Conventions of the contents page

• Numbering of the articles

• Coverlines

• Week and month of magazine issued

• Organised columns (in sections)

• Plain background

• Colour scheme

Several pictures are used to show previews of the variety of content in the magazine. The pictures also serve to take up space on the page, as dance magazines tend to feature less text and more pictures. The pictures also show a variety of bright colours without ruining the colour scheme, creating a range of vibrant colours not unlike what a person would see in a nightclub, where people are likely to hear dance music. The pictures also show artists using direct and indirect modes of address, to either show they are involving the audience, serious about their work, or too busy having fun to notice the audience. The models may also be people that readers recognise, making them more interested in reading about them

The contents are organised into sections. Aside from making the contents look less cluttered, this also helps a reader to easily find articles that they would be interested in. Each section is in a different colour, and the colours are maintained for each issue, meaning that even if the positions of the sections change, a frequent reader will easily be able to find the section they are looking for.

A large variety of colours have been used on the contents page. Whilst in most cases, this would look unappealing, the colours are all used in small amounts on a white background. This way, it looks visually pleasing and noticeable. The sections of the page are colour co-ordinated, which makes it easier for frequent readers to find the sort of articles that they’re looking for.

Every image and article listed (save for the features) is accompanied by a page number. This way, as soon as a reader sees an article that interests them, they can quickly and easily see what page the article is on and flip to it.

The website of the magazine of also featured on the contents page, though it is not as attention grabbing. This is because whilst it is not as important for the reader to see as the articles themselves, it still needs to be in a place that a reader can quickly find it.

The magazine has a plain black background. This is so that the other colours on the page (white and gold) stand out more. The background is also plain so that it doesn’t distract from the text on the page.

Instead of several images on the page, this contents page has one image that takes up a large chunk of the page. The picture portrays the atmosphere often associated with electronic dance music –vibrant and lively. There is also a second, smaller image of a model using a direct mode of address to make the audience feel involved with her. She is wearing a bright coloured dress not unlike what a celebrity might wear to a club.

Each cover line on the contents page is accompanied by a short description of the article. Once the emboldened cover line draws the attention of the reader, they can read the description of the article to give them a taster of it. The subtitle is designed to use words and phrases that would appeal to a target audience, like the names of famous artists.

Though different fonts are used for the different sections of the page, the majority of them use all capitals. This makes the headings stand out, and also helps to contribute to an overall house style. The colours also complement each other as well. Although many different colours are used, none of them are used too much or are too bright, creating a style that works well.

Instead of using more text to describe the articles (which might make the page have too much writing and look boring) the magazine incorporates images of artists that may be familiar to readers already. This draws in fans of the artist almost as well as a subheading might have.

The contents page is being used here to advertise various music related events. This serves as promotional material for said events, as is especially effective as the contents page is one of the first pages that readers will see upon opening the magazine. At least some of these events appear to be sponsored by Billboard, so it could be a case of advertising across franchises. Other magazines also use space on the contents page to advertise their products, such as a subscription.

The names of the sections and articles are all kept short and snappy, restricted to a few words or a phrase. As well as helping to make the magazine look less wordy, the short phrases help to grab the audience’s attention, often with language features like alliterations.