Research Task 5: Style Magazine Contents Page Analysis

 What is a magazine contents page?

Contents pages are a vital element of magazines. They help to create an organised and approachable magazine, giving readers a clear insight into what can be found within the edition. Typically, contents pages will have a list of the different articles within the magazine, and will be accompanied by a page number so that readers can effortlessly turn to whatever page contains the article that they are interested in. It is also helpful as contents pages give an overview of what stories are in the magazine, therefore if a reader has a short space of time such as commuting to work or sitting in a coffee shop they will be able to read one or two stories that they are most interested in instead of having to read the entire magazine front to back. 

These are the main benefits and aims of a contents page:

1. Guide the reader - they help readers quickly navigate the magazine and find certain articles or sections they’re interested in

2. Organise information - presents the magazine in a clear and logical way

3. Highlight key stories - magazines may highlight certain contents in a bolder or larger font, drawing the readers attention to them

4. Reflect the tone and style of the magazine - the contents pages act as a reflection of the entire magazine’s style and reputation. 

How do magazine contents pages make use of codes and conventions?

Magazine contents pages have specific codes and conventions to ensure they remain visually appealing, reflective of the brand’s identity, and easy to navigate. Common features of contents pages are the following:

- title/heading (usually titled ‘contents’, and placed at the top of the page making it easily visible)

- sectioned listings (organises contents into sections such as sports, lifestyle, fashion)

- page numbers (each article title is accompanied by a page number to the left or right)

- columns or grids (text is arranged in two or three columns dependent on the magazine’s style)

- visual hierarchy (more important articles, features, and photos will be more eyecatching in larger fonts)

There’s a variety of visual components on the contents pages, such as images, typography, colour palettes, and also white space to prevent clutter from overwhelming the reader. Different genres of magazines have different conventions, such as lifestyle/fashion magazines having eye catching visuals and aspirational teasers, news magazines having larger bodies of authoritative text, or hobby magazines having thematic graphics relating to the niche content of the magazine.

Magazine contents pages will all look different from other brands as they will typically reflect the house style of the magazine they are in, such as Vogue’s glamorous and simplistic style or GQ’s more masculine and modern appearance.