Analysis of "Q" contents page

I have also analysed the contents page from a recent edition of "Q" magazine to gather some more ideas.

Page One
























Page Two























The contents page of "Q" magazine spreads over two A4 pages. Distributing the information in this way makes the magazine look less hectic and more leisurely to read. On both pages 'white space' has been used to break up the information and to give the page a clean, glossy appearance, therefore it is likely to appeal to an 'up-market' audience as it looks very professional.

The header "Q Contents" has been placed at the centre top of both pages where it draws the most attention, making navigation of the magazine simple and stress-free. The colours that have been selected for the title are grey and black, again giving the page a minimalistic, professional, polished appearance.

A number of attractive photographs have been used on both pages to break down the large amounts of text and to make the page look eye-catching. Particularly on the first page, the images help to draw in the readers eye because bright colours are included in the shot, for example the photograph of the orange fire has been positioned in the centre of the first page where it will captivate the readers attention, hopefully influencing them to read on.

Another aspect of the photographs which will interest the target audience are the people who the magazine has chosen to feature in them. On the first page, all of the photographs are of the popular rock group "Kings Of Leon", the same band that features on the front page of this issue. People who buy this magazine are likely to be fans of the band, so by continuing their coverage throughout the contents page, the audience will be able to see the kinds of articles "Q" has covered them in. If fans of the band believe the magazine has a substantial amount of coverage on them, they will be more likely to purchase the magazine. The second page of contents holds a large photograph of indie/alternative band "The Killers". This image dominates the page, and stands out against the plain white background. Fans of the music genre the magazine covers are almost certain to instantly recognise the lead singer, and because the band is so popular and well-liked, this photo is likely to appeal to a large audience.

The font used on the contents page is simple and easy to read, so the navigation of the magazine is kept easy and stress-free. Most of the text is black, giving it maximum impact against the white background. Some text has been highlighted in a paler grey/blue colour, to make the page appear a bit more colourful and interesting. Text printed in this colour however has also been made larger in size so that it remains easy to read, due to it being slightly paler.

The two sub-headings "On the cover" and "Q review" have been capitalized and written in a bold, black font so that they are noticeable to the reader. The titles of the different articles have also been capitalized and made larger for the same reason. Again this allows the reader to identify the articles and sections that interest them most with ease.

In the bottom right corner of both pages there are two examples of double-page spreads featured inside the magazine. This provides the audience with a visual idea of what the magazine will contain, and if they are fond of it's interior appearance, they will want to buy it. I personally find this aspect of the contents page particularly appealing as it helps to break up large amounts of text whilst giving it a sophisticated, specialized feel.