are used are the cover to have the words stand out against the red background. The magazine is gender specific to males because all these colors have a correlation to male products.

Other Covers

These are some other examples of sports magazines that focus on soccer. They all follow similar formats to one another. For example, all three of these magazine has a soccer player or players being the main image of the magazine. All of them have a masthead at the top of the page, most of the colors used are similar to each other, and they all have cover lines and a main story.

So far, I've discovered that sports magazines are primarily intended for the reader's pleasure and entertainment. Sports magazines highlight the positives in the sports world and can help people understand the sport and the challenges it faces. Sports genre magazines can attract a large number of readers because, depending on the reader's interests, there are numerous sports to read about. However, it is aimed at a male audience rather than a female audience. Most sports genre magazines follow the same structure regardless of where they are published.

Content Research

My research in regard to magazine content is based on soccer magazines and the events that take place during the release of the magazine. My two-page spread will be done later following this specific genre format and style.

The content that is normally found in a World Soccer magazine covers the entire globe, providing coverage on stories that other publications are afraid to touch. World Soccer's insightful writing reaches to the heart of the triumphs, scandals, and controversies that constantly emerge in the greatest international sport of them all, with hard-hitting opinions on football's burning issues; global correspondents providing in-depth features and analysis on stories through the lens of those close to the scene; Talent Scout revealing tomorrow's stars today; and essential previews of the World Cup and European Championship.

Spotlight: CONCACAF

This section covers 5 major events that happened in the CONCACAF. The article I choose talks about the Qatar World Cup faces criticism for malpractice in voting, high migrant worker deaths, human rights issues, and lack of a genuine football culture. Despite these issues, the World Cup remains the most-watched sports event globally, with billions following every kick.

Player Biograpghy: Edouard Mendy

This article talks about the life of Edouard Mendy. Edouard Mendy, a 29-year-old Senegal international, is a symbol of what can be achieved against odds. He has faced numerous obstacles, including adolescent rejection, dubious advice, and unemployment. Mendy, who signed his first professional contract at Reims in 2016, is a late-developer, having played in the French second tier just for three and a half years. His current state of grave in West London who are sweet to him.

Seasons Review: MLS Cup Champs

This article talks about the Intercontinental Cup, a global tournament, has faced criticism for its congested schedule and lack of a 24-team format. FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, has expressed frustration with the World Cup's health crisis, which is affecting the project of an expanded 24-team tournament. The World Federation aims to resuscitate the seven-club format and expand its influence, while also preparing for the new Brazilian season since 2005. The 2021 iteration was domestic season after a grueling 2021 compaign.

After learning more about the content that is found in magazines, especially in sports magazines I've noticed that many of these stories are about political concerns involving soccer, they have been intriguing to read so far. I've discovered that it's important to include background information on the events as well as to highlight the key moments. Many of these stories are written about finales or pre-season stories. The stories provide a bird's-eye view of the season and highlight the important, positive or negative, events that have taken place. This particular magazine uses a profile feature, that gives insight in the chosen players life. The writing I've noticed goes in depth and starting normally from the player childhood and how they found their love for the sport. This i This displays to the reader the rising star's background that has captured the spotlight. When I begin to make my magazine, I'll keep these things in mind.

Target Audience Research

Men make up 70% of readers of sports magazines on print and digital media, with only 30% of readers being women. With homeowners accounting up 71% of its total consumer base across print and digital, the brand also boasts an affluent circulation. Its internet audience apparently has a median annual income of above $100,000. Because of this, Sports magazine is a viable advertising partner for businesses trying to reach wealthy sports fans.

These magazines work to promote active living and healthy eating. These sports magazines are therefore targeted at a specific readership. This demonstrates how devoted, loyal, and appealing the periodicals are to the appropriate readership. In this instance, readers of sporting periodicals will be people who engage in, desire to engage in, or are interested in sports. In addition, their personality profile reveals that they tend to be extroverted, easygoing, and bold. However, they prefer to concentrate on their individual ambitions rather than desiring to join and participate in a team sport. Given that playing sports is a passion, the demographics of the publications would be fascinating. Since both genders are interested in the sport, it is not gender-specific. These publications might also be interesting to anyone who's job involves being active and leading a healthy lifestyle. This is so that a magazine might have interesting articles and new information.

The main picture is just one of many strategies employed by the sports magazine to draw in its target audience. For instance, if the cover displays someone running, it will draw in the target audience because someone who enjoys running as a hobby will be interested. As a result, everyone now has access to the magazine's main subject. Because the title makes it abundantly clear that the magazine is about sports, its target audience will therefore understand right away that it is what they are searching for.

