TOAST Contents Analysis

In terms of the layout of this contents page, the actual lexis 'contents' is not an aspect that stands out a lot, but it has been laid over a dark grey background, primarily for the readers to know precisely what the page consists of, giving it space to be emphasised. It is easy to read, which appeal to students, especially if they are not particularly intelligent or have dyslexia. The page has been split diagonally in order to separate the actual contents of the magazine and the thanks that are being given to the students .who involved themselves in the process of creation. The top of this split is white, conforming to the text on the grey bar and not overcrowding this section with colour, especially when there are images which are filled with various different colours; the colour palette of the magazine could be too much to take in all at once. The bottom half, however, is orange. A colour of which is bright, friendly, warm, and welcoming. I feel as though is is quite a homely colour as well, which means that it could remind .the students who read it of their own homes, reigniting old memories and ensuring that they look forward to visiting. It is good for those who aren't particularly happy, reminding them of what they have back home; if the magazine reminds them of something happy, they  are quite likely to pick it up again, as they would want to feel the feelings regularly. There are photography is strips lined horizontally across the top of the page; I have never seen something like this before. Usually, multiple .images are incorporated in a way that is far less, perhaps, formal. This is an uncommon convention of a magazine's contents page, suggesting to me that 'Toast' likes to be unique and will not conform to theories or other magazine's ways. They like to bring new ideas to the table, as to try things that are different. To be unique is what every individual wants, a stereotype that is common with university students. Above this, in the same layout, are different categories, as to give a header and explain what .each image about, avoiding any confusion of the readers. The first one is fashion, a suggestion that this could be the most important aspect of this  particular issue. After that is food, appealing to the vast majority of students, as they are seen to adore food, but often cannot afford it. A lot of students do not have to worry about their weight at their age due to fast metabolisms, so food is definitely an appropriate subject for the producers to incorporate. In the top right, they have included logo's in white, as to promote businesses in the area of Cornwall, which is almost necessary, as this would be how they get funded, so they can distribute the magazine for free. The page numbers are in orange, both to match the background of the part that thanks the contributors, and to separate them from the dark text explaining what each page is. Otherwise, this would be difficult and confusing to read. 

The 'Contirbutors' section suggests that the contents page for Toast actually focuses more on the contributors rather than the content of the magazine; the producers want to allow credit to be prominent  within this page, as it is a free magazine and they feel as though the creators deserve credit. Pictures of each member of the team have been incorporated to, again, allow credit to shine through for each individual that is part of Toast, where it is due. As the team is small, in comparison to magazines that are successfully on the shelves in the majority of newsagents, an overabundance of space is not necessary for this section, though I feel as though they have actually made the most of the space they have, and milked it, using more than, perhaps, they actually need. The pictures have been circled, relating back to the cover, which has featured a woman with an orange cirlce laid over the top. The images are in black and white, conveying the magazine as somewhat 'hipster' and unique, which is what a lot of students consider themselves to be, or at least this is a very common label. Credit to the fahion designers, photographers, and film makers has also been incorporated.