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Designing the Edit/Editing the Design

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:06:54 +0000

During this one-day seminar will we will discuss the issues faced when creating publications. Multiple sessions will address the importance of respect between edit and design, and how that respect leads to a successful, audience-focused publication. The wrap-up will include troubleshooting—working with less-than-perfect imagery, no-so-exciting editorial, and page-invading advertising.

Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association 2009 Summit & Expo
May 21–22

5 Steps to Keep It Fresh: Design ideas that don’t cost a thing

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:30:01 +0000

The current economy is not a fun topic, especially if you’re in publishing. Every day, it seems, publications are being shut down and people are being laid off. If you’re lucky enough to still have a job, you’re probably struggling with a slashed budget. But there is a positive in all of this—getting back to your creative roots. Below are some simple things you can do to shake up your designs that won’t take a cent out of your budget

1. Design and Edit. There is nothing as powerful as a layout that has a well-conceived connection between edit and art. Work closely with your editors to connect the story to the design. An evocative headline and descriptive deck should capture the reader and round out the visual elements.

2. Typography. Explore typographic solutions to a design. Look at pushing the limits of your type palette—roman, bold, italic, all caps, all lowercase, large, small, serif and sans serif combined. Play around. And if you’re looking for a unique headline font, there are hundreds of beautiful, well-designed fonts to choose from. Two of our favorite foundries are Font Bureau and Hoefler & Frère-Jones.

3. Design Basics. Scale. Cropping. Negative space. You may not have used these terms since college, but getting back to basics can bring new life to your designs.

4. Imagery. Rules, boxes, dingbats, and graphic forms can illustrate concepts and help create dynamic designs. And while you don’t want to replace professional-quality photography completely, there are some budget-conscious ways to add imagery to your layouts: Consider creating your own images. Combine a selection of photos to make an energetic collage (check out New York magazine’s Party Lines section as an example). If your department has a good digital camera, you can shoot still-life photographs to act as backdrops for your designs. Placing items directly on your scanner can lead to interesting results as well.

5. Color. Last but not least, color can add richness and meaning to a design. Expand the application of your publication’s color palette to keep the pages fresh and inviting. Look at working with colors that have a similar value range so the design doesn’t become like a rainbow. Stay away from introducing new colors, or you will end up expanding your palette too much and watering down your publication’s brand.

The Process of a Redesign: Phase 1

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:04:46 +0000

Do you feel your editorial content is no longer in sync with your design? Are there changes that need to be made based on budgetary concerns? How are your sales and circulation numbers? If you’re not content with the answers to these questions, it could be time to redesign your publication. It takes time and effort for a redesign to be thoughtfully executed. To help your project be more manageable, we have broken it down into three phases, the first of which is outlined below.

The Decision to Redesign
1. Have an internal discussion about why you feel it is time to redesign. Define why you feel your publication needs a redesign. Look at the questions above and open up a discussion with your key stakeholders. Don’t redesign your publication purely because you want to update the aesthetic, a thorough redesign takes into consideration design, editorial, production, and advertising.

2. Get your team (art, editorial, production, and sales) on board. A redesign takes effort across the board. Make sure everyone buys in.

3. Define your objectives. Is the publication aligning with the business plan? Is the publication still enforcing the mission? Are you meeting reader expectations? Are you losing readers to other media?

4. Complete market research. Who is your readership? What other publications are they reading? What other resources are they using? What is your readership reacting positively to? What are they not responding positively to? Who are your competitors?

5. Create a Request for Proposal. Including, but not limited to, the following: publication mission, definitive scope of work (including versions), software/technical requirements, deadline, samples, desired launch date, and budget.

6. Research design firms. Review publications you admire, call editors and art directors for referrals, review annuals, and organizations listings (Folio, SPD, ASME), conduct Internet research. After you have a list of contenders, conduct initial interview, with a quick review of project, and budget. Also note how you felt the discussion went.

7. Distribute RFP/select design firm. After selecting three to five design firms, distribute your RFP package, arrange for proposal presentations, contact references, and select the firm.