3 Contents pages analysis

 

VOGUE (double spread)

Vogue is a very high end, and very popular fashion magazine- and it is very conventional of it's genre, which is further supported by it's contents pages. 

The simplicity of the black and white colour palette emphasises the sophistication Vogue is known for, and this combined with serifed fonts creates a representation of the magazine that is not only sophisticated and high-end, but also has strong connotations of femininity; for example the gentle italic fonts and subtle colours. Vogue often has connotations of femininity and most generally is known for it's positive and empowering representations of women, so this again makes it very conventional of it's genre. 

The composition and layout of the contents pages is again very simplistic, and also very organised, with columns of text underneath folios, again emphasising their sophistication as a magazine. 

The main images on the contents pages are photoshoots of female models, with elements of these images shut as location and costume referring back to Vogue's sophistication. 

The shot types used in these images are full body or medium close-up shots, in order to present the costume, make-up and location of which the models are wearing- these high end fashion shoots are again something Vogue is notorious for. 

The Big Issue 

This contents page of The Big Issue is very conventional of the current affairs genre, and reflects their views and values as a brand through media language, content and representation. 

The composition and layout of the contents page is clear and organised and arranged into columns, with folios, and allocated text underneath. The folios are blocked in red, which is part of the iconography of The Big Issue; referring to it's well-known red logo. The colour palette involves much of this red, along with white, and mostly an aqua blue colour. This blue colour refers to the logo of the Ride Out Recession Alliance which does have an allocated spread further on in the magazine, which covers issue like homelessness and redundancies in England. This, on top of much of the other content that the magazine includes, such as a story on the Paralympics, shows that the representations that are covered and included in the magazine vary a lot, from disability and gender to ethnicity, which can be further proven by the image in the bottom left of a black male. 

These varies representations again reflect the Big Issue's values, and shows that they are for the people and the audience, and creates this connection with them that is welcoming and a representation for themselves as a trustworthy brand. 

This double spread contents page of the Big Issue further reflects the brands views, by again including a largely varied range of representations that are shown throughout the magazine. These representations combined with media language and content also prove it to be very conventional of it's genre. 

The composition and layout of the spread is arranged in blocks rather than columns, with just as many images as text. There is no specific colour palette, but does again include the classic red on white on the folios, an iconography of The Big Issue, as it refers to their logo and Masthead. 

The Big Issue is known for it's varied representations throughout it's magazines, as they are aimed at a largely varied audience; it is not specialised. This can be seen through the images included on the contents page that represent women, which are of different ethnicity and age too. Referring back to the last contents page, it is known that they also represent men of different ages, ethnicity and disability. The content displayed on the page also features articles about fighting homelessness, again showing that The Big Issue has a very strong relationship with it's audience, and through it's varied representations create an image for themselves as a brand and magazine that is trustworthy, and genuine.