In-Depth Analysis: Fine Gardening
ABOUT
Fine Gardening is a magazine offering information of the basics of gardening and horticulture. It is for people with any level of experience in gardening with guidance from experienced professionals throughout each issue. It focuses on landscaping and visuals, bringing beauty to home gardens. Articles are written in first person, sharing personal experiences from the authors, providing a sense of authenticity for he readers.
Executive Editor: Danielle Sherry
Publisher: Taunton Press
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TAUNTON PRESS
Taunton Press was established in 1975 in Newtown, Connecticut. Jan and Paul Roman began the company with the release of Fine Woodworking. Paul was and avid woodworker and wanted to share the art with the world. The magazine remains a "leader in the craft" today. Since then, Taunton Press has released several other magazines under similar themes: Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Threads, and Fine Gardening.
Fine Homebuilding was the second magazine released. The first issue was published in 1981. After that came Threads in 1985. Finally, Fine Gardening was released in 1988.
Taunton Press has the mission of providing creative people with the right knowledge and encouragement to pursue their passion and improve their skills. As a fmily owned business, they value teamwork, adaptilibily, independence, and creativity. The company is passionate about their work and is sure to release high quality products and resources for their consumers.
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HISTORY
Since its original release in 1985, Fine Gardening has moved on from just being a magazine. They are connected to William Olkowski's book Sense Pest Control. This book is the "ultimate reference" for homeworkers who want a nontoxic solution to a pest problem.
The magazine now covers multiple platforms, providing gardeners with the guidance they need to improve their home gardens.
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AUDIENCE
Fine Gardening advertises as being a magazine for gardeners of any skill level. According to their statistics their Print audience demographic is 79% female with an average age of about 64. Their online demographics are similar: 81% female with an average age of about 62. Both demographics spend close to an average of 11 hours on gardening, weekly.
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DISTRIBUTION
Fine Gardening releases issues bi-monthly. They are based in Newtown, Connecticut and distributes their printed magazines across the US.
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ADVERTISEMENT
Advertising through Fine Gardening can be done in the magazine or online. As of 2018, the online rates vary between twenty and forty dollars, depending on what form of advertisement is desired. The printed rates are much higher, ranging from five-hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars
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HOUSE STYLE
Every magazine cover is designed similarly.The masthead and coverlines are either white or yellow and the same fonts across each issue. The coverlines seem to have a similar placement across issues. Regarding the main image shown on each cover, there is always an obvious line of action. Most follow a diagonal line that leads off the page, some follow a central line. Finally, each picture shows a garden filled to the brim with plants.
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https://www.taunton.com/about-taunton/
https://www.finegardening.com/magazine
In-Depth Analysis: National Geographic
About
A popular series of magazines featuring photojournalism is a series of categories (geography, history, nature, and science) and printed in multiple laguages. Said to be one of the most widely read magazines of all time.
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History
National Geographic was founded in 1888 and funded by the National Geographic Society. At first, the organization meant for the magazine to be about the United States. However, as the magazine gained attention the began to include the rest of the world, it officially became a monthly magazine in 1896.
The National Geographic magazine was one of the first to reproduce colored
photos. They began int he early twentieth century. By 1908 around 50% of their
magazine was photographs. Then, in the 1930s, a National Geographic
photographer and writer requested they be able to use cameras with 35 mm
lenses. It would give them more felxibility while filming. Because of this, they
produced the most photos of undersea life, photos of the stratosphere, and
photos of tons of animals in their natural habitats.
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During the Cold War, National Geographic was committed to making their
magazines present information in a nuetral light. They printed magazines
about places like Berlin and Communist China that focused more on culture
and downplayed politics. Similarly, when the Space Race took place, the
magazine deliberatley ignored any referance to the threat of nuclear weapons.
Years after, the magazine decided to speak more on certain issues, mainly
concerning the environment. This includes global warming, deforestation,
and animal extintation. Eventually an entire month's issue would be
dedicated to a particular topic or theme.
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By 1959, the magazine began placing photographs on their covers. They
got rid of their oak leaf trim and table of contents, but kept the yellow border.
In 2001, a CD-ROM of all of National Geographic's maps from 1888 all the
way to 2000. Then, in 2005 an Indonesian version of the magazine was
printed closely followed by a Bulagarian version. After that more and more
different languages were printed out.
June 1985 released an issue with what would end up being one of National
Geographic's most famous photographs. It was a cover photo of a magazine,
showing an Afghan refugee. She wore a red scarf over her head and had
startling green eyes. At the time, the girl was twelve. She became a symbol of
the 1980s Afghan conflict and refugee situation worldwide.
