webpage flat plans

Webpage analysis

In order to create my own website for my magazine KerNow, I must first observe common conventions utilised by existing websites for popular Cornish regional magazines, these will be the publications I have previously looked at; my Cornwall, Cornwall Today and Cornwall Life.

Upon opening the Cornwall Life website you are instantly confronted by the magazine's masthead which is presented in a bold black font, the inclusion of the masthead is vital to creating continuity between the digital site and the printed product. Like the masthead the majority of the text on the page is black to contrast with the white background. Cornwall Life's layout is in a blocky format where each section of information is contained within a different coloured box, this makes it easy to navigate the page's various sections. Contained within each of these sections are various interfaces, images and links that provide access to many different pages, these pages contain information and media associated with the magazine counterpart's features.
The main features of the magazine are dominant over the home page, the slideshow to the left of
the page is dedicated to the most important
stories that are likely to appeal to the widest audience, The main images here are in place to catch your eye as you open the website as they are the biggest elements on the page.
The subscribe section is possibly one of the most important to include as this is where you will actually sell the product, it is unusual that this is one of the least visually appealing sections on the home page for Cornwall life, although it does include a cover image of the magazine and a short message reminding the customer to subscribe.
At the top of the home page there are links to the Magazine's official social networking pages, this is something that will appeal mostly to younger generations who use Twitter and Facebook.
It is clear from the design approach to the website that Cornwall Life's target audience consists mostly of people aged 30+ who can afford a family holiday to Cornwall.

 Similar to Cornwall Life, the magazine masthead is presented at the top left of the home page for Cornwall Today in a highly visible black font on a white background creating continuity with the printed product. The text on this page is mostly white set on a coloured block accompanied by an image representing a separate feature article, this layout is very much similar to Cornwall Life's. Again there is a slideshow near the top of the page showing off the main features that are included in the most recent magazine, the magazine cover is displayed next to the slideshow. Above the slideshow are various links to the rest of the website's pages,

this makes these pages easily accessible. The subscribe feature of the page is promoted by a special offer advertisement sporting three magazine covers, this is placed right in the middle of the page underneath the slideshow where the eye would naturally be drawn. In the top right corner of the home page is an advertisement for Newquay Airlines, this is fitting for a magazine focussing on tourism. It is clear that Cornwall Today is targeted at a broad audience that spans all ages and genders, this is supported by the wide use of colour and imagery on the webpage that appears to be aimed at younger viewers of the site.

My Cornwall follows the convention of placing their masthead at the top left of the home page, however unlike the previous two web pages this masthead does not correspond with the masthead presented on the cover of the magazine. At the top of the page are links to the rest of the pages that make up the website, next to these are several links to the social network pages for My Cornwall, this will appeal to younger generations that use social networks frequently. Much like the other home pages I have looked at My Cornwall makes use of blocks of colour with accompanying images to create the sections of their home page. These sections represent a different feature for each block. If I am to make my website's layout unique I will not follow this

convention. In the first section on the left there is a large image of the printed product, this is in place to advertise the subscribe feature of the website and is in a more noticeable and prominent place than the other sites I have seen. The colour orange is used on this section which is brighter than the colours used on differing sections. Unlike the other pages I have looked at, the site advertises a free gift when you subscribe to the magazine, not only is this a repetition of advertisement of the subscribe feature, this is also a unique selling point for the magazine as customers are given an incentive to subscribe as well as that of saving money. My Cornwall appears to be again aimed at the mass market by appealing to all people of all ages, however the inclusion of social network links and quotes could point towards an appeal to younger audiences. Saying that, more and more people are discovering the benefits of these technologies every day, and this is not limited to 'young' people.