Grids: January 2013 Archives

Texas Monthly: TJ Tucker's tour of the redesign. Part 1

Redesigns 01.31.13 posted by Neil Jamieson

Last fall everyone's favorite regional mag Texas Monthly underwent a total redesign under the creative direction of TJ Tucker and his team. Actually to call TM a regional maybe doing it something of a disservice. As we all know, everything is bigger out West and with a circ. of over 300,000 and a readership of nearly 2.5 million TM is no different. TJ follows in the footsteps of some real heavy hitters, former art directors include DJ Stout, Scott Dadich and legend Fred Woodward so to tweak the look of such a venerable design took balls...Tucker and his team rose to that challenge admirably and it turns out one of his many solutions was in fact to add more balls...to the logo at least! TJ had so much great work to show (he's seven issues deep into this new look now) that I'm actually splitting this post into 2 parts so check back in tomorrow for more covers, department pages and the feature well...

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SF Weekly Covers by Andrew J. Nilsen

01.30.13 posted by Robert Newman

Andrew J. Nilsen has been the art director at altweekly SF Weekly for the past three years. During that time he's art directed over 150 covers, many of them self-illustrated (and one, featuring an illustration by Brian Stauffer won a gold medal from SPD in Pub46). Early this year Andrew found himself jobless after a change in ownership at the SF Weekly. The former white water rafting guide and flying trapeze instructor plans on pursuing independent design and illustration projects.

Andrew's covers are notable for their heavy use of illustration and their artful and provocative content. "I think that in a time where everyone is walking around with a pocket-sized camera phone, illustration does a better job at capturing the public's imagination and attention," says Andrew. "Anyone might be able to take a photo with their phone, but not everyone can create a beautiful, smart, and well-composed piece of art from scratch." We've got a collection of his favorite SF Weekly covers.

(Above): SF Weekly, May 16, 2012. Illustration: Andrew J. Nilsen
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The PUB 48 "Bespoke" Judges

48 01.29.13 posted by The Editors

All the entries are in and the judging for this year's design competition is almost upon us! We are frantically downloading hundreds of apps and organizing thousands of tear sheets as we speak to make sure that this weekend's PUB 48 judging is the best one yet.

Once again SPD is honored to have an incredible team of over 40 industry leaders including the best and brightest creative directors, art directors, illustrators, photographers and editors from across our industry. It is their discerning eye that will decide the winners of the world's most prestigious editorial design competition...and it is the efforts of our army of indefatigable volunteers who will ensure that three long days of judging run smoothly. We are extremely grateful to them all. You'll find the full list of judges after the jump! Check back in on spd.org, our facebook page and on twitter over the weekend for updates and (hopefully) embarrassing photos of some pretty exhausted design luminaries!

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Bespoke Magazine No. 16: Treats!

48 01.29.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

The deadline for entries has passed but we'll be announcing winners at the end of February once we've tallied the results from the judging this weekend. Don't forget the gala is May 10th (save the date!), more details to come soon

The next bespoke pub you may may not be aware of: Treats!.

Their team which includes art director Dirk Barnett shed some light after the jump

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Interview with Tim Moore, creative director of 29th Street Publishing

Apps 01.29.13 posted by Robert Newman

Among the most exciting developments in iPad app creation has been the rise of magazine apps that are unique, not based on pre-existing publications or their formats. 29th Street Publishing has been in the vanguard of this movement, creating magazine apps from scratch, and using a native technology that is unlike the DPS-style approach that so many print magazines have used for their digital versions. So far they've done three apps: the Latino sports-themed V as in Victor, The Awl: Weekend Companion, a spinoff from the popular Awl website, and Maura Magazine, a weekly collection of music and cultural writing by critic/journalist Maura Johnston. All three apps have been done for the iPad and iPhone, and sample issues of each are available free from the iTunes stores.

The apps themselves are text-driven (although V as in Victor has sported a very smart series of cover illustrations), featuring a spare, modern design that owes a lot to the look of The New Yorker. The navigation is not as linear and structured as most traditional magazine apps, and features some of the novel approaches used in digital versions of Letter to Jane and Port.

