TOC Genre Analysis and Plans

Introduction. In this blog post I will be analyzing different types of Table of Contents pages in travel magazines. I will look at the amount of images included, the fonts used, and what colors are used for the pages. Then, I will take those components and create three Table of Contents drafts of my own. The software I will use is Canva.

Published TOC Pages

1. Layout

Some travel magazines' table of contents are more than one page long. This is to maximize the amount of space they have to list all of the features, or the main features that are included in the magazine. This is also to make sure that everything is not cluttered on one page because that is not aesthetically pleasing, and can actually be overwhelming. Using as much white space as possible helps in spreading things out evenly. There are many different types of layouts in TOCs such as vertical lists, horizontal lists, and even having the articles wrapped around their corresponding images. The choices of using these layouts depend on the theme of the magazine in general and how the designers want to portray that theme to the readers.

This TOC page uses just one picture in the background and has a vertical list of features down the page. This is to maximize the amount of the image shown. The decision to put the last article on top of the image on the right is because there was no space left on the white strip. The designers could have made another page, but instead, they decided to put it on the picture as this will bring the readers' attention to this particular feature. It will intrigue them and they will want to visit the article.

2. Images

TOC page(s) use many images no matter what genre it is about. This is because too many words on the page without anything to break them up is too busy and cluttered. Pictures not only solve this problem, but they also provide a visual for the viewer to picture what the article is talking about. This will help immerse them into the topic and encourage the reader to keep going to the other features as well.

These TOC pages in National Geographic have many pictures. The page on the right has them zoomed in so they are larger and more visible to the viewers. The page on the left has the same images, but they are smaller so the words can fit underneath them. These specific TOC pages also use lines and numbers to connect the pictures to their articles. This is a good way to help the reader associate the words describing a topic to a picture depicting it.

3. Fonts Used

Most table of contents pages in travel magazines use serif fonts for their titles. This is to establish formality since the title is usually very important, not just in magazines, as it provides the readers a hint as to what the page or article is about. This also gives the readers a sense that the author, or designer of the magazine, knows what they are talking about since serif fonts also stand for intellect, (Blog Post #2, "Font Psychology"). Some TOC pages have titles in sans serif fonts, but this is not usual and only works for some because of the colors used and the overall theme of the magazine itself. Many TOCs use their mastheads as titles instead of "Table of Contents," so if they are in sans serif fonts, it is because the actual masthead is in a sans serif font. While the titles are usually serif, most of the actual descriptions of the articles inside TOC pages are in sans serif fonts. This is to seem inviting and to distinguish the articles from the main title of the page. The numbers used are usually in a script or decorative font. They are also usually in a bigger size font than the words to catch peoples' attention and to look good. 

This TOC page has the title "Table of Content" in a sans serif font to go with the colors pink and purple at the top (not usually thought of as formal, especially when put together), and the numbers are right next to the text and are much bigger to catch the readers' eye. The text describing the articles are in sans serif to invite the reader to view them in the magazine.

4. Colors Used

The colors used in TOC pages in travel magazines originate from the images used on the page. If, for example, a TOC page consists of only one picture and the rest is text, then the colors of that picture are used for the words. If there are multiple pictures, then designers pick one color scheme and stick to it for the whole page. In this case, the text color is usually dark as colors like navy blue and black go with almost everything.

This TOC page's colors are white and black. The only actual colors on it come from the images themselves. But as there are too many, sticking to one theme is best because changing the color of every article to match its picture will make the page look unorganized.

General Process

1. Insert image

2. Crop and expand image

3. Insert aesthetic elements (box, column, line, etc.)

4. Insert masthead/"Contents"

5. Insert headings

6. Insert information

7. Insert page numbers

Drafts

Drafts #1

Layout

This mock up is a variation of the one-picture type of table of contents page. Instead of taking up the whole page, this mock up has a picture that takes up a little more than half of the page. This is to showcase a location in a travel magazine while also leaving enough space for the words. The white strip neatly separates the picture from the text and the black bottom makes sure the words are seen clearly. 

Colors Used

I used white for almost all of the text as that is the color best seen against a black background. There are also a lot of white or very light shades in the image, so using white also ties the theme of the image into the words. To add onto this idea, I made the page numbers a light tan color because it is one of the colors used in the picture. This adds some variety to the words as well since having them all be white would be boring.

Fonts Used

I used a serif font for "Contents" because serif fonts symbolize intellect which is fitting for this because the table of contents is a list of articles, and it also looks more professional. Since most travel magazines have their page numbers much bigger than the actual words, I also enlarged my numbers, and used a decorative font on them. As seen in the first example table of contents at the beginning of this blog post, Afar used a decorative font for their page numbers, so I did the same as it is a frequent trend. For the "Heading" and the "Text" sections, I used a sans serif font because these are more friendly and inviting which is my goal (to encourage viewers to read further).

Draft #2

Layout

This table of contents page has the masthead name (main title of magazine) at the top instead of variations of "Table of Contents" but this still follows travel magazine conventions for TOC pages as many magazines use their magazine names as their titles, as seen in the TOC pages from Afar and National Geographic at the beginning of this blog post. Below the title, there are multiple images and then articles underneath those.

