Website Analysis
Website One: British Vogue
Vouge is a monthly fashion and life magazine focusing on haute couture fashion (created by high end designers) and is a part of the larger media company Condé Nast. It was founded in in 1892 as a weekly newspaper before becoming a magazine. In 1916 British Vouge was founded as the first international edition of Vouge and currently there are 28 international editions. Vouge is well known to feature celebrities and public figures with their fashion to reinforce the high-end fashion they want their audience to aspire to achieve. Anna Wintour, the current editor-in-chief of the magazine, is also well known for attending fashion shows, judging what high fashions and models should be. Because of this, Vouges audience would be higher-class women because of the constant feminine imagery used within.
Opening British Vouge’s website, there are multiple options
that can be selected and offered to an audience. The website immediately
prioritises the idea that they are targeting people interested in celebrity
lifestyle and fashion with the navigation bar at the top of the page below the
magazines masthead, also known as breadcrumbs, placing them first in the order
from left to right. These are hypertext internal links as they lead to other
pages of the same website. Below this, there is a mix of image and text, some
of the text overlaying the main image and headline of website and others
underlying articles to explain what the image is, why it has been used (in
terms of importance to the website) and what section of the website they belong
to for example: fashion or shopping. These images of celebrities are hypermedia
internal links, and they will directly take the user to the desired destination
and story. This makes the usability of the website accessible to the typical
internet user functioning the way it was intended, users needing no special
information or training to use the basic functions.
The font and colour scheme are simple only using black,
white and the colours of the images to present their brand. The Didot typeface
and stylized use of capitals used has become iconic as a symbol for the
company, easily recognisable and understandable, though the colour and style of
this masthead may have been changed over the years and on the physical copy to
match the images on front covers, keeping a consistent house style including
this masthead will bring back pre-sold audiences. The font and size for the
articles and breadcrumbs is a small sans-serif black font which makes the text
legible.
The layout creates a clear importance in each of the
headlines with the biggest being on the left and others laid out in a vertical
zig-zag pattern.
Below the fold content (items you scroll down to see; or on
a physical newspaper the stuff on the lower half of the page) is divided again
into categories seen in the breadcrumbs. Though this information may be less
important it is still offered to a particular audience who is interested in
specific celebrities as Vouge knows it will bring in more revenue.
In the corner of the screen, there is a prompt to sign in
and/or subscribe as internal hypertext links with the buttons. The magnifying
glass is a signifier that the website archives older posts for people to search
for specific articles, items in their shop and news. Using a shop for
merchandise and apparel solidifies their brand image. The subscription offers
things that they know their target audience will enjoy, so it guarantees a
sale. Seeing live news creates the active audience that they need for modern
technology and websites to be successful. There are no advertisements from
other companies on their website but rather they advertise their subscription,
this presents their success and their lack of reliance on synergetic
relationships. This continuous idea of the popups will sell the subscription
eventually.
Though there is no way to comment or interact with articles
on the main website, Vouge has used external hypermedia symbol links to allow
them to gain the active audience’s attention by using social media as a means
for people to voice opinions on articles or to use different content like vlogs
and interviews with celebrities. This is found on articles and not the main
page, perhaps to bring in the people who are truly interested in their brand. Linked
on the side, is the breadcrumbs from the top of the main page repeated and
other companies Condé Nast owns if the audience is interested in similar styles
of magazine.
British Vogue also uses a phone accessible website using
different proportions and UI. Instead of the breadcrumbs there is a pull-out
tab where everything on the computer website can be found. Obviously, there is
still an option to subscribe.
In opening the website, the breadcrumbs at the top of the
page below the small black serif masthead immediately creates the tone of what
the website will offer to an audience from fashion to their newsletter. Using
the contrasting black banner and the white small sized serif font creates a
classic and intellectual look which is reflected throughout the website with
their stories on arts and culture. These headings are hypertext internal links
that lead to articles on other pages on the website. Using a cream colour as
the background for the masthead as well as black, white and the large amount of
dark blue in the main image of Beyoncé performing creates
a concise colour scheme. Beyoncé being a very famous
singer will draw in fans as the main cover line offers an ‘inside’ perspective
into her ‘tour wardrobe’ that is exclusive to Harper’s Bazaar.
