Grade A contents pages

You want a grade A? Then this is how to do it.

Look at these contents pages.

They use all the key elements we have discussed in class.

How can you learn from these?

What can you pick out and use in your own ideas and final designs?

Can you copy the layout of one of these examples? 

Contents page conventions

Contents pages are designed as a reference to what is in a magazine.  They provide a brief overview of individual articles & features, some of which might be regular additions for every edition.  

The design and layout are based upon a grid structure that you must follow.  You must use rulers and gridlines to construct your ideas.  

1. They usually include a contents banner at the top of the page.  The masthead is also usually featured along with the date, issue number, web address and social media information.

2. They have 1 or 2 columns of text which have sub-headings such as NEWS, REGULARS, FEATURES, REVIEWS, LETTERS, etc..

3. They use numbers to indicate the page location.  

4. They incorporate photos of the content with numbers and captions to provide anchorage, (creates a sense of meaning for an image).  The larger the photos the more important that article is.

5. Each article/ feature heading is in a larger/ bolder font for emphasis.

6. There is blurb underneath each heading which is smaller and gives an indication of the content for that feature/ article.

7. There is often an editor's letter.  There can also be a callout box with magazine subscription information.  

The use of the text needs to be considered for emphasis and also needs to be a suitable size.  As a guide no larger than 24pt.  No smaller than 10pt.  If in doubt print and check.

Contents Pages

For the next three weeks you will be working on contents pages.  This will include in class and also for homework, which will mean using W9a during private study and after school.

The deadline for completion is 3rd March.

You need to:

Construct your final contents page following the house style of your final front cover- complete mock-ups showing development of your idea and your final contents page and upload them to your blog.

Key things to remember:

You need to use the same house style for your final contents page as your final front cover.  The same fonts, type of layout and use of colour.  It should use a variety of font sizes for emphasis- DON'T make them too big for normal text.  If in doubt print it out, it should be the same size font as you would expect to read in any magazine.

A grade example from a rock/ indie genre

Grade A example

This is an excellent example of construction.  Why is it so good?

• Excellent house style communicated with consistent use of colour, fonts and design layout
• Fonts are used with striking emphasis through difference in size, colour, selection and use of case
• Photography is well planned and well executed with clear consideration of page composition
• All products are highly pleasing in terms of their aesthetic appeal, they are interesting to look at

Editing photos

Photos can be cropped, masked and edited using tools and menus in fireworks. You can also edit them using online tools.

If you want to edit your photos to apply filters, alter colour values, add lighting effects and experiment with other techniques then try one of these five online editing tools.  Remember to grab screen shots to track the development of your work and to help you to build evidence of how you have manipulated and edited your photos for your evaluations.

http://pixlr.com

http://fotoflexer.com

http://ipiccy.com

http://www.picmonkey.com

http://www.befunky.com

Homework Contents layout sketches

Now we are moving into design and construction of your music magazine contents pages you now need to produce 6 layout sketches for initial ideas of their layout.  Consider the key conventions of contents pages that you have previously researched.  Ensure you are using a grid layout and including lots of informative elements for your readers.

Look at the examples below.  Ensure you present your own ideas clearly on your blog. 

These must be posted on your blog by the lesson on Thursday 9th February

Could you copy the style of layout of one of these products?