Joseph Porter
AS Media
Research
Contents Page Analysis 1
Q Magazine
Layout
The contents page for Q magazine is spred out over two pages, on the first of the two, there are edited photos of all main features, this allows the reader to immediately recognise which page contains the main articles and do this by face aswell as name. In the middle of this page is a title which draws the readers attention straight to the middle of the page.
The next page consists of more detailed contents, untraditionally, this ontents page consits of two columns, however these columns occupy the full height of the page, allowing the reader to scan for their page.
On the right side of the page is the review section aswell as subscribe detail.
Title
The title of the contents page is positioned in the top left corner of the two pages, this aswell as it's property as the largest piee of text on the page makes it one of the first things the audience sees when they turn the page. The font of the Title is sans-serif, this is unique to the masthead of the previous page but complements the page well with its clear nature, it's black colour contrasts it from the backgrond and the light page. It is tilted slightly toward the left edge of the page, giving it a quirky feel and is layered behind the image of Biffy Clyro, yet again prioritising images of text, the image here has ne of the most outlandish expressions and therefore immediately draws the attention of the reader, possibly why it is placed next to the title.
Below the title of the page is the magazine name, the "Q" is in the branded font to keep it established, however, it is smaller than the main title due to it's lower importance, this is the same for the date of the issue which is positioned next to the magazine name but in a different colour to differentiate it.
Images
The entire contents page is jam-packed with images of various types, there is no particular image which takes prevelance on the two pages, however, more than ten medium sized images that are scattered among the various features, this dras the readers attention to various place all over the page.
Q magazine use colours very well on their contents page, with a large amount of contrast visible among the images, a black and white image will be located close to an image with varse amount of colours, this makes the pages look more structured as opposed to cluttered and messy.
The images also vary in shot type, with a close-up of a band's lead singer and large amounts of expression being positioned next to a long shot of a different band featuring little expression, these juxtapositions allow the reader to form opinions on stories before even reaching the pages.
Review
The review section of the contents page is positioned to the far right of the two pages, this is because it can be considered as an extra feature that makes the reader feel like they're getting more for their money. It consists of many images of the artists that have been reviewed, aswell as a summary, keywords have been highlighted aswell. All of these things combine in order to assist the reader and catch their eye on any artist they may have an interest in.
The bottom of the review section is the subscription info, here, an exclusive edition of Q is shown in order to incentivize the reader by giving them "rare" copies, it also tells the reader they are saving money, further inticing them towards the section, the background of this section is unique to differentiate it from the review.
The headlines are split into three unique sections and are ordered by priority, this allows the reader to immediately identify the page of the cover story without having to eye drop on a long list.
The cover story is positioned first in the two columns, it's title is a unique font and is also the largest of the stories, with it's description also being the longest, this gives it the feeling of importance on the page and would attract the reader's eye before the other stories.
Features and Regulars make up the rest of the columns, their layouts and sizes are similar with just colour to make Features stand out, with a more prominent red and white. Descriptions for these sections remain brief, making them seem less important than the cover story, the description's colour stays the same for consistency.
Headlines
The page numbers do not stay chronological throughout the entire page, however, they are chronologial within each section, allowing a reader to choose a section and then eye drop the page they need. This also keeps the contents page in order.
The page numbers themselves have a small font size, but are unique in that they have a different background to the stories. They also stay in the same position relative to each story, this means that there is a larger focus on the story, allowing the reader to see the story and then easily identify the page number afterwards.
Page numbers can also been found all over the contents page in different features including the review and the first page, they are small however the user will see them if interested in a certain area of the page, this means that the user can always find a page number if they are interested in a certain story.
Page Numbers
Contents Page Analysis 2
NME Magazine
Layout
The layout of NME's contents page spans of the single page, this means that there is less space for large photos and therefore contains large amounts of information crammed into a smaller area.
The page is split into three columns, with the title being positioned in the top left corner of the page, this makes it the first thing the reader sees.
In the first column contains the smaller stories aswell as the features, this means. The second column is where the main stories lie, this is positioned here because the reader is most likely to look at the middle of the page after the title. Finally, on the right column is stats and a features of a band list.
The left column of the page contains the features of the magazine, the less important stories are shown first in the column in the top left, with just single word titles and no descriptions. However, this is not true with page 16, 17 and 19 where sub texts tells the reader the name of the artist in which is the feature is about.
The bottom half of the column shows the more important features, with a bright image attracting the reader's eye. This is followed by emboldened titles which give more description of the features. Finally, text of the same font but a smaller size is shown beneath each title to give a more detailed account of each feature. There is however just one image for the entire features section, showing it's lack of importance compared to the main stories.
Features
Images
The images on the contents page are few and far between due to the large emphasis put on text by NME. This means that the size of the images are kept small and link directly to the stories, with 3 out of 4 images being positioned directly next to one of the main headlines.
The image shapes are different depending on the story, with artist descriptions featuring circular frames around a portrait of the musician. The type of shot is limited due to the low size of the images, with only close-ups ad medium close-ups of the artists being visible on the contents page. This in turn limits the actions of the photo, with them all containing no instruments nor performing in any way.
Title
Due to the contents page being a singular page, the title of the contents page is smaller compared to other magazines, however, it is still featured in the top left of the page and can be considered one of the larger elements on the page. This will be one of the first things the reader sees when they turn the page, however, NME have clearly put an emphasis on fitting as much information onto the contents page as possible.
