Semiotic analysis of magazine cover

Antony Pettersen

What is Semiotics?

Semiotics is the study of signs which allows us to read texts analytically.This is done through using a technique called Saussure which states we read signs in three steps which are:Sign - What we actually see.

Signifier - How we interpret the sign

Signified- What we recognise the sign as.

MastheadMasthead is in the top left hand corner of the magazine giving it a formal and business like look. Also being in the top left of the magazine signifies that the masthead is suppose to look like a general word doccument (e.g words wrote from left to right). Also makes magazine easy to locate on the shelf.

Tag/Strap line“A briefing on global affairs, business, culture & design” This shows the magazine is more for formal current reading and not focused on one particular activity / stereotype. Connotation of the tagline is that it brings news and advice.

Font very formal and neutral which goes along with the magazines style. Colour scheme of black, white and yellow also suggest a formal business like approach with the yellow drawing in attention without taking away from the formality. Magazine layout is also very formal and business like.

Front page index uses letters A-E to formally layout the magazine content.

ImageThe image denotes obedience and pride (stood in a line) which shows improvement or success. This related to the text meaning the connotation is related to being successful.

Issue number, volume and date set out like the address of a letter

ConclusionFrom analysing the front cover of this magazine from semiotic analysis the target audience of the product and the identity of the product can be concluded.

Using the semiotic analysis it can be concluded that the stereotypical target audience of the magazine would be something along the lines of:Male, middle aged, professional, business owner, modern lifestyle, varied interests.

The type and identity of the product is a current affairs magazine containing a varied content which relates to a upper middle / upper class background. The delivery of the magazine looks very formal and well presented in almost a official document style.

How useful is semiotics in decoding magazine covers?

Semiotics can be a very useful tool for decoding magazine covers because it allows us, with limited information, to analyse the layout, image, text and structure of a piece to give us a general insight into the magazine. This is good for making quick conclusions about magazines without having to analyse the whole product which would be time consuming as well as saving money from being able to use the front cover.

Although semiotics can be a useful tool it does have its limitations. For example a magazine might have a different structure and layout to the cover and also due to magazines having different articles every time they are published an article which gives of the connotations of a particular aspect for one month might be totally unrelated and different to the next months. This means that when using semiotics to decode a magazine cover you must bear in mind that the overall outlook of a magazine could differ from month to month