Elle Website Analysis

Elle's website has clean and colourful design that follows the design of their magazines. The main heading on their home page is 'elleuk.com', which isn't their masthead from the magazine, but because the font is the same, the audience can still recognise the company name. The grid layout of the website allows the audience it easily navigate around the site so it isn't limited to one specific intelligence of audience. Similar to Vogue, their home page is in a news feed style, so it always changes with the new stories that are uploaded. Featuring mainly links and imagery on the home page, the audience isn't overloaded with information and is less likely to get confused.

The website features bright colours that also feature on the magazine as colours of the masthead and text. I think the design of this website is more relatable to the magazine than Vogue's because of this. However, the use of colour does suggest that the target audience is younger and of a lower class than Vogues. The layout is still very simple so that most of the attention is on the images and photography. It uses a blue border to separate the different stories, which isn't very conventional to use on websites. 

The navigation bar is along the top of the page under the heading with links that show the audience different stories from the website. The font used for the links is complimentary to the font used for the masthead which makes it stand out. Different colours are used for the small arrows next to each link to separate the text. In terms of my own website, my navigation bar won't include as many links as Vogue's because my magazine isn't as popular and therefore won't have as much content.

Like Vogue, Elle hasn't included any moving image of audio content to allow audience activity or interaction. Other than a drop-down menu when the mouse hovers over a link, there isn't any animated features. When I create my own website, I will have to make sure it has interactive features so that it doesn't look old fashioned compared to similar websites.

In terms of the stories, Elle have included topics that it's audience will be interested in. For example, the screen shot on the left shows a make up tutorial that shows the audience how they can have 'The Classic Flick' in 'The Liner Lesson, No 1'. There is a 'Watch it' button that allows the audience to view a video of the tutorial which creates audience interaction.

The photography and stories used on the website also suggests that the audience is younger than Vogue's. This is because younger people are more likely to watch make up tutorials than the older generation. Also, the styling of the models and photography doesn't have as much of a classy appearance.

In terms of my own web stories, I will have to base them mainly around local and regional subjects, but because it is also a fashion magazine, I will be able to include fashion stories and make up tutorials.

One thing that has become very important for up to date websites is the ability to view them on a range of devices. To do this, they have three different views; desktop, tablet and mobile. They all still need to be designed around the style of the website so that they are all recognisable as the same company. By having this responsive feature, it makes it easier for the audience to view the website when ever they please and stay up to date on the go on their mobile or tablet.

On the right is a screen shot from my Samsung mobile to show the mobile view of Elle's website. The mobile view looks very similar to Vogue's in terms of the positioning of images and text. By comparing this view to the desktop view, the design is very different. If it didn't include the masthead and the same stories, the audience wouldn't know that it was the same the website.

As a conclusion, I think Elle's website is a good design that is easy for the audience to navigate. In terms of a design model, I think Vogue's design is better to follow because it is similar to style I would like to use in my products. I like the layout of the news feed style home page, but I don't think this will work for my website because I won't have enough content. However, I have been inspired from the stories and use of colour and photography from Elle's website.

Vogue Website Analysis

In terms of the website, Vogue is has a clean and simple design that follows the same style as their magazines. The masthead from the magazine is the first thing the audience will see when the web page has loaded; again, this is the same style that is on the magazine so that the audience will recognise it immediately. The simplicity of the website makes it easy to navigate for all audiences so therefore doesn't limit it to a specific intelligence of audience. Featuring mainly links and imagery on the home page, the audience isn't overloaded with information and is less likely to get confused.

Other than the masthead and stories that also feature in the magazine, the design and layout of the website is quite different to the look of the magazine. Although this isn't really important because the audience can still see that the website belongs to Vogue, the website has to stay up to date with the styles and technologies that come into trend especially because it's a fashion company. It has navigation buttons on the left side which will take the viewer to different webpages that have articles and fashion advice similar to the ones that feature in the the magazine. Vogue also feature celebrity stories such as the one above about Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games. More important stories like this one are presented as an image with some text that animates the first time the mouse hovers over the image to add more visual and interactive interest.

