First Contents Page Analysis

The colour scheme of "Q Magazine's" contents page focuses on four main colours, which are; black, white, green and red. These four colours have all been chosen for specific reasons on the contents page. Black and white have been chosen because they are the two simplest colours you can use for printing. They look good together, both compliment each other and most importantly the reader is easily able to read black font on white background and vice versa, due to the big contrast of light and dark. Red has been used because it is the colour of "Q Magazine", its used for the brand name/logo, therefore has to be carried on within the contents page, setting up a constant colour flow throughout the magazine. However the colour red isn't being over used in the contents page, it's use has been restricted to key information such as; small brand logos, highlights and page numbers. This has been done because of the existing contrast between red, white and black. It denotes the parts of the page that you will need to see in order to find your way around the magazine, e.g. page numbers. So by using a bright and vibrant colour like red, your eye's can easily jump back to those key points because they will stand out from the background. The green has been used in main photo on the contents page, as well as a similar shade on the page numbers announcing the "Oasis Special" part of the magazine. Again, this is to create a contrast so that the text will stand out from everything else on the page. Another reason for a change of colour is so that the font doesn't get too repetitive and monotonous to read, yet only being used in moderation is key to a good layout. Too little colour contrast and the text appears boring and never ending, where as too much colour contrast can hurt the eyes and make the text too hard and confusing to read. "Q Magazine" have got the balance and consistency perfect on this contents page.

The design of "Q Magazine's" contents page comprises of a bold headline at the top of the page that clearly states to the reader that they are on the contents page. The title "contents" is in a bold font and is easily noticeable at the top left hand side of the page. All of the features and articles in the magazine are displayed in a column on the left hand side, which takes up about a third of the page. There is a big picture that takes up half of the contents page, this tells the reader what band will be getting written about, also a big visualization appeals to the audience because many people tend to prefer looking at pictures instead of reading a lot of text. The final part of the space left of the page is taken up by a box that is a different colour from the contents column. This is because it has information about reviews, so by changing the colour tells the audience that the topic of information has changed as well. Overall all of the features are easily located around the page, with very little overlapping taking place as everything is very rectangular. This makes the page much more simple and easy to read.

There is one main image on the contents page, with a minor one as well. It is a large long shot photo of the band "The Courteeners" and roughly takes up half of the page. It's purpose is to notify the audience, showing them that that band will be featured in the magazine. The image is large because it adds more significance to the article about the band. With a bigger emphasis on the importance of this band means that the fans will be drawn in much easier. This is due to the fact that a larger image will be much more eye catching and appealing to fans of the band. If a small image was used, it wouldn't portray much importance on that article. Instead people may think it is just for decoration, just like the minor photo used at the bottom of the page. This photo shows a man leaning against a pillar, which isn't representing a band, it's just for decoration showing the audience the person who wrote the reviews.

The pose of the contents page is very tricky, as there is no pose in particular that the band are using. In the photo they are standing on a hill with their hands in their pockets, looking at the camera in a very casual way. This has been done so that the fans can easily identify the band by making eye-contact with the picture. Images on a contents page don't have to be striking and overly eye-catching, because their job is to just inform the audience about what bands are featured in the magazine. The only necessary convention is that the artist in the image must be easily recognizable to fans.

The use of words on the contents page of Q Magazine are very simple and don't really hold any hidden messages or fancy descriptions. The words are purely there on the basis of telling the audience all they need to know about the contents of the magazine. The more import text will be in a bolder type font or will be enlarged from the rest, reiterating the point of larger means more important. All of the words used clearly direct the audience around the magazine because the words are clear and easy to understand. However, in order to fit all of the information on the page the font size has dramatically decreased in size, making it hard to read from a distance. The font size is around 11/12 pt. It suggests the interests of the reader by clearly labeling the bands, and what features are in the magazine.

The language on the contents page addresses the reader by showing them what they want to see. For example, the more important and bigger features in the magazine will be in a larger font, making it much more easier for you to notice. Where as smaller less important articles will be in a small font size and located in a harder to spot position on the contents page. This has recently been used as a form of advertising because of the way the the language can manipulate the audience.

The overall impression of this contents page is positive and straightforward, clearly showing the audience the key articles located in the magazine, thus serving it's purpose to a high degree of satisfaction. This contents page is designed to appeal to a narrower line of audience because it only uses one large photo to appeal to fans of that specific band. Then other subjects will be mentioned in the list of contents, but text is less interesting than a picture. It represents the reader's interests by the use of these two features, the photo is appealing and the list of articles is easy to read.