March 2012 Archives

Cover of the Day: Friday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

Joe Kimberling, 1966-2012

Very sad news: art director Joe Kimberling passed away Thursday after a tough battle with cancer. Joe was the brilliantly talented AD of Los Angeles magazine for much of the 00s. Before that he provided a huge amount of the sparkle in Entertainment Weekly's design. Numerous memories and tributes are on view at Joe's Facebook page. And the full extent of Joe's design talent is on display at his website. Joe was an astonishing graphic design force, filled with ideas, originality, and an amazing ability to assign the most wonderful illustrations. On top of that, he was the nicest, sweetest person to work with, someone who spread joy in all directions.Michael Picon, who worked with Joe at Entertainment Weekly, said it perfectly on the Facebook page: "You made every day so damn fun."

UPDATE: Los Angeles magazine has nice tribute, plus samples of Joe's work.

UPDATE 2: Illustrator Jody Hewgill has collected a set of illustrators' remembrances of working with Joe, plus a powerful selection of pieces that he assigned.
 
Photograph by Debra DiPaolo

Top-Selling iPad Magazine? The New Yorker

Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

From the Desk of ... Rodrigo Sánchez

Welcome to FTDO (From the Desk of...), a new series that answers the question "What IS all of that crap on your desk?"… MORE

Cover of the Day: Monday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

Cover of the Day: Friday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

SPD 47: Arem Duplessis's Favorite Magazine

Arem Duplessis, Design Director, The New York Times Magazines
Favorite Magazine: LOTUS

I was introduced to LOTUS Magazine at the photographer Tom Schierlitz's studio. He shot an entire portfolio with over 25 pages of Lotus car parts. The pictures were quite beautiful and so was the magazine, I immediately dove in and took notice.

The architecture in the FOB is easy to get through but it never gets old and formatted. Each page is a new adventure but the brand stays consistent and alive. Other features include tons of sexy women, fast cars and travel stories. The photography is amazing and is always accompanied by super powerful type that owns the page. The canvas on this over-sized mammoth is well used. Lotus magazine is aggressive but sophisticated, all in the same breathe. Respect to the CD, Anton Ioukhnovets.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

SPD 47: Jean Snow's Favorite Magazine

Jean Snow, Founder, The Magaziner
Favorite Magazine: Brutus

When I first moved to Japan over 10 years ago and started digging into the Japanese magosphere, Brutus was one of the first titles I latched on to, and it introduced me to the idea of entire issues that focus on a theme. Sure, this wasn't a new notion, but it was interesting to me how so many of Japan's culture magazines used this, and how these themes really ended up touching on sections beyond the feature well. Brutus continues to do this, and although I won't check out every issue, I will pick it up if it's a topic I'm interested in, like the current issue's "Mellow Out" theme, which points us to some of Japan's best spots to take in a coffee or drink, accompanied by a soothing soundtrack. It was also one of the first mainstream magazines I encountered that regularly included beautiful inserts using a different paper stock  in the current issue, it acts as a pull-out guide to the featured spots.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

Spring Fling 04.09.2012

Imagine this: It's April 9th. You still have a few more days for that deadline. You've been working so hard, and could use a little unwinding.
SPD has the solution for you not only because we try to provide More Fun, More Often, but it's also Spring: So gather your buddies (even those in the office) and join SPD for complimentary drinks (available 7-10pm) and some great times.

SPD Members: This is FREE FOR YOU! (need to renew? do that here)

Non-Members: $10 cash at the door

04.09.2012 - 7PM - Bounce - 55 W21 Street (between 5/6 ave) NYC

SPD 47: Debra Bishop's Favorite Magazine

Debra Bishop, Creative Director, More
Favorite Magazine: Uppercase

I've chosen Uppercase because I love the whole package. It is playful and "up," without being over designed. I tip my hat to Janine Vangool who is the publisher, editor and designer. She has created a beautiful format and each page is kind of a feast for the eyes-- not just the design but the featured content. If you love "how-to," and are the "curious sort," about how beautiful graphic things are made it's hard not to enjoy this publication. This issue included intricately carved crayons and the art of paper cutting. Loved the "handy guides," collection.  I admit that I am seduced by the beautiful paper and even the smell of fresh ink when I open the package. In this time of troubled publishing it's nice to learn that this wonderful publication, is created by a small team (3 people I think!) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

SPD 47: Edel Rodriguez's Favorite Magazine

Edel Rodriguez, Art Director and Illustrator
Favorite Magazine: Blabworld

Blabworld is an annual collection of articles, sequential art, cartoons, paintings, drawings, and sculpture, all beautifully reproduced. There are no photographs or advertisements,  which creates a unique reading and viewing experience from cover to cover. Blabworld is curated and designed by its founder, Monte Beauchamp, which has allowed the periodical to maintain a clear editorial voice over the years.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Monday Edition

Who Got an iPad Today?

