AOB2 - Magazine Structure

NME magazine structure

For this task, i was asked to complete a flat plan of the layout of an issue of NME magazine. I looked at each page and on the plan i made note of what was on each page, in the correct order. I then colour coded each category of content on the plan, which enabled me to visualise this more easily. 

The first thing i noticed was the amount of paid adverts in the magazine. I knew there would be quite a large number, but until completing this task i was unaware that there was such a huge number of pages that had been paid for. The first was a full page advert on the inside cover, and then the next adverts were on both sides of the third double page spread, then again on the second page of the fifth double page spread. This spread of adverts is repeated throughout both the beginning and ending of the magazine, however during the middle section, there are smaller adverts on each page. There is also a section of seven double page spreads of mainly gig adverts, with a few adverts for different magazines and mobile phone ringtones and games etc.

The main thing i noticed when studying this magazine was its repetitive layout, which offers familiarity to the readers, for example if i bought an issue of NME in January and studied the layout, then compared it to the layout of an NME in November, the layout of the content wouldn't be much different. This enables the audience to easily flick to their favourite feature, piece of news, guides or specific review in the magazine with ease.

This is the pie chart i created to show the content of the NME magazine in visual terms. It shows that the biggest proportion of the pages of the magazine have been paid for in the form of adverts, with the second largest proportion being features. The smallest category on the chart is un-paid adverts, where NME have advertised things such as future issues, or subscriptions to the magazine which they wouldn't make them any money.