Below the fold, otherwise known as the articles, found
after scrolling down on the webpage, the background changes to black and the
font white. Its composition shows the importance of the image on the left with
its size and larger font underlining it while on the right-hand side of the
page the other supporting images and cover lines are smaller and because the
English language is read left to right it is logically where the eyes will
journey.
Below this is an embedded video player which links to an article
they have made. This use of a multimedia interview creates a real and relatable
version of the celebrity (in this case actor Rosamund Pike) which an active
audience will pay attention to.
On every internal page, below it there is the information about copyright, social media external hypermedia links and information about how Harper’s Bazaar is regulated. Copyright is important for a company like Harper’s Bazaar because it means their photos are not taken and used without permission and they also cannot use any photos that are not their own original work. Though there is no way to interact with articles on the website, using social media to gain a following of a younger more active audience will draw them to buy the main product of the magazine. IPSO is the regulator for Harper’s Bazaar, and it is for most of the magazine industry, this means that Harper’s Bazaar cannot release any articles containing anything disturbing, upsetting or defamatory as this would reflect badly on the brand as anyone could be reading the magazine.
There is a lack of adverts on the computer website, this
instead is replaced by the shopping tab found in the shopping tab instead where
if someone writes an article recommending a certain product a brand could come
in to properly advertise their content, giving the magazine money for more
exposure. Using the website on phone however contains more advertisements which
make it less accessible as the photos and breadcrumbs are squeezed into such a
small space which distorts them whereas other magazine may use this space
differently.
Alternative Press is an American originally founded in Ohio in
1985 as an entertainment magazine focused on music, culture and the fashion
that coincides with music genres. It currently provides its audience with band
interviews, style photos and relevant news. Its first issue was distributed at
underground music concerts. It is released quarterly and although it suffered
in its early years of distribution it gives awards for artists because it has
that prominent power in media and the magazine industry currently.
Opening the website, the large masthead is placed next to
the smaller breadcrumbs unlike the other newspapers who present their website with
the masthead above everything else, this is because Alternative Press’ is
smaller and can fit into a space where there are less categories, creating
accessibility in simplicity because keeps its contents set on the interests of
the audience.
The main image is of Linkin Park (a hypermedia internal
link), an alternative rock band who was founded in 1996 but in recent years has
changed the lineup of artists creating their music, which the main cover line
offers to tell the story of with information which may be exclusive to
Alternative Press. This image adds to the mostly monotone cool colour scheme
with the white, light grey black with the pops of colour coming from the light
blue and purple of image and small sans serif headings.
The supporting image to the right offers the shop through a
hypermedia internal link, this offers merchandise for external companies like
signing companies who sell an artist's physical copies of media like vinyl, CDs
and clothing. However, the money will go to the magazine company itself as they
have brought the products to sell for themselves to hopefully create a profit.
Below the fold, they offer the style section of the magazine,
and it is laid out in a 2x3 grid where all the supporting images and coverlines
occupy the same amount of space. These images are not stretched to fit the
dimensions that are needed which makes it easy to look at.
Alternative press offers important information under each
page like their privacy policy and advertising rules along with their social
media links again reinforcing how they want their audiences to interact and
help them improve the magazine.
Though there is no subscription service for Alternative Press, they do offer a newsletter which offers exclusive content if you give them your email. These pop-ups give the audience multiple chances to think the offer over and they do this to make sure that they have a returning audience who will view the magazine.
The magazine also uses external hypermedia music video YouTube
links, however because the website supports it, it can be played within the
site.
The phone website offers the same content as the computer formatted one, however there is a lack of space, so images are squished and smaller. This may encourage the audience to view the computer website as it presents the website how the producer intended it to look.
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