contents page design

There are various factors that determine the design of a list of contents.

The main one is the character of the magazine itself: special interest and current affairs magazines require a different approach than that of, say music magazines. The form is dictated by the function.

Generally there are two levels; one pictorial and one textual, with the emphasis again dependent on the nature and house style of the magazine.

Pictures may be used to emphasise certain themes, but they also help to attract the more visually orientated reader to one particular subject or article.

For this reason pictures must be supplemented with captions and page numbers.

The contents page is particularly attractive to advertisers, as most readers will turn to it, and lengthy lists are often spread over two full pages so that they can be split by two full-page adverts.

For the reader though it’s easier to have the contents on one page. The page numbers themselves must be clearly laid out, either to the right or left of the subject matter. The main role of the content page is to help the reader navigate the magazine. Therefore the highest priority of the content page should be clarity and ease of use.