Contents Page Research.

Now I am moving onto designing and creating my contents page. To do this I of course have to do some research. I found many different contents pages which are from music magazines and normal magazines, and have used this research to understand what a contents page should look like and how unique they could be. The idea I have in mind, will for it to be different to all of the original contents pages in many magazines as I find that a lot of magazines use the same sort of layout. I also want my contents page to draw in my target audience. I have found a few contents pages which I do like a lot, and have inspired me and gave me a lot of ideas to do for my contents page. But I have tried to make it as different to the ones I had found as possible.


These two contents pages drew me in, instantly because of the way they are laid out. They aren't so much unique and different but because of its simplicity and huge images, this is what makes it have its own footprint. It is obvious that all of their magazines must all have the same fonts and maybe even some of the layouts, as the contents pages of this magazine is shown in that way. I really like how the font and texts are all the same on these contents pages, and I also like how even though they may be the same in many ways, I like how the images are set out in different ways and the text follows. I find that the title of these contents pages are quite unique, because of the way they are set out. They are shown as different colours and different sizes which I also like. Also keeping their unique ways going, they have made sure that the background colours are within the same shades of colour. Even though not all of the backgrounds on their magazine contents pages may be the same, I can imagine that all of the backgrounds will include a plain normal coloured background as they include big bold images. You can also see that they have used dull colours, for the rest of the page to stand out and will be easy to read. Their colour co-ordination I think, has been shown very well. Even though these contents pages maybe bland, everything immediately captures attention. The images that are used I feel are very good, as you can tell that by the images, the magazine's target audience will be for a younger audience. Because my target audience are also for a younger audience, this helps me on how I may like this to come across to all of my readers. With the contents page on the left, I really like how the image is positioned. The reason for this is because as her body curves, the text is positioned so it interacts with the imagery. The same also goes for the contents page on the left, as the text curves around the dress of the girl on the left. This shows that the image is making the reader read the text which is available on the page. Both of the titles are instantly stood out to the audience, this is shown especially on the contents page on the left, as the bold white stands out against the black background, as it is a major contrast. I will be taking this into consideration when I come to designing my contents page. Over all I think that these contents pages are very attractive, as they have included things which indicate things standing out, and they both show a sense of fashion. I would like my contents page to not show so much fashion, as if I would have done that, I would have made sure that happened on my front cover.

I do quite like this contents page, as it goes onto a double page spread. I like how it also has its simplicity, but has use of colour to liven up the whole of the contents page. I also like the way they have done this, but adding it onto the sides so it doesn't take the attention away too muc from the contents page text. It is shown that the contents page is supposed to be a little plain as even the colour added are just plain block colours. The whole of the contents page text and pictures are mainly in black and white, this I think is good as it matches with the colours well, and having a white background, will really affect the text as it will all stand out well and will be easy to read. The titles of the pages are in black and are more bolder to get the readers attention, so they will know exactly what they are going to be seeing in the magazine. The page numbers are clearly stood out quite bold so the readers know exactly what page they are going to and this won't cause confusion. I don't personally like how there are only a few pictures in smal dotted around the double page spread, as the pictures are only showing a hint of what some of the pages are going to be about. I think that if you are going to do this, you may as well do it for all of the pages, or none at all. I would have just one big image on this contents page which will take up a lot of one of the pages and some of the other. For example an image like the first research I had found on the left. I do like how the colour scheme have use of modern colours, as I like the colours and they wouldn't make the contents page look too over the top or cluttered with other many different colours. I also think that the plainer it is, the more modern it gets, as this demonstrates what magazines now involve as the times go on. But this also depends on what genre the magazine is. But as I have noticed throughout my research, is that a lot of magazines now are becoming more modern by making the magazine more plain. Having the same font and text throughout the whole of the page also creates the modern look. As there is not very many images (big ones) there are no big distractions so the reader will not look at everything else on the page but the text. This I think is the right sort of layout to go for when making any page on a magazine. Overall, I think having a contents page on two pages is good because it is different to many other magazines, but I also feel that there really isn't any need of doing that as a contents page generally only does need one page.

