Metal Magazine / Website / Research

Research

Here we can see Kerrang and Metal Hammer’s websites. As can be seen, there are differences between them however the primary colours used are black, grey and red. 

Kerrang! 

The website immediately bombards you with images of Download festival line up, and their current magazine issue. Upon scrolling down there is a variety of information all across the page. Although not as chaotic as their actual magazine, Kerrang does itself no favours with its website. It does not spark my interest even though I am a heavy music fan. The black and red instantly give off the classic alternative vibe that is seen too often, and there is no clear direction for where the user would look on the page. The toolbar could be condensed further. Having the magazine on the page adds more colour and text when it's not needed. The problem here is that a lot of people may find the website confusing at first, and also uninspiring to look at. The weathered look of the website attempts to create more of a dynamic composition, but doesn't quite refresh the overall appearance of it enough. Grungey textures are used just like on their magazine, which shows that the brand is continued on from the publication, however to me, this can put people off and immediately cast the stereotype of 'messy' and 'chaotic'. 

Metal Hammer

Similarly is Metal Hammer, perhaps a bit more of a sophisticated magazine than Kerrang! because of its older demographic, Metal Hammer's website looks drab and extremely uninviting. From the lifeless grey toolbar to the uninspiring 'Team Rock' logo. The use of red again is a classic move seen by other websites such as Metal Injection, which can become repetitive. Nothing pops out of this homepage, or attracts you to want to interact with it.

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Peer Feedback

I asked two students, Jack and Charlotte, to tell me what they thought. 

What do you feel when you see these websites?

J: A bit sick to be honest. The Metal Hammer website is extremely boring, it's the toolbar - it's not inviting to say that it's for metal music. Both are manly. Kerrang! is cluttered with a lack of hierarchical structure.

C:  I don't really feel like I want to use the website. I don't think Metal Hammer's layout is that bad, at least it's not too busy, unlike Kerrang! which I'm not a fan of because it has quite a dirty aesthetic and it makes me feel out of place with the masculine condensed, uppercase fonts and large sections of black.

What would you improve? 

J: The toolbars for both websites, maybe less black, but I guess it is for heavy music so it needs to still reflect that... I would say that image of their cover shouldn't be on there because of how busy it is but that's their magazine so I guess they have to put it on there somewhere. It's bad. 

C: More gender neutral without losing the context of what it's for! Less cluttered! 

Analysis — Both websites did not appeal to my age range. They both mentioned how uninviting the websites were to use, especially Metal Hammer. Kerrang! was said to be overly cluttered which is something I am trying to combat within this brief. It's good that there is a clear problem on these websites which needs to be resolved, and that's cluttered and busy layouts which bombard the user in a negative way, lacking structure. There is also the problem of these websites being quite masculine for females to use, but that can be down to personal preference and is subjective to the user. A more gender neutral design would be better to fully engage the demographic of my choice. 

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The Problem

As stated in previous posts, the problem with the entirety of the heavy music publications and websites is that the same treatments are used time and time again. In turn, it's quite uninspiring as a reader (and a designer) to see this every issue, and every website. The use of red should be avoided because of this. Black and red together are commonly associated as 'gothic'. 

None of these websites seem to engage a younger audience, and seem quite outdated, especially when you see so many exciting projects by bands and festivals, this is just not encapsulated by Kerrang! or Metal Hammer here.

The Solution

Create a website which encapsulates the publication, and is appropriate. Strip back certain elements such as the toolbar/navigation/news stories, and create an engaging platform a user would be happy to interact with which looks current, contemporary and updated. Utilise images in a more appealing way, considering the stylistic choices. Create a platform for a wider audience, and try not to alienate anyone who may not identify with the 'rock' or 'metal' aesthetic (such as appearance). Anyone can enjoy metal so make sure this considered, but also ensure it looks unapologetic and unique. Create volume using other methods than heavy information and grunge textures! Try to appeal to both genders.