In 2015, National Geographic and 21st Century Fox formed a for-profit media
company called National Geographic Partners. This included National
Geographic's TV channels, magazines, and other properties. Fox controlled 73% as part of the deal.
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National Geographic has received multiple awards for their work. In 2000 they were given a National Magazine Award for General Excellance. Five years later, they were given a similar award honoring their essay writing. Their website received their own General Excellance award in 2002 and two others in 2003 and 2004.
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Representation
National Geographic began addressing matters outside of the United States in the late 1800s, then it began writing about controversial topics surrounding the environment in the late 1900s. The magazine didn't print in different languages until the early 2000s.
Since the magazine has opened up to countries outside the United States, it has been used to educate people about these different countries and their cultures.
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House Style
National Geographic has always kept a bright yellow border on the cover of the magazine. Since the initial change in house style back in 1959, they always have their main head in the same font, either white or black, and either in front of or behind the subject on the cover.The subject of the main image is always large and central, it draws the reader's eyes in. The coverlines always frame the image, either along the sides or the bottom, to give priority to the subject.
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Audience
According to National Geographic's 2019 Media Kit, men and women are almost equally apart of National Geographic's target audience, with women at 53.5% and men at 46.5%. Millenials seem to be National Geographic Magazine's largest audience at about 35% followed by Boomers at 29%. Of these individuals, their largest audiences come from those with a median HHI of 100,000 and up, and have received at least a Bachelor's. Also, they seem to be mainly managers or proffessionals, and own their own homes.
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Nationality
National Geographic is now a world-wide company, shining light on different countries, cultures, and world issues. There is no specific nationality they are targeting.
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Distribution
In the modern day, National Geographic distributes their magazines monthly, to about 60 different countries. They are distributed by the piublisher Penguin Random House and print in 38 different languages. National Geographic publications can be found online, in libraries, and in bookstores.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geographic
https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Geographic-Magazine
https://wwnewworldencyclopedia.org/entry/National_Geographic_Magazine
https://www.disneyadsales.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2021-Nat-Geo-Magazine-Print-Media-Kit.pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/article/our-program
Cover Research
MASTHEAD
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The masthead is the title of the magazine: Like 'TIME' or 'Vogue'. It's typically typed with big and bright lettering, and located at the very top of the cover. It's located at the front of the main image, for easy identification. Also, each brand uses a specific font that is recognizable to the public. It is meant to assist with branding.
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MAIN IMAGE
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The main image depends on what the magazine is about. If it's a fashion magazine, typically a model is shown on the front. If the magazine is about, say gardening, the photo would be of plants, or something floral. It should show the reader what kind of magazine they are going to be reading. It should also be noticeable so that it can bring in more readers.
For my own magazine I think I'll do something similar to the Fine Gardening magazine and take photos of plants. Maybe a closeup of some flowers?
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SELLING LINE/STRAPLINE
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The Strapline is usually found underneath the masthead. They are consistent on every issue. However, not all magazines include them. Neither of the magazines I have pictured actually have a strapline.
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COVERLINES
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Coverlines are extra little teasers for some of the contents of the magazine. On the VOGUE magazine, names of celebrities/well-known people are put in larger font to draw more attention to them. One mentions 'defying Hollywood's expectations' and another talks about a 'race of a lifetime'. They make the reader excited to read the magazine. It feels almost like they are receiving exclusive tips.
The content of the coverlines on the Fine Gardening magazine are much different. They mention 'mixing up your veggie options', ' pruning shrubs' and something called 'redbuds'. It's much more friendly in the sense that it isn't an overly sophisticated magazine. It doesn't have as high-end of a feel as VOGUE. At the same time, it does give off a vibe that's not totally welcoming toward everyone, they seem to be expecting more experienced gardeners to read their magazine.
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TYPOGRAPHY
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The typography is used to push the feeling of the magazine. The Fine Gardening magazine uses two different color fonts as well as slightly different sized fonts. Using different colors and sizes is another way to get people to look at the magazine. VOGUE uses all capitals and sophisticated serif font. It's used like it is trying to make a statement. Alternatively the Fine Gardening magazine uses a less formal looking font. It's a bit basic, but that's because the magazine is geared toward people who are interested in gardening or the middle to lower class. The VOGUE magazine is meant to appeal towards people with more money.
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AUDIENCE
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As previously stated: the VOGUE magazine is more expensive looking. They are trying to appeal towards more 'sophisticated' people, specifically adult women. Fine Gardening is more friendly. Its a bit more homely. The people looking at this magazine are going to the middle to lower class and people interested in gardening. They likely get more female consumers, probably stay-at-home moms or older women with lots of time on their hands, as well as actual gardeners who already know a thing or two about what they are doing.