The layout and colours on Vogue's website are both very simple and minimalistic so that all of the attention is on the images. It has sections like the 'latest news' on the home page that includes a lot of images, so the colour pallet has been kept to black, white and grey to keep it simple and professional. The background and text colours are used to separate different sections of information.



The navigation bar on the left shows the different sections and features of stories that are relevant to the latest issue and to do with the season. Each heading is a separate link that takes the viewer to different webpages. In terms of my own website, my navigation bar won't include as many links as Vogue's because my magazine isn't as popular and therefore won't have as much content. Also, because my website won't be updated, the content won't build enough to have a 'news feed' style home page like Vogue's.

It has become popular for websites to include moving image and audio content, which is something Vogue hasn't done a lot of on their website. Other than their interactive rollover images, there isn't much audience activity or interaction. If other websites with similar target audiences start to use more interactive features, it will age Vogue's website and it won't look up to date. When I create my own website, I will have to make sure it has interactive features so that it doesn't look old fashioned compared to similar websites.

In terms of stories, Vogue has included topics that it's target audience will be interested in, such as celebrity weddings and comparisons of the styles and fashion. I won't be able to include stories about celebrities because my magazine is regional, so I will need to make it more local.

As my website will be about my fashion magazine, I will need to include the same standard photography and similar styling as Vogue. I particularly like this photograph that they have used on their website for their Victoria's Secret advert. The style of this photograph is very natural because of the colours and styling of the model. The back drop that is used is very contrasting to the elegant model and clothing because of it's grey colour and grunge/cloudy texture. This is something I would like to consider in my own photography so that my images stand out. Because my magazine is also regional, I could use local settings and old buildings in the backgrounds of my photographs to help create a contrasting style with my model. I also like the use of text at the bottom of the image and the way the fonts compliment each other.

In terms of audience activity, Vogue's has a section on their website to show their likes and followers on social media websites. Because my magazine isn't known to the public, this feature isn't necessary for my website.

One thing that has become very important for up to date websites is the ability to view them on a range of devices. To do this, they have three different views; desktop, tablet and mobile. They all still need to be designed around the style of the website so that they are all recognisable as the same company. By having this responsive feature, it makes it easier for the audience to view the website when ever they please and stay up to date on the go on their mobile or tablet.

On the left is a screen shot from my Samsung mobile to show the mobile view of Vogue's website. By comparing this to the desktop view at the top, it's easy to tell that it is a different arrangement of the same content from the same company. This is something that I will have to consider for my own website so that I can make sure it won't look old fashion and would be able to compete against popular magazine websites such as Vogues.

As a conclusion, I think Vogue's website is a good design model to follow for my own website, although some features won't be necessary for mine because it won't have as much content or be as popular. I won't be able to use a 'news feed' style layout because I won't be posting new articles regularly, so I will have to find a layout that will suit my magazine better. However, I have got a lot of inspiration from Vogue's website through their styles of photography, fonts and colour which will help me to create a professional and successful website for my magazine.

Prada Billboard Analysis

Prada is an Italian luxury fashion brand that specialises in fashion accessories, shoes, perfumes and watches. Prada was founded by Mario Prada in 1913 and has grown to have over 250 worldwide boutiques and also have products sold in department stores.

Prada cater for consumers in Europe, America and Asia. Prada represent consumers that are intellectual and creative  with superior taste as well as being self expressive.Their target consumer is similar to Gucci's in that they are primarily female and middle aged with a high income.

This billboard (like Forever 21), has been designed to advertise Prada as a brand instead of a product they are supplying. This means that the billboard has to represent their brand as a whole rather than having it designed to a something more specific. Because of this, the logo is an important part of the billboard. The layout of the billboard has been separated into three sections with the middle section only including the logo. Similar to both Gucci, the font is quite classy. This is because it needs to represent a higher class audience than Forever 21. The logo is the only text that is used on the billboard.

The imagery represents fashion is a self expressive way and features photography that has more of an artistic feel than that of Gucci or Forever 21. Two different images are used on the billboard, one on the left and one on the right; this shows a completely different design and layout to those of the other brands that I have analysed. 