Sports magazines contain a healthy amount of advertising in them. Typically, many of the advertisements in sports magazines are related to a healthy and active lifestyle or sports. Depending on the publisher, advertisements can have their own columns on many pages of a magazine or take up a whole or sometimes double spread. Many sports social media accounts exist to keep the younger generation updated about what is going on in the sports world and to grab the attention of a younger audience. Many of the larger brand magazines, such as ESPN, World Soccer, and Sports Illustrated, have social media. These brands like ESPN and Sports Illustrated, are active on social media apps like Instagram, X, and many more. It's also a terrific opportunity for them to market their company and attract more readers in general.

After learning more about target audiences, I discovered that, depending on the product you sell, you must find a way to make it appealing enough for a customer to purchase it. Especially if you want a specific type of customer to purchase your product. Sports magazines have a large audience that includes children, seniors, and readers from all over the world. Which is something I need to keep in mind when I create the design of my magazine that will attracted a huge audience. Sports magazines targets outgoing, easygoing, and courageous people who enjoy sports. They are not gender-specific and are suitable for everyone who leads an active lifestyle. These media demographics are interesting because both genders are engaged in sports. I'll keep these in mind for my own magazine.

Specs

Average Page Count: 96

Average Amount of Stories: 32

Story to Advertisement Ratio: 5:1

Average Number of Stories Detailed in the Table of Contents: 3

Average Size of a Magazine in your Genre: 8.38" x 10.88"

Average Multi-Page Spreads/Stories: 24

Looking back on everything I've learned about specs, there are numerous takeaways I'd like to include in my magazine. Many sports magazine publishers utilize the same formatting when publishing their publications. They use a similar number of pages, stories, advertisements, and a similar size magazine. When it comes to sports magazines, they tend to employ double-spread pages for a single photo with a small caption or to continue an article. When it comes to advertisements in sports magazines, they like to utilize big fonts and bright colors to catch the reader's attention. When creating my magazine, I intend to employ average measurements and page counts.

Table of Content

At the top of the page, the word "contents" is typed to inform the reader of the number of featured stories in the magazine. This will be completed when I create my table of contents, usually at the very top of the page in this type of magazine. The stories are organized around the photos, and even the table of contents is adorned with large images in the center of the page. Most sports magazines use pictures to help the reader visualize what they are going to read in the issue. It helps to create an image in the reader's mind and to persuade them to read the stories.

The page numbers that appear in the table of contents before each title and image indicate that they refer to a specific story that can be found there. The magazine's articles are arranged in the center of the images on the left and right sides, respectively. In addition, at the bottom of the page, there is an advertisement that can help readers save money by joining World Soccer's exclusive subscription.

After learning about the table of contents, I discovered that many sports magazines list all of the articles that would be covered in their issue in the middle of the page. Which I intend to do because it will help organize my table of contents page. While doing additional research on sports magazines, depending on the publisher, photographs can be displayed differently and have varying amounts of photos on their table of contents page. I'll be more mindful about how I position things in my magazine so that my table of contents page isn't cluttered. Some publishers include page numbers next to the stories to help readers find what they're looking for. I'll keep this in mind as I design my table of contents page.

Masthead selection and Font research

ESPN, an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, features a simple red logo with a white background representing purity and power. The color symbolizes passion and interest in sporting events, while the bold font, Sports Headline, is used for the logo. Despite its simplicity, the display/decreatice font allows for easy recognition of the line that goes through the letters, making the ESPN logo a powerful symbol of the network's commitment to sports. In my opinion, I like the ESPN logo because it is instantly recognizable and most people are familiar with the brand. Despite its simplicity, it gets to the point quickly, and I enjoy the design.

The title 'Four Four Two' instantly stands out as a magazine whose genre is football, as it is a denotation because in football, there is a formation known as 4-4-2, which is known to be the most commonly used formation in football due to its simplicity and how well a team's defense and attack balances. The masthead is a large, bold sans serif font that occupies a quarter of the front cover. The masthead is informational and readable for the viewers.I didn't like FourFourTwo as a masthead at first because I didn't see why you would have a magazine title to be named after numbers, which I found tacky. But after doing more research on the masthead, I realized it was actually a clever name.

Sport Illustrated does not have any secret meanings. Its primary goal is to provide information about sports topics and events. This font forum is used by Sports Illustrated. It is classified as a SANS SERIF font since it lacks the extra strokes. The masthead is straightforward, but the target audience can easily locate their product. I dislike sports illustrated as mastheads because the name is boring and poorly thought out. The font the brand picked for the logo is as well boring and unappealing.

Heading to the Top

My favorite option is Heading To The Top since it has character and is relevant to my target audience. Soccer players are recognized for their precise footwork, but they also use their heads. Heading is a technique in which a player purposely hits the ball with their head. Heading is an essential soccer maneuver.

