Constructing My Contents Page

To create this version on my masthead I went back onto my masthead on Adobe Illustrator and added the word 'Contents' to the end of it. I then started a new A4 Photoshop document for the contents page.

I started off by creating the boxes for the headings of each section in my contents list. This gave me an idea of the space I needed to fill and the amount of stories I needed to think of to create a realistic magazine contents page. I used black for the boxes because they gave a contrast against the white background and this allowed the headings to stand out and show the reader where the most important part of the page was. 

I then added the sub-headings underneath each heading, leaving gaps for taglines about what would be some of the most exciting article, including my feature. I used Ariel font for the headings, sub-headings and extra text because, with a layout like this it can be hard to read, so this font brought some clarity to the page to make it easier for the audience to read.

Next I added the extra text under some of the sub-headings and also the page numbers. The colours I have used for this contents list are black(for the boxes), purple (for the page numbers) and yellow (for the headings). These colours conform to the colour palette on the front cover giving continuity and identity to the magazine. Furthermore, I added a thin grey line by the side of the contents to separate it from the rest of the page and it just looks more professional than if it wasn't there. 

I then worked on the banner, which involved me using the masthead I made earlier at the top on the page and filling each word with black and yellow from the colours already on the page. I then made two blue lines (the blue from the boxes on the cover) above and below the title. I needed to add the issue number and the cover date, information which was on the cover (underneath the barcode), so it was clearer to the reader, and I put them next to the title to fill that empty space. 

To fill the empty space at the bottom, I created an editors box, with a message I wrote about what this issue would contain, mainly the feature that I would make, because this is a common convention of rock magazine contents pages as shown by my style models. I changed the font for this to make it less formal and stand out against the font that filled the rest of the page. I also made a box advertising subscription information for the magazine, which would be important for the institution if this were to be a real magazine. This was the hardest part to make because it needed sufficient information whilst not looking overcrowded or unprofessional. I matched the colours with the other colours used on the page (blue for the price box, purple for the banner and footer for the box, yellow for some of the text, white for most of the text and black for the box). These furthered the continuity and also allowed a lot of layering of colour to make the box stand out, especially with the white on black inversion. I used the shape of a egg timer for the price box because this is different to the rest of the boxes and makes the price stand out, which is the most important part for advertising in the box.

I added the image last because I could then make it fit to the rest of the layout. the colours in the picture mostly conform to the colour palette apart from the addition of the red, however this was a colour that the audience research highlighted as a popular colour to see and this also links to the colour palette of my feature article which is slightly different. 

To complete my contents page, I added a picture of myself to the bottom left corner of the page. This allows the reader to see who created the magazine and who wrote the editor's view next to it which is a common convention of rock music magazines. The photograph fits with the page because the mise-en-scene mostly conforms to the colour palette, with the pink complementing the addition of red in the main image and the grey giving a contrast to the background which looks good, taking away some of the brightness but not too much that it ruins the whole page.