This is my analysis of two contents pages.

NME Magazine

When we look at the contents page of this magazine the first thing we notice is the large photo in the middle of the page which takes up a vast percentage of the space. The page is arranged in a very linear fashion which contrasts with the front cover which is slightly more 'wonky' and layered. However the contents and front page are tied together with use of the red, white and black colour scheme we saw on the cover which we now know will run throughout the whole magazine which is a good use of house style to reinforce the company image in the readers mind. Down the left hand side of the page is a very narrow column with a long list of everything in the magazine. This contents, however, does not tell the reader what stories are inside or where the puzzles are, it merely lists the names of all the bands that are featured in the magazine. They are arranged in alphabetical order rather than what order they appear in the magazine which is very useful for someone who is looking for a specific band or artist. Regular readers will know that competitions and 'Gig Guide' are at the back of the magazine and new readers will be able to find these easily. This list shows a vast coverage of many bands and artists and the page numbers are clearly visible in black directly next to the names. This ease of use could appeal to customers and attract more readers. This narrow column draws our attention downwards where there is an advert to subscribe to the magazine for a cheaper price than usual. In large, black block capitals it says ‘EARLY JANUARY SALE ON NME’ which appeals to customers not only because it says sale but because people think that the best sales are the January sales straight after Christmas. Information about the sale is written below in smaller red writing then even smaller black writing explains how to find out more then in writing smaller still it says when the offer ends and where to find terms and conditions. The large first line of writing is to draw in the attention of the reader and shows them something exciting is happening then less exciting details are written below in smaller print. A small picture of an NME cover is put next to the advert using a drop shadow to make it give the page depth. The large picture in the middle of the page is of The Klaxons in Los Angelis. A small red box telling the reader this, is situated at the top of the page underneath a heading saying ‘SNAPSHOT.’ This picture does not look professional or perfect quality. It just shows the band being normal and gives the reader a more personal insight into the life of the band which would suggest that overall this magazine goes into detail when interviewing everyone and gives a more personal overview of the interviewee rather than a fake, put on impression that one might get from a photo which has been airbrushed and photo shopped like something found in a movie magazine of A list celebrities. Part of the photo overlaps the Snapshot heading which also gives this page a feeling of depth and layers which can be found on this magazine front cover as well as many other magazines. Because of the dull tones of the photo our attention is drawn to the white box of text which stands out over the photo. More than half of the box is taken up by ‘Albums of 2010’ which suggests importance and prominence in the magazine and the other small section of the box is filled with a small caption about the photo and what you can find out about in this list of Albums of 2010, it also has a page reference. This page is laid out in a way that it directs the readers attention around rather than letting the page just be scanned which could result in a reader missing important information.

Kerrang! Magazine

When looking at the contents page I noticed the lack of bright contrasting colours like those that have been used on the front cover. The colours used here are black white and grey. However standing out from everything else are the headings and subheadings which are written in yellow in the same font as the one used on the cover. It is bold and very similar to the font used for the magazine logo. This helps the reader easily find the section they are looking for and what’s in it. It also helps break up the page and stops it being a mass of writing and numbers. Lot’s of picture thumbnails are used to give the reader a preview of what is inside and are bordered in either black or white to stand out. The contents page is split into two halves, at the top of the page the images are given a drop shadow for depth and to make it seem like there isn’t enough space for everything like the magazine is full of information. These pictures are labelled with the band/artist name and corresponding page number for easy reference. The bottom half of the page is split off with a banner that might usually be found at the top of the page. When the reader turns to this page their attention is drawn to this section of the page. Especially because the large picture of ‘Soundgarden’ is in greyscale and doesn’t stand out from the background a lot. Below this banner the page is set out in columns. Some of the components of the contents overlap other columns which again gives the impression the magazine is bursting with information however most of the writing conforms to the columns which provides an easy to read list of everything in the magazine. On the far left hand side of the page there is a medium close up of a woman with a friendly smile whose eyes look directly at the reader which catches their attention. This picture overlaps the black background of the banner signifying importance. Below the picture reads an informal letter from the editor which connects to the reader and informs them of what they can find in the magazine. The language used builds a sense of community and the friendly atmosphere might make people want to buy the magazine again, however, this can sometimes have the opposite effect on first time buyers who feel that this is a community and they are an outsider. The rest of the contents page is made up of subheadings for each section of the magazine. Below which are lists of the bands or artists which can be found. Under some of these there is a small description of what you can find in the interview or what has been going on in the life of the band or artist. On the final column the regulars are listed like the ‘Gig Guide’ and quizzes. Some stories have a small image with ‘Cover Story’ written on top telling the reader where they can find the stories that they saw on the cover. Down in the bottom corner like NME magazine there is an advertisement to subscribe to Kerrang to get it delivered for a cheap price. The same technique of using big fonts first to catch the attention of the reader then using progressively smaller fonts to give more information like phone number then a key telling the reader what the star next to £6 means. This is usually written small because it’s a catch or a loophole that stops the offer sounding so good. The overall theme of this page is busy and full of information.