The only colours used on this billboard are the ones that are in the images; there are mainly dark colours which give it an overall serious feel. The other colours used are the gold of the model's clothing and the red of her lipstick. This represents Prada's target consumer because gold and red are high class colours as gold is seen to be expensive, and red represents passion and love.

The layout of this billboard is the most simplistic out of the ones that I have analysed. It simply shows two images separated by a white section with the brands logo. Although the imagery is quite artistic, I don't think the layout or design is as effictive as it could be.

Overall, billboard shows clearly what brand it is advertising with some visuals that represent the target audience. I think in order to be more successful, I need to be to be more creative with my billboard design so that it's effect is more like those of Gucci and Forever 21.

Forever 21 Billboard Analysis

Forever 21 is an American chain of fashion retailers that sell clothing and accessories. With sales of $3.7 billion in 2013, Forbes ranked Forever 21 as the 122nd largest private company in America. Since it was founded in 1984 and only existed in one store in Los Angeles, the company has experienced a large growth over the last 30 years as it now has stores in 480 locations.

As Forever 21 is still expanding, it's customer base is also expanding as it is becoming a fashion department store that is catering to all member of the family instead of just teens. This means that it is starting to target men and older demographics. However it's main target consumer is still female 18 - 24 year olds as it is still a large teen retailer.

This particular billboard has been designed to advertise Forever 21 as a brand rather than a specific product that they are selling; this could be due to the fact that unlike Gucci, Forever 21 aren't as well known so need to promote their product before any specific products. This means that the billboard has to represent their brand as a whole rather than having it designed to a something more specific. Because of this, the logo is an important part of the billboard. The way that it has been incorporated on the billboard has allowed it to fit with the symmetrical design of the imagery. The font of the logo is very simple but modern and is very straight forward. The same font has been used to write the web address at the bottom of the billboard.

The imagery on this billboard represents modern fashion with a symmetrical style. The photography is studio based and has kept a plain background instead of incorporating an edited one like the Gucci billboard. The mirrored effect that has been done to the image is very fashionable as this is a common effect that people use when editing their own photographs on apps on their phone before uploading to social media sites such as Instagram. The 'V' in the word 'Forever' aligns with the model's arms which suggests that the design of the billboard was thought about, even though it is quite simple.

The only colours used in the image are the ones of the clothes of the model. These colours are orange and a pastel pink, which suggest that Forever 21 cater for mainly younger demographics because of the bright coloured clothing and use of an unnatural colour in the models hair. 

The model used for the image looks around the age of 21, so therefore represents the target consumer of the brand as well as the name of the company. She is modelling a young style of clothing that is most probably something that the brand is selling. The way she is posing suggests that she has a care-free attitude which is something that youths are supposed to have. She also looks like she could be a trouble maker, but the colours connote fun, which links with Dick Hebdige's 'mixed metaphor' theory when he describes 'youth as fun', and 'youth as trouble maker'. Also, because the model is female and is posing in this way, it could also link to Mulvey's theory that women are used as 'objects of sexual desire'.

The layout of this billboard is quite simple yet effective, in that there is a main image used with the logo across the middle, but the placing has been thought about so that they are in line. The layout is aesthetically pleasing as it has an even amount of text and imagery.

To conclude, this design fits well to it's purpose of advertising a youthful brand. My billboard will have to be similar in that it will have to represent my 'company' instead of one product in particular. Similar to the Gucci billboard, Forever 21 have represented their target consumer throughout all design aspects, which is something that I will have to do for my own billboard.

Gucci Billboard Analysis

A billboard is a large structure that is used for outdoor advertising, commonly found in high traffic areas in order to present large advertisements to pedestrians and drivers that pass it. A billboard will usually show a witty slogan and/or logo with distinctive visuals that are highly visible in the top market areas. They allow a high-density consumer exposure to mostly drivers by having them primarily located on major highways. This is one of the best ways of advertising because of their visibility dues to their size and also through creative customising with extensions and embellishments. Billboards are more commonly used in the US due to the size of their cities and roads. However, they are found in the UK in a smaller scale and are often known as a hoarding.