Everybody knows that today is the day that Apple's third-generation iPad arrived in stores (and on front porches). Were you one of the lucky ones? If so, give us your instant review (in the Comments after the jump) ...

SI's Annual March Madness

It's that time of year: March Madness! The 2012 edition has a few additions: from men's teams to women's team and mascots to Facebook fans. Sports Illustrated Creative Director Chris Hercik shares some insight into the annual cover:… MORE

SPD 47: Francesca Messina's Favorite Magazine

Francesca Messina, Senior Group Art Director, McGraw-Hill
Favorite Magazine: Vintage

My favorite magazine? Impossible to name one. But my fave discovery in the past year was Vintage magazine, which gives an obvious nod to the great FLAIR in it's mission statement, to bring "the eloquent voices of today's writers and artists, the impact of history on our present culture. The term "vintage" is used in its broadest sense-- focusing on the excellence of, the finest of things, both in content and presentation". Handcrafted with die cuts, foldouts, and hand-stitched binding, it represents the current craving for handcrafted zines that live alongside the tablet apps that are flooding the magazine landscape.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Classics Edition

Cover of the Day: Friday Edition

The ABCs of A2: An Interview with Henrik Kubel

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SPD 47: George Karabotsos's Favorite Magazine

George Karabotsos, Design Director, Men's Health and Women's Health Books

DON'T HATE ME! My fave magazine? Please! I've been in the publishing business way to long to have a simple answer to that question.

Yesterday it was one magazine; last week, another; and last month it was definitely an old issue of FMR that I came across in my partner's studio. And for those 20 minutes, FMR was the only thing that mattered in the entire world. Amazing photography. Simple, elegant layout. Content that thrilled and titillated. You don't know FMR? An Italian art magazine that showcased art from around the world, but they specialized in more obscure artists. They introduced me to many artists I never knew about (Like Romaine Brooks; American portrait artist from the 20s). Yes, I'm using the past tense on purpose...they ceased publication. No more.

You can always Google "FMR" and we'll chat at the next SPD Gala.

Speaking of finding things online, a constant new source of design inspiration comes to me currently from eBay: OLD MAGAZINES! The crazy stuff they did in the '60s, '70s, hell, even the '80s. Check out these spreads from Family Circle (excuse my bad photography). Turns out we have a whole collection at home of old Family Circles. I've spent way too many hours with them....

So, for all those folks that hate me for being so retro...I'm ALSO really loving some of the cool things magazines are doing on the iPad, and other digital devices, these days. There's some totally cool stuff out there that takes the 2D of the printed page and throws you into a multi-dimensional world, way beyond anything print could do. Let's hand out a few more SPD awards for these innovative guys!

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

After a 55-Year Break, Collier's Returns

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SPD 47: James de Vries's Favorite Magazine

James de Vries, Creative Director, Harvard Business Review Group
Favorite Magazine: Vogue Living Australia

There are lots of fun magazines in Australia. And happily there is a resurgence of independent and creatively different magazines being published.

Frankie Magazine is building a really dedicated following http://www.frankie.com.au/ it seems to have tapped a new energy and a non-traditional female demographic. Monster Children Magazine http://monsterchildren.com/magazine/ is lots of fun and new indie magazines like Collect Magazine are looking beautiful, http://www.collectmag.com.au/

My favorite is more about what magazines do better than anything else; the ability to connect with a 'club' of readers, to tantalize and transport them through imagery, words and unspoken style. It's Vogue Living Australia, an interiors, travel and food magazine that is really a magazine about beauty. A throwback to the idea of luxury being an inspiration for all. Finely edited and assembled, it is a high point of commercial magazines in Australia because it proves the power of the medium. I'm looking forward to Vogue Living grappling with their digital future. If they do it well, a whole new world of readers opens up to them.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Fred Woodward Spoofs George Lois Spoofing Andy Warhol

The Oxford American describes the itself as "a national magazine dedicated to featuring the very best in Southern writing while documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South." At times it can also be pretty funny--especially when they do things like this spoof cover (above), created by GQ DD Fred Woodward.… MORE

Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

SPD 47: Jeanette Abbink's Favorite Magazine

Jeanette Abbink, Rational Beauty
Favorite Magazine: Case Da Abitare

Case Da Abitare has a bold visual identity and content structure that supports it's distinctive editorial vision issue after issue that I find appealing. I love the rigor of the content, photography and typography. I have all of the issues since it's redesign in 2008.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

LA Story: 8 Questions with Steve Banks

When Bon Appetit and Architectural Digest relocated to New York last year, they left a gaping hole in the Los Angeles publishing scene. Once a thriving magazine town--L.A. Style, Creem, Beach Culture, Raygun, Hollywood Life, and New West were all SPD award regulars--there's now only a handful of big pubs left.… MORE

