Mag-Art: Innovation in Magazine Design

Practical and informative tips and advice on the key issues of magazine design.

The magazine industry is a perpetual innovator when it comes to graphics and design. With a sell-by date for each issue and extreme competition for the consumer dollar, magazines are consistently upping the ante and challenging designers to create more interesting packages with eye-catching design elements that standout visually ans communicate the material inside to the consumer. As with most disposable products, good design can transform the magazine from a source of information to a covetable, collectable object. Mag-Art, like its conceptual predecessors in this series CD-Art and DVD-Art, looks at an international collection of innovative graphic design within the continually developing area of print magazine packaging and design. From mass-market to limited-circulation and exclusive, Mag-Art explores both the creative inspiration behind the work (the artwork and photography, typography, paper stock and materials, printing techniques, finishes, and formats) and the practical considerations and restrictions (inclusion of essential advertisements, navigation, credits, captions, and budgets). Case studies of 50 magazines analyze format, pagination, layout, art direction, production values, style, etc, and explore how photographers, illustrators, and stylists work with art editors. Interviews with 10 art directors reveal emerging trends in the industry, what makes a magazine successful, and how good design works.

Charlotte Rivers is a freelance writer based in London. She started her career at design title Graphics International (now Grafik) before moving to Sydney, Australia, to work at media and marketing title Ad News. Since returning to the UK she has contributed to a number of magazines, including Cent, Grafik and PRINT (New York); and worked as editorial coordinator for Lab magazine.