Colors Used

The color of the text of the title, headings, and text is black. Making so many elements on the page the same color creates a sense of uniformity and it does not overwhelm the reader into trying to process too many colors. I did, however, change the colors of the page numbers to colors used in the images above them. Since there are only three images, but four article placeholders, I used two colors from one of the images for the fourth page number.

Fonts Used

I used a serif font for "Trouvaille" because serif fonts symbolize intellect which is fitting for this because the table of contents is a list of articles, and it also looks more professional. Since this is also my masthead and its font type was also serif on my cover, it connects the two pages together so they do not look like they are part of two completely different magazines. Most travel magazines have their page numbers much bigger than the actual words, so I also enlarged my numbers and used a decorative font on them. As seen in the first example table of contents at the beginning of this blog post, Afar used a decorative font for their page numbers, so I did the same as it is a frequent trend. For the "Heading" and the "Text" sections, I used a sans serif font because these are more friendly and inviting.

Draft #3

Layout

This table of contents page has the title at the top just like the second page. This time though, the pictures are spread out throughout the page and they have articles next to them. The numbers in the images correspond to one of the features next to the pictures and then there is an additional one under it.

Colors Used

The color for the title, headings, and text is black. This is so there are not too many colors jumbled together which will scare off the reader because it will be too much for them to process. The two page numbers next to each picture are pulled from the images themselves. For example, the second picture has blue in it, so I used blue for the two articles next to that picture. I made the numbers inside the images white because any other color was too hard to see.

Fonts Used

I used a serif font for "Trouvaille" because serif fonts symbolize intellect and because this is also my masthead and its font type was also serif on my cover, so it connects the two pages together so they do not look like they are part of two completely different magazines. I also enlarged my numbers and used a decorative font on them which is a convention of travel magazine table of contents pages. As seen in the first example table of contents at the beginning of this blog post, Afar used a decorative font for their page numbers, so I did the same as it is a frequent trend. For the "Heading" and the "Text" sections, I used a sans serif font because these are more friendly and inviting.

How to Write an Article Title

In my first blog post, "Codes and Conventions: Travel Magazines," I mentioned ways to write a travel article. Here, I will write out tips to make an eye-catching title for my features.

1. Use numbers to give concrete takeaways.

This gives your headline more specificity and draws the reader in. For example, instead of "Must-try restaurants in Los Angeles," alter your headline to "9 Must-try eateries in Los Angeles."At first look, the difference may not appear to be significant... The most effective headlines, on the other hand, are as detailed as possible. As a result, including a number in your article will make it more likely to get recognized. This is especially useful for articles that are in the form of a list or a round-up.

2. Use a distinct logic to show the reader what they will gain from the piece.

This is a fancy way of saying that you should give your reader a cause to read your post. This could include "tricks" or "secrets," or anything else that helps your reader learn something new. You might advise your reader about "5 Reasons to Visit Ireland" or "3 Undiscovered Berlin Coffee Shops," for example.

3. Use what, why, when, or how.

These words are easy to relate to, and they tend to directly answer questions that your reader was already seeking for. "What to do on a weekend stay in Orlando," for example, or "When to plan your trip to Sweden."

Possible Article Titles/Ideas

1. "5 Things to do in Dubai" - my main image is of the Dubai Frame and many times the main image connects to an article in the magazine.

2. "Why Dubai is the Best Place to go Shopping" - one of my coverlines is "A Taste of Luxury" which hints at the wealthy lifestyle that is often seen in Dubai. This leads one to believe their stores are also very nice and of good quality.

3. "Visit the Tallest Skyscraper in the World" - one of my coverlines is "Tallest Skyscraper in the World" and the Burj Khalifah is located in Dubai. I can talk about its history or how it was made.

Wrap Up

Many travel magazine table of content pages have more than one page to fit all of the features they want to include and they usually have a lot of images on the page(s), or just one picture taking up the whole page. The titles are frequently in serif fonts, though if it matches with the magazine's theme, then sometimes the titles are in a sans serif font. All of my titles are in a serif font, but my headings and actual text are in a sans serif font to encourage the viewer to read further. My first drafts has only one image, however, it takes up about half of the page which makes it a variation of the one-picture type of table of contents page. I put all of my words under the picture to keep it all organized. My second and third drafts have my masthead as my title (Trouvaille) instead of a variation of "Table of Contents," but this still follows conventions because many magazines do this on their TOC pages too. I have multiple images under the masthead on the second mock up and I put the text below them. On the third drafts, my pictures are spread out around the page with the articles next to them. I changed the colors of my page numbers to colors from the pictures to connect the whole page together, but I kept the rest of the words black so that too many colors do not overwhelm the reader. Possible article titles are "5 Things to do in Dubai," "Why Dubai is the Best Place to go Shopping," and "Visit the Tallest Skyscraper in the World." These titles connect to my coverlines and main image on my cover.

Works Cited

• Allen, Lori. “Catchy Headlines: How To Make Your Headlines Stand Out.” Great Escape Publishing, 10 November 2019, https://greatescapepublishing.com/travel-writing/how-to-write-catchy-headlines-for-articles-our-complete-guide/. Accessed 15 February 2022.
• “Travel Magazine Codes and Conventions by Lorenny Diaz.” Prezi, https://prezi.com/p/p__p013k5erz/travel-magazine-codes-and-conventions/. Accessed 15 February 2022.