2. In order to dig deeper in to my research, I thought a contents page
overview would be a good idea. It will allow me to find out the
symbiotic link between contents pages of a particular magazine, and
also the codes and conventions they use to address their audiences. I
will be looking at 6 contents pages from the Billboard magazines, as
it is similar to the magazine I intend on creating. It is aimed at a
female audience who have an interest in RnB/HipHop magazines.
The 6 contents pages all feature general magazine contents page
conventions. We see expected and general layout conventions, such
as a main image that dominates most of the page, a main heading of
‘Contents’ numbered articles to feature and in a structured layout
As you can see, all 6 pages maintain a strong brand identity; you can
instantly and easily tell that they are from the same magazine. They

3. follow the same layout: Numbered content inside the magazine on
the left hand side, one main image and 3 featured article photos
above the main image and there is a ‘Home front’ section at the
bottom of each issue. It is conventional for the name of the magazine
to feature on the contents page, this magazine follows this
convention and places Billboard in the top left corner.
The same font is used in every issue, the mast-head is always has its
broken piece effect and is placed in the same position in every issue.
The colour scheme is also consistent. The main colour the magazine
uses are white, black, blue and grey.
The contents page of Billboard is different from other magazine
contents pages. From previous research I have noticed that contents
pages of other magazines are very simple and only feature one main
image and a few important articles to arouse the audience. Vibe
magazine supports this statement. This could be a good tool for
Billboard as audiences are able to read what features in the
magazine all in one page. However, it could also be ineffective as the
page is covered in text, and readership may not have the time to
search through all the articles.
In conclusion, it is common for a magazine to continue its brand
identity and follow their conventions in each issue.