I researched this contents page with this type of genre, as it is different to what I would usually go for. The rock sort of vibe to me, isn't my type of thing at all, and really isn't my favourite genre. I also picked this contents page when I saw it because I actually really do like the way it is laid out, and how they have used the images and the text. As I like the modern look, this contents page indicates this a lot and well. The modern colours to me are colours like black, white, red and greys. This contents page shows this mainly throughout all of their magazines. I like how the central image is shown on this contents page, and really gives the reader information on what the magazine will be about. Other than this, the big title at the top of the page shares a lot and teases the reader into wanting to read on, as a riot is a massive thing. This title doesn't give away too much, but doesn't say less. The colour co-ordination to me works really well, and to me also, this magazine seems to be a very popular and professional magazine. Everything on this page is very eye-catching, even the small text on the left hand side. The only problem I would say about the small writing on the left, will be that it seems like a lot of reading for the audience and may be because of the colours are bland, the reader will not be 100% focused on that side of the page. I like the small part of information under the big title, as because the title is big and interesting, the readers will read what is said underneath. This also gives the reader what to expect, and what is happening on this page and the meaning of the riot. What I like about this, is even though it doesn't involve just a boring title as 'Contents' it includes a big heading, but also doesn't forget to add in the top corner that this is a contents page. This little title is shown as a subtitle as it smaller than the main title, but still in bold and noticiable. I really like, how even though the page is made out to be messy, it is still tidy in another way and is very understandable. I will think about that when I come to creating my own.

This contents page is very eye-catching. Seeing this contents page really drew me in and it made me want to read on and see what else is available in the rest of the magazine. I really do like how this contents page is really simple, but at the same time it isn't. This is happening because of the big image included on the side. The expression on the girls face, I find is really interesting and I like because this is the sort of thing I am going for with the whole of my magazine I am creating.This look is the very edgy look and I really like how the image is laid out on the page. This is how I would like the image to be on my contents page, but I will do a different expression as I want to make it my own. I really like how page 40 is linked to the image, and shown in bold, but isn't so bold that you cannot see the image. This lets the reader know what is happening on this page, and shows the importance of it because of the boldness added. As the contents page is called 'energy contents' this is obvious why the model in the image is doing this specific pose. This is to show the edgy vibe to the magazine. Even though the colours used aren't energetic and are quite bland, I still like it, as because the image is so eventful, the colours dont't matter. I really do like how this one simple image makes the whole of this contents page interesting and attractive, even though the only bright colour on this page is pink. I think I am going to make one page in my magazine as dull as this, but at the same time add an image so the whole page will be readable. I quite like the thought of a page being all black, white and greys. The title of this page also isn't so bold because of the image. But because of the colours and the use of the model, it is very obvious that this magazine is aimed at a young audience which are teenagers. The subtitle also shows what the magazine includes as it says 'Music. Fashion. Celebrities' I really do like this magazine, as the text and the image is all the main attraction. The text is still on show clear and revolves around the image, and the image still stands out more than the rest of the page. I am really inspired from this contents page.

This contents page I do like quite a lot, as even though it isn't very fun and entertaining, I saw that it had some interesting things involved in it. It is obvious that this contents page is quite old fashioned. But that is what I quite like about it. To me I think that it is very quirkey and quite interesting it is unique way. I like how it has its modern ways as of the simplicity of it. This shows the contrast of old fashioned and modern. I like how all of the colours co-ordinate well together even though I personally wouldn't choose the gold to go with the black, white, grey and red. But that of course shows the old fashioned side. Because the image is in black and white, I think that this means that the image blends with the whole of the magazine colours, and no competition within the page. Except from the bold title, everything else on the page I believe, is at the same level. As my magazine is aimed at a young audience, I wouldn't get full inspiration from this contents page, as I don't think that young readers would get drawn in by this. I think I am going to take the idea of how the fonts are and the colours added. I will of course make my page a lot more modern than this by adding the current modern colours which don't clash and looks quite professional. There isn't a lot you can say about this contents page, as realistically it has nothing to it. This was from the olden days, so if this was printed nowadays, I don't think anyone would be interested except for the older audience. To me this seems like the type of magazine which will be added in a newspaper back in the 1900's.