SPD 47: Jeffrey Saks's Favorite Magazine

Jeffrey Saks, Creative Director, Ladies Home Journal
Favorite Magazine: Esquire

Esquire is my favorite magazine. It is the perfect marriage of smart design and smart editorial content. Every page is a visual surprise; I am consistently in awe of the graphics and imagery. How do they do it? Not only is the print edition spectacular but they have done an amazing job of translating that energy and spontaneity into a fantastic iPad edition. In my estimation they are the benchmark of what a print magazine or a digital magazine should be. Cool. Fun. Surprising.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Monday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

PUB 47: Merit Winners Announced

Following up on the Medal Finalists announcement on Monday, the notable PUB 47 Merit Winners from both Print and Digital are listed here. Official notifications and information for the PUB 47 Annual, and SPD Gala Awards are on their way to the following talented winners. Most of all, Congratulations to ALL the winners of the 2012 SPD Awards!


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SPD 47: Matthew Ball's Favorite Magazine

Matthew Ball, Matthew Ball Editorial Design
Favorite Magazine: Beer

Beer is the member magazine for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the independent voluntary organisation promoting good-quality real ale and pubs in Britain. Jes Stanfield is the creative director and it's produced by Think Publishing.

The magazine makes you feel part of a club. Each cover has a unique design which generally has a handmade quality that reflects the craft beers promoted inside. The design is warm and chatty and follows the seasons, just like the ale and pubs celebrated throughout. The photography and illustration capture the perfect drinking moment and almost force you to pop into your local, sit down in front of the fire with a packet of pork scratchings and sip a warm pint of great beer!

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Friday Edition

Welcome to SPD's Cover of the Day, a portfolio of brilliant magazine and newspaper cover design from around the world.

Cover of the Day: Thursday Edition

SPD 47: Michael Bojkowski's Favorite Magazine

Michael Bojkowski, Linefeed
Favorite Magazine: Little White Lies

Picking just one mag is hard. My mag addiction gone kind of 'meta' of late. I've been going through phases of following certain art directors and editorial teams, so my faves have been flipping about. There are constants though and Little White Lies is the only magazine I've re-subscribed to year upon year. Even when I went to Australia for a year, I made sure I was getting my bimonthly fix.

Why Little White Lies above all else? Let me count the ways... Firstly the editorial format is so well considered, the way the mag is divided into chapters--I heart that. Secondly, it looks like nothing else. The imagery contained within borrows, not from other magazines, but from the vast history of visual culture, using cinema as it's starting point. The use of illustration over photography not only solves the problem of dealing with the over-photoshoped hell that is the modern movie marketing gumph but also contributes to it's unique and vibrant feel.

It's one of those mags that I don't want to imagine the world without. It's a rare gem of a mag that suggests it should be collected and coveted. It is also the very antitheses of the throw-away culture mainstream magazines have cultivated and has become their un-doing. Long may it, and the team behind the title at Church of London, survive and prosper.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

From the Desk of ... Ken DeLago

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SPD 47: Steven Gregor's Favorite Magazine

Steven Gregor, Gym Class Magazine
Favorite Magazine: BUTT, Fantastic Man and The Gentlewoman

BUTT, Fantastic Man and The Gentlewoman are my three favourite magazines... a triptych of first class editorial design emulated (and envied) on many an art desk. Classic fonts (old fashioned, even), simple columned pages, honest photography, no fuss. These magazines are less "look at me" and more "go on, you know you wanna read me". And, as editorial designers, isn't this our job???

Art director Jop van Bennekom's work is the antidote. Respect.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

SPD 47: Violetta Boxill's Favorite Magazine

Violetta Boxill, Editorial Design Organisation, London
Favorite Magazine: Eye

OK, I admit it. Undivided magazine loyalty evades me. It always has.

To me, magazines are like food. Different publications satisfy different needs on different days in various periods of my life.

That said, I have do have reoccurring cravings and Eye is one of the titles I revisit.

Many magazines on Graphic Design excessively focus on showcasing the talents of the publication's art direction. Eye understands and resists this trait.

Although multiple stocks and special inks are the norm, they are used to celebrate and aid the content providing a beautifully restrained but highly produced platform. Layouts have this understated confidence born from brilliant, unexpected and thoroughly researched content.

It's beyond fashion. Encyclopedic in nature but accessible in spirit. You don't manically devour

Eye, you quietly savour it.

This post is part of the Favorite Magazines Project, part of SPD's PUB 47 Competition and Awards. Download the entry forms and be a part of the competition here.

SPD 47: Medal Finalists: Magazine of the Year, Print and Digital

Magazines are BACK! Our 47th Annual Design Competition saw an influx of print and digital contenders from all across the globe. With all that went on in 2011, this competition truly reflects the world's best!… MORE

Cover of the Day: Monday Edition

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