All-star Actions

All-Star Actions is a wonderful name for a blog. It's a short and easy to remember name. However, that is all it is; it is plain and pretty bland for a masthead, but it is still a fine option for a sports blog.

sideline insights

Sideline Insights was another option I considered for my sports blog. The masthead is short and to the point, letting the reader know exactly what the blog is about. Despite the fact that it lacks originality, it is short and appropriate for a sports blog.

Heading To The Top

Black Ops One is a good fit for my masthead font because sports magazines typically have a larger male audience than females, and this font has a manly appearance. Nonetheless, it conveys confidence and provides structure to my title.

Heading To The Top

Racing Sans One is a great option for my masthead font because it has an almost elegant feel to it while still being strong and confident, which is good for a masthead to be.

Heading To The Top

Audiowide is a good pick for my masthead font because I enjoy how futuristic it looks. Despite the fact that it appears relatively simple, such as its clean appearance to it.

After researching more about masthead and typefaces, I learned that many sport magazine brands utilize the same colors for their logo. Sports magazines, in particular, use a bold font to attract more readers who could be interested in their product. I chose on "Heading To The Top" as my masthead since I thought it was a clever name and catchy name. Also, I've decided on Black Ops One as the font choice for my masthead. It gives my masthead confidence and durability and it will make my magazine front cover look clean and well-organized.

Photography analysis

Sports photography includes all forms of photography that focus on sports. Sports photography has extended beyond live-action photojournalism to include product, editorial, and fashion photography for companies, athletes, and celebrities as sports culture has increased in popularity and now influences fashion and pop culture.

Images typically depict what the photographer wants the audience to see. For instance, this photograph was taken during the World Cup in Qatar. It shows Algeria lifting the Arab Cup in 2021 after defeating African rival Tunisia in the final.

This photograph's composition is critical in capturing the emotions and significance of the moment. Several compositional elements have been effectively used by the photographer. The image follows the rule of thirds, with the soccer team raising the trophy as the main focus. The trophy and the players are placed in the upper part of the frame, giving attention to the main subject. The confetti scattered throughout the frame serves as leading lines, drawing the viewer's attention to the subjects and the award. Leading lines are used to create a dynamic and visually appealing set up.

The photograph appears to have been taken from a low and off to the side, slightly worm's-eye viewpoint. The camera is positioned slightly below the players, catching the trophy's upward motion as it is raised. This low angle adds to the drama of the shot by making the players and trophy appear larger and more imposing. It lends beauty and significance to the moment, highlighting the team's pride and accomplishment. Because of the low angle, confetti can be seen falling from above, creating a sensation of celebration showering down on the players.

Several compositional elements have been used by the photographer. The vertical format draws attention to the vertical subject, which in this case is the interaction, or lack thereof, between the three soccer stars. Although the rule of thirds is not completely followed in this photograph, the positioning of the players within the frame is important. Neymar in the center is the focal point, framed by Messi on the left and Mbappe on the right. This layout gives the image a sense of balance and harmony. The blurring background separates and brings the three players into clear focus. This strategy directs the viewer's focus straight to the participants, avoiding distractions and increasing the photograph's overall effectiveness.

This photograph's technique can be defined as a sports documentary or candid shot. It captures a natural and spontaneous moment on the field. This approach was most likely used by the photographer to reveal the dynamics between three famous soccer players during a match. It gives insight into their interactions, teamwork, or lack thereof, making it an interesting visual for soccer magazine readers.

The camera angle looks to be close to eye level, providing a perspective that puts the viewer right in the middle of the action. This angle increases the viewer's feeling of being a part of the game, as if they were actually on the field. From this position, the players' expressions, body language, and interactions are clearly visible, adding to the photograph's impact.

This photograph's composition plays a major role in capturing the intensity and shock of the moment. While traditional compositional elements like the rule of thirds, leading lines, balance, and symmetry are not apparent in this image, the chaotic and unbalanced composition is intentional and shows the chaotic personality of the situation well. The objects within the frame are organized in such a way that the disorder and violence are captured, which is an important aspect of the image's effect.

Documentary or photojournalistic photography is the method used to create this image. By capturing genuine, unscripted moments, this method aims to provide a true story of events as they happen. This technique was chosen because the photographer got to catch a chaotic and tense moment during a soccer match. It's an important picture to capture the real-life passion and feelings associated with sports, including not only the excitement but also the difficulties and dangers.

The photo was taken from an eye-level view. With this angle, the audience can experience the scene as though they are there, directly experiencing the dramatic and passionate moment. It increases the image's emotional effect by drawing the viewer's attention to the chaos and violence.

After learning about different photography styles, I have come to realize that capturing the essence of a moment or scene requires careful consideration of composition, technique, and angle. These elements not only serve technical purposes, but also act as tools for storytelling. Keeping this in mind, I plan to apply these principles when starting my own magazine. In order to convey the subject's emotions and intensity, it is crucial to create a well-thought-out composition. This is especially important when capturing authentic moments, such as interactions between important players or a soccer team's victorious celebration. To effectively portray the narrative and authenticity that I aim for, it is essential to select the appropriate photography approach, whether it be candid, action-oriented, or documentary-style.

