Below is a slideshow with 10x images I have used as inspiration for my contents page
By doing this research, it has given me a lot of inspiration on some contents page ideas for my magazine. It also has helped me to discover which ones look more professional, and therefore more appealing to the audience to want to read further. In majority of these magazines, the title is at the top of the page, maximum of two images, not too much colour and usually a medium shot/ long shot of the star to capture their full self.
I hand-drew some contents page layouts of my own below:
When designing these contents page layouts, I have taken into account what looks appealing in other magazines to present onto mine and considered what the common conventional features of a contents page is. I have include, a pug, most titles positioned at the top of the page and big images to really show off the star even more. By creating these layout ideas, it will benefit me when it comes to editing so I have a rough idea of what I would like my contents page to look like.
In the contents page I will aim to include:
- Editors hello
- Page numbers
- Images
- Reminder on the magazine’s name and mission statement
- Graphic designs/illustrations
- Cover lines
Within the contents page, I will include headlines of the pages in my magazine. This would engage the audience to want to read further if they get a slight insight on what this magazine contains. Some examples can also include:
- The secret to writing music
- Exclusive interviews with your favourite artists!
- How I got into the music industry
- 5 tips for an easy going life
- How karma caught up with me
- Ultimate guide to success
- How I survived the battle with the devil
- Sneak peak! New music coming soon…
- “Stars name” most asked questions
- “Stars name” rise to fame
Reflection
When I am making my contents page, I need to put into consideration Blumler and Katz theory which includes social relationships, personal identity, entertainment and information. By considering social relationships, it can build a hypereal relationship between the star and my target audience. Personal identity might influence the audiences identity based on how the role model is presented, for instance, if they star is portrayed as joyful, the audience might get a joyful appeal from it and present the star as having a joyful personality. Entertainment can include images, graphics, fonts etc. These all will affect how the audience will feel about the magazine and if it’s their preferred reading. If it is their preferred reading, they will use this magazine as an escape from their normality. Lastly, information to influence the audience on facts about the star to get a general idea on them.
Other than this, I will also use AIDA (attract, interest, desire, action) in order to make the audience take action and engage with my magazine. By doing this, it will give my magazine more of a chance of becoming a success against my competing magazines.