Mini Evaluation of my Front Cover First Draft

My front cover first draft has helped me to decide what looks effective and what could possibly be improved in relation to the layout, font and colour scheme etc. I like the layout of the cover and how the text falls around the model ensuring the main features of the model are not covered. I also like how the models head covers part of the masthead to give the impression that the magazine is well established and professional. In addition to this I think that the positioning of the 'plug' is very effective as it fills a large space, making the magazine appear less empty. This is similar to the barcode, date, issue number and price which also fill spaces giving the magazine a full and exciting look. I have used 3 main fonts on my front cover which are 'Ariel narrow', 'Impact' and 'Brush Script std'. I like the use of the Ariel narrow font on the masthead because it’s simple and easy to read which is essential for the masthead, however it’s not very memorable and so this may be something that I edit when I create my second draft. I do however think that the use of the font 'Impact' throughout the cover is very effective as it is bold and stands out so attracts readers. It is also easy to read, which is another plus because it needs to be readable so they know what is featured in the magazine. I also think that the use of the 'Brush script std' is effective as gives the cover variation and looks almost handwritten giving it a personal touch. I used the colour scheme red, blue, grey and white on the cover. I like this colour scheme however I believe that the use of the blue is too overpowering and doesn't reflect the Indie Rock genre the way I had hoped, so on my second draft I may tone down the blue so I only use it in little places such as the plug and small headings. This consequently means I will have to change the border colour to something darker such as grey. Overall I believe that this is a good first draft which although may need some improvements, achieves the look I'm hoping to achieve on my final front cover.