RESEARCH – MAGAZINE ANALYSIS

Introduction

In order to better understand how professional magazines are structured, I analysed three different publications: Ferrari Magazine, Top Gear and AutoExpert. Each of them targets a slightly different audience and uses different design techniques, which helped me decide the direction for my own magazine.

Ferrari Magazine

Ferrari Magazine follows a very minimalist and premium design. The cover is extremely clean, using very little text and focusing almost entirely on branding and identity. This

immediately suggests that the target audience is high-end, already familiar with the brand.

The double page spreads continue this style, using large, high-quality images combined with very limited text. Typography is bold, modern and well spaced, creating a strong visual impact. There is a clear focus on elegance and storytelling rather than technical detail.

This influenced my magazine to:

• use large images

• keep text minimal

• create a luxury, clean aesthetic

  
  

Top Gear

Top Gear uses a completely different approach. The cover is busy, with multiple cover lines, bold colours, and strong typography. This makes it more eye-catching and accessible to a wider audience.

The contents page is structured but still visually heavy, combining images, page numbers and short descriptions. This creates a fast-paced and energetic feel.

The double page spreads mix large images with more text compared to Ferrari. There is also more variety in content, including lifestyle elements, not just cars.

This influenced my magazine to:

• include some structure in layouts

• consider variety in content

• balance image + text when needed

AutoExpert

AutoExpert is more focused on information and practicality. The cover includes multiple elements, but is more structured compared to Top Gear.

The contents page is very organised, using grids, page numbers and smaller images. This makes navigation very clear.

The double page spreads contain significantly more text, with smaller images and a more traditional layout. The focus is clearly on information rather than visual impact.

This influenced my magazine to:

• avoid too much text

• keep layouts cleaner and more visual

• not make it overly technical

  
  

Conclusion

From this research, I decided that my magazine will follow a style closer to Ferrari Magazine, focusing on a minimalist, luxury aesthetic, while still borrowing some structural elements from Top Gear and AutoExpert where needed.

Overall, this analysis helped me understand how layout, typography and image use can change depending on the target audience, and allowed me to make more informed design decisions for my own product.