Music magazine contents page planning

Before I was able to start creating any part of my contents, I had to plan it all out. I firstly planned four different designs out on paper by hand, then choose my best design and created another copy of it in publisher. I had to analyse a number of different contents pages before being able to create my won, so that I had a clear understanding of how a contents page was to look. In my questionnaire I also included a question about how many images my target audience thought should be included within my contents, which made it easier when thinking of design ideas. The images below are of photocopies of my hand drawn design ideas:

The image to the left was my first draft to the contents planning, I quite liked this design because it was a clear layout with a image on the left hand side of the page then a list of the page titles and numbers on the right hand side, with the title above it. I included two columns then another small image in the bottom right corner. Although I liked this layout I couldn't have used it as my target audience answered my questionnaire saying that they only want one main image included on my contents page. If I was to have more than one image I wouldn't be taking in to consideration what my target audience like to be included within a contents page.

The second design I produced I think was worse than the first one because now that I look back at my design I don't like  the idea of having the band index, when I didn't have a particular genre for the magazine it would be rather pointless in having it. However I like having the headings above the list of titles and numbers of the pages; it allows similar pages to become grouped together making it easier for my target audience to know where to look on the contents when looking for a cover line that was on the cover etc.

This design is possibly the worst out of all of them because I don't like the layout of the title and the idea of having a full page image. I think everything on this design is all cramped together and not well planned out. The idea of having a full page image would also not work on a contents page because of the about of text will be included within it; the image would most likely be of a person so the actual page wouldn't be very clear because there would be so much included on the page that you would know where to look or be able to make any of the writing out. Although the full page image was one of the top voted answers from my target audience, I have decided against using a full page image.

The two images either side are my final copies of my contents. The reason for me having one hand drawn and one done in publisher is because this is that actual layout I have used for creating my contents page. I choose this layout because I liked the idea of having a main image with a caption from one of their songs then the name of the band or singer under or above it. I kept the idea of having the headings above each title of the pages because it allowed my target audience to know easily where to look for the page they are wanting to turn to. I decided to include a review of a CD because it filled in a blank space which would have looked stupid if I left it blank.

Once i had decided on the layout of my contents page I then created a draft version of my contents page, I decided to create this because when I went to create my final copy I only had to change my colour scheme and add in my own image that I had taken myself. Below is my draft copy of my contents page: