Research into contents pages and double page spread

I have conducted some research into the types of contents pages music magazines have. Well known and successful magazines such as 'Q' and 'MOJO' and i have noticed that these magazines all follow the same house-style and follow convention. A common theme among these music magazines is that they all feature the standard elements of a magazine. These include a title, use of images, sub-headings, advertisements and page numbers. I will ensure that my contents page features all these key elements and has given me some ideas about the type of contents page and layout that i want my contents page to have. The use of columns is a very good layout to have when listed the contents of the magazine and with the use of guide lines i will ensure my contents page also follows this convention. There is also a distinctive colour scheme, the contents page in the bottom right hand corner shows the title 'Contents' in bold red lettering, and throughout the page, the colour red is shown alternately in contrast with the white lettering, showing a common theme. This theme of red and white colours is maintained across the page and also uses the same fonts, showing consistency, this is something i will aim to do in my contents page. The MOJO contents page uses a very simple and proffessional colour scheme and layout, which can be percieved as reflective of the genre of music it portrays and represents that type of audience. This is something to consider for my music magazine, and it represents my genre of modern pop and the culture it portrays. The most significant features that are clearly identified is the Contents title, which is most likely always located at the top of the page, followed by the way in which the contents of the magazine are listed, although the use of columns is conventional, perhaps a more effective display could be the use of blocks or scattered about, as it is something different.

Common Features:
Title
Headings
Sub-headings
Main images/lots of little images
Column Structure
Page numbers
House-Style
Colours, Fonts and Captions
Advertisements/Consumer interactions