My Front Cover.

Using my flat plan and research, I had plenty of ideas of how I would have liked my front cover to look like. I had in mind what I would like it to look like so I didn't have to develop many ideas. I didn't like the thought of copying another magazine, so I decided to do it my own way and see how it would turn out. I personally think that it turned out okay, seeing as though I done it all with minor changes and followed nothing else. There were one thing that I was inspired from other magazines that I had researched were the colour co-orination. Most of the magazines I had found had well colour co-ordination so I wanted to personally stick with that on my front cover.

Country Magazine research

As I was doing a country magazine, I researched many country magazines to get ideas for my own. I researched, fashion magazines, home magazines and country tour magazines.

I really like the colours of this magazine, as it is brightly coloured and well colour co-ordinated. The font colours are used well, as all the colours match well together and the contrast of the colours are all at the same level.The background image indicates well what the magazine is going to be about, as the main focus is on the image. The colour of the title reflects well on the image, as it matches the flowers in the picture and the garden itself. The fonts used is all the same simple font which looks good as to the audience, the fonts won't take away the attention from the background image. The way the font is layed out on the image is clear, so that it is visable to read and so you could still see the image clearly. The colours of the whole magazine indicates that the magazine is a summer issue. This is due to bright colours. The creators of the magazine have made some parts of the text bold. This is to either the style of the magazine, to make the magazine look better, or to show the important parts which are inside of the magazine. The target audience that I get from this front cover would be for women, because of the colours and the picture. I would believe it would be for ages 25 and onwards. If I were to create a country magazine, I would definitely get inspiration from this front cover, as it is my favourite one I had found on my research.

This magazine I found I thought had its very unique ways.This magazine is also well colour co-ordinated due to the fonts co-ordinating well with the background image. This country magazine looks like an autumn issue because of the colours which have been shown. The title to me seems to be shown in a bold way because without the title being called 'Country' the image could indicate something different to it being a country magazine, as because the image shows a stream/river, it could be maybe be used for a fishing magazine or even a holiday one. The front cover itself, seems to come across as quite boring, because of the colour of the fonts. The only exciting colours shown in the fonts will be the yellow and the blue. You can see why it is obvious the colour blue is used as a text because the imagery is too bright, so a darker colour was needed to put over the yellow. Of course, it is show that they have used dark blue. Dark blue I feel, is also a very dull boring colour. If I were to carry on doing a country magazine, I wouldn't be inspired from this magazine as it is way to boring and I feel, it wouldn't gain hardly any audiences. This magazine to me, doesn't show a certain target audience, as it indicates hardly anything. The only target audience that comes across to me would be people who don't like to be adventurous.

I really like the look of this front cover of this magazine, as it has the same sort of vibe as the first magazine I had found on my research. I really enjoy the colours of this magazine as I am a very girly person, and love the colours which are used on this front cover. That of course indicates that the target audience for this magazine will be women. The text which is used on this front cover clearly shows what this magazine involves. This to me is a very good idea as the audience then know what to expect of the magazine and know what they're buying. The imagery used also indicates this, as the decor shown in the image, can show that it is thought about in a detailed way and has been thought about to a certain extent. This also proves to the audience what will be shown in the magazine, as they will know how detailed the help will be on being able to decorate your country house. All of the text matches with the image. But the title stands out clearly because of the shade of green used. There isn't hardly anything green in the image, so I can see why they have chosen the title to be green, as it matches all of the colours in the image and doesn't clash. It even matches the shade of brown which the wood is. If the title was pink or purple, I think the magazine would be spoiled, as when I look at the magazine, all I see is pinks and purples. So I think that the use of green was a really good idea. The text I believe is in white because it isn't a colour that will clash with any colours and it is a colour that will stand out. Because of the image being busy with colour, if this text was in a similar or in any other colour, it wouldn't stand out. I also think that because the image is very busy with colour, the front cover cannot involve a lot of text as it will look too over the top and cluttered. If I were to carry on creating a country magazine, this would be the sort of magazine I would like to create, but of course including something to do with music, by involving a music artist of some sort. (Preferbly a country singer.)

