Rejected Images For School Magazine Contents Page:

I thought about using this image for the contents page about sports activities students could get involved in, but decided as it was a school magazine the shirtless teenager on a bike in the center left may not have been appropriate on the grounds that it is not appropriate to walk around school shirtless. 

This second image was originally going to be for the front cover, but I thought may have been more suited for the contents page. However, the glare of the reflection from the glass spoiled the photo. When I looked back at the image I also considered that the size of the classroom seems much smaller and dimly lit in the photograph. So, while the image contains essentially not a bad shot of two students working in I.T, the photograph implies that they are in a not very attractive working space. The negative association with working may have been damaging to the image of the magazine.

My Own School Magazine Contents Page:

You can see the rough plan used to some degree.The position of the headline is the same, additional images and appropriate text has been slightly altered, with the removal of a 4th image.


The font used for the Title and Subtitle is called "SPQR" (Senate and the people of Rome) and is both a font for show and for practicality.


The images are of suitability, having used photographs I took of 6th form both in and out of school.


Like in the School Contents page I looked at, I decided that the images did not need borders here.


The yellow background aims to give a neutral tone to the page without obstructing clarity of the text. I also didn't like the plainness of leaving the background white like in the example.

The text deals with a relevant issue to school life, listing plausible page content and page number.

I felt that as a school magazine the page count would be much lower than in other magazines. This is also evidenced in the example School Contents page, where their highest page number is '22.'

My Rough Plan For School Magazine Contents Page:

I was more hesitant to try the border again here, even though it worked well in the example contents page I looked at I thought that considering my front page I would try a different approach.

I wanted a combination of front page and contents techniques, I would pair my text with relevant page numbers but not on opposite sides of the page. I would try to incorporate as many different smaller images like in the example contents page or the side image in the front cover I looked at.

I aimed more here for simple and achievable rather than attempting something new like the bordering that did not work as well last time.

Example School Magazine Contents Page:

The page displays typical conventions and fulfills the purpose of a contents page while staying within a house style.

The page uses five non bordered images, has a clearly readable text and page number that is unobscured by poor background colour or other mistakes.

The border adds the semi-professional touch to the magazine, while also staying in keeping with the school insignia in the bottom left. The school insignia being a motif that characterizes the magazines house style.

Where this page may fall short is the less imaginative and slightly scraggly looking title for the page. That said the positioning of the title is appropriate and the font is not explicitly vulgar or unreadable.

The positioning of the text I thought was a brilliant choice, as keeping the features on the left and the page numbers on the right kept the clarity of the necessary function of a contents page:to direct readers to what they want to read in the magazine.

Rejected Images For School Magazine Front Cover:

This first image was planned to be used, but was later rejected because of practicality trying to write around the person in the foreground without obscuring the person in the background. The possibly of cutting the person in the back right would have made the image much too short to be used.

Here was a reasonable medium shot, yet the blue sky interfered with the text of 'Extra-curricular' when I first attempted to put the contents page together. 

I also decided to go for more of an action shot, where something which could connote the idea of an extra-curricular activity could be shown like in the final image.

This last image was, as indicated by background and character on the right, taken immediately before the image that was used in the final piece. Everything within the image was what I felt I needed the image to contain, an extra-curricular activity, connotations of a school environment, an "action shot" of an activity in progress. 

There were several issues with this image however, the person on the left had blurred too much. People in the background interfered with the image. An energy drink can clearly be seen in the photo, which might give the wrong connotations about sixth form activities. It was also impossible to cut this image to attempt to use it, as leaving an over the shoulder shot of the person on the right without the rest of the scene was completely meaningless and therefore useless.

My Own School Magazine Front Cover:

The image was intended to be more of an 'action' shot of a school activity. The connotation of an image like this to then link with the title of the magazine 'Extra-Curricular.'

Unlike the front page I used as an example, I decided to add a sub-headline of "Could you be doing more?" acting like a tag to the magazine.

I am dubious as to whether the bordered text was successful or not, as the left hand side of the image now appears more barren.

The positives about bordering text like that is that the image used does not look out of place, when otherwise on the background of the main image it would have looked like a clear mistake.  The cornering of the text like that also allows attention to be brought to the image, rather than obstructing parts of it. I also feel like although a house style was not yet created, a working colour scheme was successfully established.The use of a school logo and issue date help give the connotation of the page as a school magazine.

School Magazine Front Cover Draft:

The layout to the school magazine was to be kept basic, adhering to conventions like a medium shot, a clear title, issue number and text around the image.

Unlike the front cover example, my issue number would be in the top right hand corner, not as a bottom strip.

I would also try to create a border for my front page features on the right hand side, attempting to make the page look more refined.

If possible I would try to include a secondary image at the bottom of the page, accompanied by explanatory text on the right hand side.

Example School Magazine Front Cover:

This front cover shows a medium close up shot of a student, framed within the text.

Although yellow is the most used colour, there is perhaps a lack of 'house style' as the other colours of blue purple and black almost spoil the rest of the cover.

There is good use of the appropriate secondary image on the right, not looking out of place with the rest of the article and related to the underhand text.

The title of the magazine 'Classique' is not overly ornate, in fact it is rather simple.

Small additions like the issue number across the bottom help define the work as a magazine.
It is assumed that the symbol above the 'I' in 'Classique' is the school crest or similar symbol. In which case, this could contribute significantly to house style if used as a repeated motif throughout the magazine.