Gucci is an Italian fashion brand that is part of the Gucci group owned by French Company Kering. In 1921, Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Italy; and since then has generated about €4.7 billion worldwide. It is currently the biggest-selling Italian brand and has 274 directly operated around the world and also sells it's products through department stores. In 2013, the brand was ranked 38th most valuble brand in the Forbes list and was values at $12.1 billion USD with sales of $4.7 billion USD.

Gucci cater for consumers in Europe, Asia, Australia, Switzerland and the US. Their target consumer are primarily female, middle-aged with a high income and high status. There are other popular competitors with a similar target consumer in Italy such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada as well as other world wide brands including Chanel, Dior and Burberry; but Gucci remain one of the biggest selling brands due to their strong brand image and control over their distribution channels and process. Gucci advertise their products through the media, magazines, television and billboards, which I will now analyse.

This billboard in particular has been designed to advertise a perfume called 'Flora' by Gucci. Every design element of this image has been used to represent the word 'Flora', from the imagery to the fonts. The font used for the name of the perfume is very fitting in that it is feminine and elegant; which is what a company would want the consumer to think of a perfume that has a name stemmed from the words 'floral' or 'flower'. The brand's logo has also been included on the billboard to show the viewer who owns the product. The font and style of the logo suits the consumer as it looks classy and makes a statement. The only other font used on the billboard is for the word 'by'. This font is very simplistic and light weight so that it doesn't draw any attention away from the two main words that advertise the product and brand. Using a similar font for non-important text is something that I will have to remember when creating my own billboard.

The imagery for this billboard is also very feminine and elegant, but the editing and colours used suggest an element of power. The image used is aesthetically pleasing to the eye as it shows beauty and delicacy; this will make the viewer believe that they will appear this way if they were to purchase the product. The powerful element created by the lighting behind the model, making her appear 'godly', links with the target consumer as she will be of a high class and have power over others. In the bottom right corner, there is an image of the perfume bottle which is of a graceful design with a bow. Perfume adverts usually show an image or clip of the perfume bottle because it is used to create a visual statement that will represent the smell of the perfume; thus allowing the consumer to think that if they like the design of the bottle, they will like the smell of the perfume.

The colour pallet for this billboard is based on floral colour and mainly includes pastels. The main colours used for the image are blue, peach and white. These colours have come together to create a bright but slightly moody sky behind the model. These colours also feature in the model's lightly see-through dress, which when overlapping the sky, create a pinky-purple colour which adds to the femininity. The colours give an overall dream-like state to the image which adds an aspect of escapism, linking with Bulmer & Katz Gratification theory.

The model in the image is used in a similar way to the perfume bottle, in that the consumer will decide on whether they will like the smell of the perfume based on her appearance. She is posed a relaxed and serene way which again, looks very elegant. Her dress is made out of a lot of floating material that is wrapped around her and shows movement as if she is flying or has wings: this also links to the escapism theory and gives the image a sense of freedom. The use of the female model also links to Mulvey's theory that women are used as 'objects of sexual desire' in the media, as she is an 'attractive' female being used to sell a product. Although this may not apply to the women that buy this product, but men could buy the product for their partners based on the idea that they will become more like the model if they wear the perfume. The mise-en-scene and editing has been used to create a surreal and glamorous world that the consumer could relate to if they were to buy the product.

The layout of the billboard is quite straight forward in that the text is on the left, and there is a subject in the middle and on the right. The model starts to blend into the background of the image because she is wearing similar colours. This make the text and the perfume bottle stand out further because they are made up of mostly black which is very contrasting to the image.

As a conclusion, this billboard has been designed perfectly to fit with the product it is advertising. It makes the viewer think about the preferred reading of the product in that the perfume is elegant and feminine. After analysing this billboard, I have learnt that I will have to be certain about what product I am advertising on my design in order to get all of the design aspects to represent the product. This billboard shows the product and the link to escapism particularly well because of the contrast between the surreal world and colours of the image and the location and colours of the billboards surroundings. Although my product that I will be advertising will not be a perfume, I have learnt a lot about the way billboard advertising works through analysing this billboard.