Louder Than War Contents Page Analysis

 Contents Page Analysis - Louder Than War

This is the contents regular page for Louder Than War magazine issue 7. The evident main colour scheme for this page is red and white, which contradicts the brand identity established on the front page, which was predominantly yellow and white. This shows that the magazine isn't afraid of switching up their brand to adjust to new scenarios. The red here has connotations of passion, strength and love. The strength relates back to the strong characteristics established from the masthead on the front page. The passion and love represent the somewhat agapeistic love that the editors, writers and most importantly the readers have for music, in particular, indie and punk music. The colour red is the most predominant colour featured on this page, as the somewhat disjointed border goes to show. The border of this page consists of one thick red line beside a thin red line that go around the contents of the contents page. However, the border does not go along the top like conventional borders do. Instead it bleeds straight into the top of the page - this shows that this magazine is not wholly conventional like others. This adds to the unique brand identity they have already established.

Unlike the front page, there is text here that isn't all in capital lettering. For the most part it is, its featured in "Contents" at the top and "Regular" beneath the images, however the descriptions for the pages themselves are in lower case. The main focal point of this page is the title "Contents" in the top left sector of the page. This informs the audience that this is the contents page, in which they will find the guide to where articles are throughout the magazine. This makes it easier for the reader to navigate and ultimately read it. "Contents" is in block capitals with a white font, which contrasts powerfully to the red background. The red horizontal rectangle bleeds into the left edge of the page. 

Beneath this title are 6 images of various artists / bands that are featured within the magazine. Each image has a page number circled on the bottom left, so as to guide the reader to the exact page that that artist / band is featured on. Some of the images, for example the image of Kristin Hersh in the top left, is listed in the contents list below, so any readers can understand what exactly the article is about, without even having to take their eyes off the page. This ease of access throughout the navigation of the magazine means readers will prefer it to others, and they could spread word to friends through word of mouth, therefore the magazine becomes more popular. Therefore it is important to make sure that the magazine is easily navigable.

The "Regular" title is the same as "Contents", in white block caps encased in a red horizontal rectangle. This repetition sticks in the readers' thoughts, meaning any time they see that sort of arrangement they know it is Louder Than War, thus creating a prominent brand identity. Beneath "Regular" are 7 subsections each describing individual articles within the magazine, which is the contents list. These are the regulars, meaning these are the articles that are found in every issue. Regulars are important because they promote customer loyalty, because readers may enjoy a certain regular, ergo purchase the magazine each month in order to not miss out on the part that they specifically enjoy. The text here is bow (black on white) because that is the easiest to read, and it is important that the audience can easily understand the text, because then there's more chance of them returning each month to purchase the magazine.

To conclude, the contents page differs in terms of colour from the front page, introducing the powerful colour of red to change things up, and keep the audience engaged. The border isn't complete, representing the uniqueness and risks that Louder Than War take.