Contents Page Research

Jesse McNamara

What is the purpose of a contents page? The purpose of a contents page is to

show a more detailed overview than the front cover of what will be included in the magazine.

You can also have an editors note on the contents page to introduce the reader to the editor.

Typical Conventions of a contents page There is typically a house style that is evident in a contents page, which is recognizable

to the whole magazine. For example, colour scheme., font faces, mode of address. Images are usually seen on a contents page that links to certain stories in the magazine. There are content descriptions and page numbers so the reader knows what is included

in each story and where they can find it. Sections are included in a contents page, such as headings (features, cover stories,

regulars etc.) There are usually an order to the sections in the magazine, for example bigger stories are included at the front whereas sport is included towards the back.

Editorial sections are usually featured in the contents page which include a welcome from the editor and an overview of the magazine and its contents.

Titles are evident in the contents page such as a motif or the logo of the masthead that is repeated on the page and sometimes throughout the magazine.

The page design is usually split into collumns with images for a story to help show the reader what it is about.

The mode of address is constant throughout a magazine and the contents page, it can either be indirect or direct mode of address.

The grid system in a magazine, where there is an evident form where each part of the contents page is split into grids.

House Style definition House style is a company's preferred manner

of presentation and layout of written material. House style includes colour scheme, typeface, mode of address (such as indirect or direct).

Examples of house-style

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The house style on here is capital writing for the headlines of stories with a red background for the masthead with white writing. The cover photo uses lots of visual aids so the reader can connect with the story.

Examples of house-style

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Like the front cover the contents page repeats the house style of the red background with white writing, and again uses visual aids to help the reader connect with the stories. The contents page uses a direct mode of address (e.g “Your health” “Your favourites”).

Find 2 examples of contents pages from 2 well known magazines.

Place the images on this slide and the next slide and identify the techniques, design ideas, lay out choices to show that you recognise what a typical contents page looks like.

NME Contents page analysisThe contents page of NME has many of the features used in the front cover, creating the house style and consistency for the magazine. It uses the same colours for the contents page as on the front cover and other issues, black white and red. The sans serif font is used which is conventional in most magazines. NME includes subtitles under stories so the reader knows what the stories include, which is a convention most magazines use. The contents page is divided into six sections (News, Radar, Reviews, Live, Features and Plus), with page numbers helping the reader find what they are looking for. To the left is a band index advertising all the bands featured and page numbers so the readers know where to find them. The images they use on the contents page would make the readers interested as it would be a band they know. The main piece of writing is in the middle of the page, revolving around Kasabian which would bring attention to the writing as it is about the band. To the bottom of the contents page is an advertisement revolving around a subscription.

Find 2 examples of contents pages from 2 well known magazines.

Place the images on this slide and the next slide and identify the techniques, design ideas, lay out choices to show that you recognise what a typical contents page looks like.

Q Contents page analysisThis contents page gives a professional look with the constant colour scheme of black, white, red and grey. The picture of the band immediately draws attention, with “The courteeners” being the second thing you look at. This relates to the genre the magazine follows (an indie genre) and there is a page number indicating where to find the story. The size of the image connotates they are the main story of the band. representing the contents page. The red, black and white colour theme is carried across from the front cover, this keeps some consistency and theme through the magazine. The contents page makes it easier to navigate by having a list of page numbers with the page title next to it so you can simply just flick to the page with the information on what you’re interested in. The contents page follows the conventions and is represented to look interesting. Down the left hand side of the page is the list of stories that are in the magazine with the page numbers. All the pages are sectioned into 3 groups which are features, every month and review. The Q logo is used twice on the contents page, at the top and at the bottom, it’s the same as the cover page showing consistency.

My student magazine contents page plan

HEADER | DATE & ISSUE

image

name

StoryStoryStoryStoryStoryStoryStoryStory

puff

title

Text text textText text text

image

advertisement

Creating a house style for my student magazine To create a housestyle my contents page will have the

same colours as the front colour (purple, white and black). My typeface choice for the name will be Monotype

Corsiva, which is the same as the cover photo. The colour scheme will be purple, white and black which

is the same colours as the college and the cover photo of the magazine.

The masthead will be the same colour as the cover masthead and the same font with the change of “ity” being white as there is a white background.

There is a direct mode of discourse used in the contents page.