I quite like the look of this magazine, as it indicates the country vibe and fashion. The layout of this magazine is laid out in a specific way to really show off the image. I really like how the title is mixed in with the image and is the exact same colour as the dress the women is wearing in the image. This shows well colour co-ordination. The text is demonstrated around the image, so it is obvious what the full focus of the front cover is. The colour of the sub titles are in red to add more colour to the front cover of the magazine. Other than that, the magazine is quite simple, as the creator has used the image as the whole of the background of the magazine. They have also added some of the text in white, as it is bright and can be clearly viewed over the image. It also goes well with the other colour of the texts surrounding. I thought that this magazine front cover really included what I wanted to include on my country front cover, as I wanted to involve someone on it. This gave me some ideas on how I could involve my country singer on the front cover. This also gave me a good idea to involve fashion in with it. This would be so it can draw more readers in, who like fashion and also don't mind a bit of the countryside.

I really like the look of this magazine, as it is different to all of the other ones I have researched. I wouldn't personally be inspired by the layout of the magazine as I don't believe that it would really draw any readers in, as I don't think it is very interesting and a bit full on. The reason I like some of the things on this front cover, is because the image includes a typical country person. A man with a cowboy hat really implies the countryside in many ways. I see this as more of an american front cover, as the image really does include what the country is like in American. I think that this front cover looks to compact, as all of the text is big and stands out, and a lot of brighter colours are used which I think causes a bit of a clash between the other text colours and the image. I like how the title is involved with the background image, but I don't really like how you cannot really see the title as the image is in the way, but if it was the other way around, you would still be able to see the image as well as the title. The image itself is a really clear photograph which makes the magazine look good, but if the texts weren't as big and brightly coloured, I think it would make the magazine look more interesting and a lot more formal than the magazine how it is now. The magazine also only looks like a magazine for males because of the image and the colours. It involves a lot of boy things and only includes two images of women. This to me seems like all the issues of this magazine will be male dominated. The audience also for this magazine I believe will be for older people from ages 20-upwards.

Photo shoot number 2

As I changed my idea, I had to do a whole new photo shoot. I couldn't use my first photo shoot as it wouldn't go with the genre I was going for. The genre I have now chosen is a urban edgy magazine, which indicates fresh new artists and especially includes new young artists..I have included headphones and earphones to test and see which would look better. I decided that the headphones looked much better. I also tried different positions, poses and even hair styles to explore as well.

Front Cover Flatplan.

This is my flatplan of how I want my front cover to look like. I haven't included a lot of detail, this just helps me to know where to put things. This also isn't what my front cover will definitely look like, but this is what I would like it to look like.

Photo shoot for my front cover.

This was my first photo shoot for my front cover before I changed my idea. Here are a few of my favourite ones I took.

Changing my ideas.

The idea I was thinking about doing was a country magazine. I found this really hard, as I didn't have any ideas to make this magazine front cover unique and different. I done a lot of research to try and make my magazine different but I found it tricky. I also figured that country magazines are hardly to do with fashion, which is what I wanted to indicate a little bit in with the magazine I am creating. Country magazines are either to do with homes or gardening, which I feel are boring and I don't think it will draw readers in. With the magazine I would like to create, I would like to have an edgy effect to it and show a little bit of fashion. This I believe will draw a mixture of audiences in.