The title contains two words; "Inside" is a black, custom font and is slightly larger than the text next to it, this is a unique name and is a way of saying Contents whilst being quirky. To the left of this is a black line which leads down the page and acts as a border for the features, increasing the flow of the page. "NME" has a red background and white font as is standard of the brand, this is to keep consistency and to stay within the house style.
Below the title is the full name and issue date, allowing the magazine to stay traditional.
Specials
In the right column and the bottom of the contents page is the magazine specials section, this is positioned here because it is seen as an extra that is unique to the magazine.
Statistics can be seen towards the top of the section, with a red background making and white font, allowing it to instantly stand out on the page. The numbers in the statistics are a larger font than the text, this breaks up the page and makes the number seem larger, therefore implying to the reader that there is more to the magazine.
Below this is a band list, this feature does not give any particular band a preference, but instead crams a lot of content into a smaller area, this allows the reader to eyedrop a band that they like, and see the page number next to it, which is bolded.
A subscribe and contributors section is also seen below this, allowing the reader to connect with the editors.
Headlines
The main stories are positioned in the middle column of the contents page, this is because its most likely to be the first part of the page that the reader looks at when turning the page.
The title themselves are large and have a black background with white text, this gives the titles a bold statement, making them stand out from the rest of the page. They are also all accompanied by an image, representing their importance compared to the other stories.
Page Numbers
The page numbers can be identified by the contrasting colour to each feature, for instance, the smaller stories have a title of black whilst their page number is red, this allows the reader to easily identify the specific number of a story.
Each section is kept in chronological order so that the page is organised.
Contents Page Analysis 3
Kerrang! Magazine
Layout
Kerrang! contents page spans over only one page. The title is still found in the top left, however, the page is split up into two rows. The top half of the page consists of a purely images, next to these images are small labels with the page numbers, this ensures that the reader is given something to look at and the contents page is not just text.
The bottom half of the contents page features a second title, and also contains most of the features. This half is split into 5 columns, with the first including a feature about the editor, allowing the reader to connect with the creators of the magazine. The rest of the columns include a mix between images and text about the features of the magazine. With the subscribe box being positioned in the bottom right.
Features
The features on the page are all given importance by the image that accompany them.
The main story is shwon by the band member crowd surfing, this easily takes up over half of the page and will be what the reader sees as soon as they turn the page. The text of this is branded with both Kerrang and Relentless, with the page number given a special black star on a red background, this stands out from the other page numbers, and immediately intrigues the reader.
There are two other features on the top half of the page, these are shown by miniature print screens of the page, showing the reader the content instead of just an image connotes that there is a larger amount of information for the reader.
Images
The contents page for Kerrang! is very image heavy, with larger images being favoured over text. The largest image is for the main story of the Kerrang! tour, the colour in this photo is very vibrant and shows a lot of action, this reflects the genre of hard rock well due to the long shot of a crowd surfing band member and also suits the target market of young adults due to the large amount of action and expression in the photo, this immediately attracts their attention.
The remaining images are positioned on the page so that they are close to their relating stories, and show a mix of shot types, with a long shot for the band which lacks in expression, to the medium close-up of the editor and leather suited man which shows a large amount of expression, this juxtaposition complements each other well, showing a wide range of emotions on the contents page.
Title
There are two titles for the contents page, the first is positioned in the top left of the page and is the largest of the two. A sans-serif font has a yellow colour on a black background, this gives the title a rugged, rough around the edges feel, whilst the black and white reflect the genre of hard rock due to the rebellious feel and large contrast. The issue number is located underneath and makes the reader feel as if their copy is unique, making them feel more connected to the magazine and making them more likely to buy it in the future. The overall title is given a white stroke border in order to differentiate it from the main image background.
The second title spans across the entire width of the lower half, and is split into two halves, the first consists of "Kerrang!" In order to keep consistent with the brand, the font is kept the same of Kerrang, however, this week has the same font as the first title, giving a unique title to the rest of the features.
Headlines
Kerrang! magazine puts less focus on putting all content on the contents page, and instead only includes the more important stories, this could be due to their target market of teenagers being more attracted to images than text, they therefore limit the amount of text on the page.
The headlines are kept consistent, with a black background contrasted by yellow text, making them stand out from the stories.
Page Numbers
Unlike the other magazines, the features in this magazine are not split by order of importance, they are instead catogorized in 6 different ways; "News, Live Reviews, Features, Album Reviews, Gig Guide, K! Quiz," the page numbers are kept consistent throughout the contents page, but not all pages are included.
Specials
The specials on this page is where most of the text can be found.
The first is an editors bio, with an image above plain fonted text, a paragraph explains the life of the editor whilst a signature concludes it. This allows the reader to feel like they're getting to know the creators, making them feel more connected to the magazine.
The subscribe section stands out from the headlines due to it's black and red background, which gives it a rugged look, there are also layered magazines, making the reader feel as if they get more from subscribing.
Flat Plan Layout
In order to gain an idea of the general layouts of magazines, I looked up existing flat plan layouts on google in order to gain an idea of the types of flat plan layouts used.
Next, I selected a few for each page and analysed benefits and drawbacks of each one, allowing me to make better decisions when deciding on the layout of my own magazine.
If the powerpoint fails to load, it can be found here