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Magazine Spread Research
RIGHT PAGE
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The bottom layer of the right page is taken up by a close-up photo of leaves. The photo isn't very busy, it has a single color and an obvious subject. There's little-to-no dead space.
There is a body copy on top of the image telling the reader what they're looking at and some information about the plant. It even offers an extra smaller photo showing what the plant (a knotroot) looks like. It is done in a way that doesn't make the page look too busy. The page still looks clean and put-together.
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The way the body copy and caption is placed, however, make sure the page doesn't look too busy. Each section of text is on top of a white box with a slightly lowered opacity, making it a bit transparent. It makes it so your eye isn't distracted by the starkness of the white against green. The corners of the boxes are rounded as well, so that, once again, the caption isn't taking attention away from the image.
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The folio is seen at the bottom right corner of the page, telling us the name of the magazine--The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Guide. 'Edibles' is at the top right corner. I think 'Edibles' is referring to the section the spread is included in.
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LEFT PAGE
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The left page has a white background. Like the boxes on the right page, the white isn't a stark white. Rather it is a slightly off white, making it easier to look at. It contrasts nicely with the right page, using a large amount of negative space to balance the full-page picture.
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At the top of the page is a photo of another plant. It nearly matches the leaves on the right page, making it so the pages work together rather than clash. The picture is also positioned in a way to take up space without interfering with the actual content. Even though there is actually very little writing, with the added photo the page looks full. Also, with the plant seemingly growing from the top of the page, it adds a bit of interest in the design.
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Regarding the actual writing, the headline plays with different fonts and colors. The first line is written in a thin font, while the second line in written in a bolder, more blocky font. Both are a green color that is similar to the green on the leaves. The font change adds emphasis to the second line 'plant forever' because that's likely the point of the page. Maybe the text says that once you plant this knotroot, it will be around for a long time.
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Below the text is the author's byline, it was written by a woman named Robin Sweetser.
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At the top left is 'Edibles', again. Like I said previously it is likely to be the name of the section. The folio in the bottom left tells us the name of the magazine again, and gives credits to the photos used (Shutterstock).
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MY THOUGHTS
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I'm thinking of doing something similar to this layout. I like the idea of writing on one side and a picture on the other. I need to think more about what photo I would like to use, maybe I'll do a big shoot and take a load of photos to get some ideas.
Regarding the writing, I plan to have a lot more writing than this page had. Again, I need to think more in depth about the content of my magazine before I know how much I'll write. Until then, I might leave most of that page's design for later since it's a bit difficult to figure out without knowing how much I'll write.
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Table of Contents Research
Both of these images share a design that I like, but have the actual 'table of contents' written differently.
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LEFT PAGE
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This page is from a Magnolia magazine. Its design is a lot cleaner than the other, using negative space to its advantage. There a picture of two wooden spoons on the left side of the page, probably to go along with the cooking theme.
Additionally, the color scheme and clean yet rustic design stay in line with Joanna Gaines' famous farmhouse décor style which would appeal to the target audience of her fans. It's clean and minimalistic, giving a more expensive feel.
Looking at the actual table of contents, its design is very simple. The word 'contents' is written in cursive and tilted at a slight angle. From there the topics are written in a vertical format with a line of dots leading to the page number. This makes it so the table stays in a neat square and keeps the page looking neat and tidy. The letters are in all caps and the designer increased the kerning to spread the letters more.
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RIGHT PAGE
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This page is from Bon Appetit, and is very similar to the left page with a few key differences.
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Starting with the image on the left side of the page, it's bigger and takes up more room, leaving half the page to actual writing. It makes the page look like it's more filled up than the left page.
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The table of contents is titled 'features' with about five titles and descriptions written below it. Each feature also has a page number and author. In the top right corner, the title of the magazine is stated, along with the volume number and title. The bottom right corner has the magazine's website and the date.
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This page lacks the same clean and put-together feel as the left page, probably from the lack of a baseline. The variety of fonts and make it feel almost cluttered. Because of that I much prefer the left page. I like how simple the page looks while still giving off an expensive feel.
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The picture is an obvious pop of color on the very black and white page. You can see the photography credit is along the left side, on top of the photo. Also, in the top right, where section title is, we see 'Asian Cuisine'. Maybe the page is designed based off of that.
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MY THOUGHTS
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I want to take the design of the left page and turn it into something more friendly-looking. Given its the table of contents, the focus should be on the written content of the page rather than any visuals.
I might follow the same format as the left page, too, with the writing, that is. I like the squared off format, it's less distracting and easier to read. I want to do something different with the photos, though. Maybe I'll have photos of plants in the corner. I'm not sure yet.
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