Table of Contents Research
- Ruzgar Saylam
- Mar 13, 2025
- 3 min read
Introduction
For an assignment, we were asked to take pictures of two different magazine we picked, we took pictures of there covers and the table of contents. So in this blog post, I will analyze the different articles in both of the magazine's TOC, and compare them to each other. In every magazine, it is important to include a table of contents to ensure that the reader knows what will be included in your magazine. So with this exercise I will learn about what a table of contents should include and whether if its one of the most important parts of a magazine.
Magazine #1
Number of images: 6
Description of images:
A sculpture built like a white moon cake.
Two formally dressed men standing in a field of weeds, with long totem like sticks surrounding them.
A bottle of cologne with a brown and orange ambiance.
A ball covered in diamonds and golds, most likely a ball of rings.
A vase full of colorful and different type of flowers.
A peculiarly shaped chair that is multi-colored.
List of Sections: Features
Number of Articles: 6
Highest Page Number: 176
Articles Font Format: Article Titles: Bold, all-caps, black font. Descriptions: Smaller, non-bold sans-serif font.
Color Palette of Fonts: Black for article titles and article descriptions
Stylistic Features: The title is in the middle, and each word is a different color while facing other directions.
Each section title is in red, and the descriptions are in black, making it easy to read.
Title of Page: CONTENTS
Number of columns on page: 1
Number of images: 5
Description of images:
First page -
A collection of colorful yarns on top of a table, as well as a knitted blanket or scarf.
A few books piled around each other on top of a dark surface. The book's covers having a designed patter with one of them having a feather, and one having a face.
Second page -
A woman on the ground without shoes, painting as paintings surround her in the room, with her dog sitting next to her.
A pair of hands holding a patterned cloth, as if examining it.
A yarn doll being held up by an iron stick, the doll wearing a gold dress and holding a microphone.
List of Sections: Features, In every issue, Departments.
Number of Articles: 11
Highest Page Number: 144
Articles Font Format: Title and section titles: Large and Medium, the title being red while the section titles are light blue. Descriptions, small, black, not bold, and san-serif.
Color Palette of Fonts: Red, Blue, and Black.
Stylistic Features: The title is sideways, and all the photos are different sizes.
Title of Page: Contents
Number of Columns Per Page: First page - 1 article, Second page - 2 articles.
Time to compare! I've collected all the data of both articles, and now we can compare them side to side. The thing I'm looking for is similarities, if they use the same kind of titles, color palettes, the same amount of articles, or generally
the same fonts.
Similarities
Both magazines use the color black for their small texts.
Both magazines are easy and clear to read and understand, with the fonts organized and sectioned out.
Both have their pictures scattered around the page(s)
Differences
One magazine has more pages while the other falls behind.
What Women Create has more articles while Galerie has a lot more less.
What Women Create has more vibrant colors other than Galerie having a more calmer palette.
Galerie uses Serif and San-serif, while What Woman Create only uses San-serif fonts.
What Women Create has 2 pages, while Galerie only has 1 for table of contents.
Conclusion
From this assignment, now I know what I can include in my TOC, things like articles, descriptions, article titles, and even photos. This assignment was still a bit time consuming, but it was easy when I understood how to put it together. After learning more about the table of contents, I feel more comfortable of the upcoming magazine.
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