Contents Page Deconstructions x3

Deconstruction of three contents pages.

Masthead
The logo of the magazine is the same every time it appears so readers know that this is the right magazine. It is put at the top of the page as this is the first place people usually look and it sets a theme for the rest of the page.

Contents/Info
There is a column down the left hand side of the page with page numbers so readers can go to the story of their choice. It also lets them see all of the stories that are in that issue so they can decide whether they are interested in enough of the stories to buy it. There is also an 'Every Month' section here to let people know that the items in that section are in every issue so if they enjoyed those parts, they may be interested in buying other issues of the magazine in the future.

Image
This example has a large image of the artist who the main article is about covering the entire page. This emphasies how the main article will be relevant to this person and people who are a fan of them will want to buy it.

Masthead
The logo of the magazine is positioned in the top left again as it keeps the same format as the front cover to establish a brand. 'THIS WEEK' is in capital letters and is larger than the other text including the logo. This is to make the information in the magazine seem exclusive and more attractive to customers.

Contents/Info
A column on the right side of the page tells the reader which story is on each page which is different to the layout of other magazines. In this example they are seperated into sections so the reader can look straight to what they are interested in. It has the name of the artists who the articles are about in bold to catch people's attention when they are looking at the page with the further information smaller and underneath the bold writing so it is only read when they are interested in it.

Image
They have used an image that is relevant to the main article so people know exactly what it is about. There is a short summary to explain the main part of what it is about to draw people in to find out what else happened by reading the rest of the story further into the magazine.

Band Index
This magazine is also different to other examples as it has a band index on the left of the page. This shows which artists feature in the magazine. If people see an artist in this section they are a fan of, it may help to persuade them to buy this as well as other issues in the future as it suits their taste in music.

Advert/Voucher
There is an option to subscribe to the magazine for a price that is advertised as a good deal. If the content on the rest of the page has impressed them enough, they would want to read all of the issues and this would make it easier instead of looking for each issue when they are released.

Masthead
The magazine's logo is the most bold piece of text on the cover which brings the most attention to what magazine it is, establishing a brand that will help them to create a regular audience. Again it has the words 'THIS WEEK' in all caps making the issue seem exclusive and up-to-date.

Contents/Info
On this page, the reader is told where each story is in the magazine so they can skip past the articles that they aren't interested in. This also has a band index as they are both from NME so this is the house format they use throughout their issues. Their text is black on a white background with red page numbers. These colours are good to use together as it helps the text stand out as well as being the magazine logo's colour scheme. The offer to subscribe to the magazine are in completely different colours so it stands out and people are drawn to this part of the page.

Image
The image is of a group while they are on stage so it is clear they are writing about this band. The only other image is in the subscription offer section which shows a preview of what the next issue will be.

Advert/Voucher
There is an option to subscribe to the magazine for a price that is advertised as a good deal. If the content on the rest of the page has impressed them enough, they would want to read all of the issues and this would make it easier instead of looking for each issue when they are released.

Photoshop Skills Development

I opened the sample image into Adobe Photoshop and renamed the layer to unlock it which allowed me to edit the image.
I duplicated the layer and removed the background from the second layer using the magic wand tool.
I added a text layer for the masthead and as it appeared between the first two layers, it appeared over the background colour but behind the main image.
I opened the image of a barcode and placed it into the bottom corner of the magazine as this is where it is usually found.
I created another two text layers for cover lines and placed  them on the right side of the page.
I edited the first text layer to have an outer glow to make it stand out more.

Preliminary Task- Front Cover and Contents

For my preliminary task I needed to design a front cover and contents page for a students magazine. I made these documents in Microsoft Publisher.

This is my original attempt at creating a front cover:

Using a large main image of an adequate quality was a good point however to improve I could have edited out the background to make it look more professional. Using different fonts and colours for every bit of text makes it confusing to the reader, it is good to change them slightly but not so much all at once. There are grammatical mistakes made which would put people off from buying the magazine as if there are mistakes on the cover it is more likely to be poorly written inside which can be frustrating for a reader.

I have included key conventions of a magazine such as a main image, masthead, barcode and coverline which can be improved to make a good layout for my main task if I choose.

This is my original attempt at creating a contents page:

In the page index column, the text should be edited so words are on one line, possibly by reducing the size of the text or starting a new line. The layout is rather simple and plain which could be improved by adding more images, making the page more colourful and improving the style of the pieces of text. I could be more creative with how I position each part on the page. There are also some grammatical errors in what is written which creates a poor reputation for the writer's literary abilities. When I choose my images for this page, I will make sure they are relevant and edited well as in this preliminary task I used the original image without any editing. I will keep the idea of the column stating which stories will be on each page, having 'Contents' at the top of the page to direct the reader to know what it is and the image with a caption underneath.

Preliminary Task Flat Plans

I have constructed a flat plan of a magazine cover and contents page for the preliminary task in Microsoft Publisher:

I placed the masthead at the top left of my front cover as this is the first place people look when picking up a magazine. I have the main image covering the whole page so it catches the attention of people who aren't necessarily looking for this magazine. I put the cover line at the bottom of the page as people will automatically look here after looking at the image to find out what the article will be about. I have made this the biggest piece of text as it is the main story so it is more important than the rest of the pieces of text. I have put a subheading under the main cover line to further explain the cover line but in a smaller text so it will only be read if people want to find out more about the article. I have other cover lines for smaller stories down the side with an image to show a visual aid of what the articles is about. I included essential information as this will be necessary for the customer such as the date so they know if any deals or upcoming events have already ended or not, the price so they can decide if they think it is good enough value for money to buy it and a barcode so they can actually purchase it in the shop.

I will repeat the same format and cover scheme for the contents page that was on the cover to establish the brand and keep a house style so it is easily recognisable. I put the masthead at the top of the page so the reader knows what will be on the page below it. I will include relevant images that relate to some of the stories in that issue. Down the left hand side I will state which story will be on each page so the reader can navigate to the stories they want to read instead of having to look through the whole magazine. I will also have an advertisement or a voucher that will be something relative to students so they may buy the magazine purely to get a deal for something essential.