Audience Interest survey

As I have been conducting research on my target audience, who are sports enthusiasts, I have been considering what they would be interested in reading. With the sports media industry evolving, understanding the preferences of your audience is important. To stay ahead of the game, I have decided to survey sports enthusiasts to gain insight into what they would like to read. This will enable my readers to express their preferences and connecting with the diverse range of interests that exist within the sports community.

With this first survey, I can determine the kind of players my target audience would be interested in having featured in my magazine. I've collected 17 responses as seen in the picture. I had ten people (58.8%), who stated they did not care who they saw because they enjoyed the magazine's mix of famous and up-and-coming stars. After selecting "yes," 41.2% of survey respondents (7 total) were asked which player they would want to see. Though there were some notable choices like Cristano Ralnado and Messi, most voters went for Avel Salazer, a local athlete.

The results of the second survey show what kind of stories my target audience would enjoy. The purpose of this survey is to find out what my readers are actually interested in reading. I received a lot of feedback and a total of 15 responses for this survey. Player Biogrpaghy received the most votes (seven respondents, or 46.7%), in the survey. Season Reviews was selected by four respondents (26.7%) as the second most popular choice. With the fewest votes were soccer politics and others. Because for people who chose other needed to respond to an extra question in order to say the kind of story they would want to read. Powerlifting was mentioned, and player statistics were suggested by another person.

Based on the results of the third survey, I was able to identify the specific sports that are of interest to my target audience. I discovered that my audience is passionate about their favorite sport and enjoys reading about it in a magazine. I received responses from 16 people and the majority (9 votes) indicated their preference for soccer to be featured in the magazine. Volleyball was the second most popular sport. I found it interesting to see people mention ice skating and cheerleading because normally many people don't pay attention to these sports.

During my surveys, I gathered a lot of valuable information about my target audience and their interests in my magazine. I particularly focused on the second and third surveys, which helped me identify the most popular votes for creating a player biography and a soccer sports magazine. It is important for me to include my audience's perspectives in my magazine to ensure they feel engaged in the magazine's creation and enjoy reading it. However, one of the significant challenges I faced was finding people in my area who fit my target demographics. Despite this, I believe that I have successfully located the ideal audience and received a good amount of feedback.

Double-Page Spread Analysis

This is the double spread that I will be focusing on and analyzing the different elements that set up this double-page spread. For the most part, this double-page spread is very bright and colorful. Hitting the reader with the color yellow that can catch anyone's attention.

Byline

In a double-page spread, there is a byline that allows the readers to know who wrote the article.

For this specific double-page spread, it was written by Lee Song Foo and the picture was taken by Andrew Yep

Drop Capital

Drop Capital allows the reader to see where the story begins with the decorative initial letter at the beginning of a paragraph, chapter or section.

In this double-page spread, the author used a large bold "I" so reader can find where the story starts.

Gutter

In the context of publishing and layout design, the gutter refers to the space between facing pages in a book or magazine.

This double spread is down to the inner margin, which separates the image and the story.

Main Image

The primary or prominent image in a layout or design is often used to capture the reader's attention and visually represent the main theme or topic of the content.

The main picture is a medium to low perspective shot of football player Nikolay Georgiev Bodurov, who goes by his nickname "The Machine." The majority of the left-hand page is taken up by the vibrant photograph, which is outstanding.

Headline

A headline is a title or heading at the top of an article, page, or section of text, typically in larger and bolder text. It serves to grab the reader's attention and convey the main idea.

Playing on the "Keep Calm & Carry On" poster, the headline takes up most of the right-hand page. It is rotated at a small angle, with white letters standing out against the yellow background.

Sub-heading

A sub-heading is a secondary heading or title that appears below the main headline. It helps to organize the content into sections and provides more detailed information about specific topics within the text.

The sub-heading in this double-page spread is right under the headline which is out lined in black. Which allows the white letter to stand out. The font is smaller than the letter of the story

Pagination/Folio

Pagination refers to the process of numbering pages in a document or publication. A folio, on the other hand, is the page number along with additional information like the chapter title or publication date, often placed at the top or bottom of a page.

The pagination/folio of this double-page spread is page 71 in the sports soccer magazine, FourFourTwo. The publication date was on November 2013.

After learning more about the various elements of a double-page spread, I have come across several new terminologies such as gutter, drop capital, and byline. Observing how a sports soccer magazine designs their double-page spread has been interesting and informative for me as well as for the audience. It has also helped me understand the essential components that should be present in my own magazine's double-page spread.

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