It's no surprise then, that one of the wizards behind this set of apps is Tim Moore, the creative director of 29th Street Publishing. Before moving to New York City to work on the project Tim was the creative force behind the SPD-fave Letter to Jane app, which was produced out of his home in Portland, Oregon. He also worked as a developer with art directors Matt Wiley and Jeremy Leslie on several digital issues of Port magazine. On the eve of the launch of the newest issue of Letter to Jane, and with the debut of the third app from 29th Street Publishing, Maura Magazine, we talked with Tim about his approach to making apps and take a look at some of his creations.

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A new site to help find talent worldwide

Photography 01.29.13 posted by The Editors

Need to find a Fashion photographer in Stockholm? A prop stylist in Atlanta? A still life photographer in Toronto? Well, no need to go through that stack of photographer promo cards or google endlessly. T.Brittain Stone has teamed up with aPhotoEditor.com (a great site, if you haven't checked it out) to bring you theAgentList.com, currently launched in beta. We talked with Stone about the site and how it can be an asset to photo editors for finding new talent worldwide.

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Bespoke Magazine No. 15: Think Money

48 01.28.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

The deadline for entries has unfortunately passed but with judging just days away the atmosphere around here is buzzing! Don't forget to book your tickets to the gala when we'll be announcing the winners (details coming soon!) and pick up a copy of PUB 46 in the app store to see the quality of work you're up against!

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: ThinkMoney

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Bespoke Magazine No. 14: Sweet Paul

48 01.25.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until 5pm TODAY!!).

The next bespoke pub you may may not be aware of: Sweet Paul

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SPD 46: The Design Annual For iPad & iPad mini

46 01.25.13 posted by The Editors

The Society of Publication Designers is proud to announce the launch of its second iPad app: SPD 46. This utility-based app is a enhanced companion to our 46th annual hardcover annual featuring the best in editorial design, photography and illustration in print and digital. Selected by a jury of more than 40 exemplary visual journalists, the award winning work showcased in SPD 46 received merit awards for achievement, Silver awards for distinctive achievement, or Gold awards for Excellence. Also included in the app are the Magazine of the Year winner and finalists, the winners of the 2010 SPOTS illustration competition, and the winners of the SPD Student Design and Photo Competition. Download app for iPad or iPad mini here in the App Store.

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Bespoke Magazine No. 13: Kinfolk

48 01.24.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until January 25th).

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: Kinfolk

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Billboard Relaunches in Print, Web and Tablet

Redesigns 01.24.13 posted by Josh Klenert

Every magazine has a variation on a "List Issue," whether if be the Fortune 500, Time's Person of the Year, or Rolling Stone's Hot List. The beginning of these issues can arguably be ascribed to Billboard, the music industry's bible and the home to information about every No.1 single, album and artist in recorded music history.

Led by Bill Werde (Editorial Director), Andrew Horton (Creative Director) and Joe Levy (Editor) Pentagram's Michael Bierut & Laitsz Ho have redesigned Billboard in a manner befitting its OWN No.1 position. Billboard leads and informs the essential conversations around music and

the music business. This redesign was all about making that a reality.

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Bespoke Magazine No. 12: Kindling Quarterly

48 01.22.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until January 25th).

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: Kindling Quarterly. Check out their Winter launch issue after the jump.

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The New Look of The Saturday Evening Post

Redesigns 01.22.13 posted by Robert Newman

The debut of the redesign of The Saturday Evening Post is one of the (at least to my eyes) most remarkable visual turnarounds of a consumer magazine in recent memory. The magazine has been relaunched with much media fanfare to reach a newer, younger audience, and the graphic transformation of the cover is eye-popping. Creative director Andrzej Janerka has taken the old, stale, retro-fied cover design and transformed it into a look that is dynamic, forward-looking, and very illustration-strong.

Janerka, who has previously worked as design director at AARP magazine, has been the consulting creative director for the bi-monthly Philadelphia-based mag since 2011. He says he took on the job because "redesigning the oldest magazine in the country was a no-brainer for me. Who could not take a challenge like that?"

Drawing on some Post logos from the 1950s for inspiration, Janerka has put a new twist on the classic spirit of the original magazine, all with "a modern perspective" as he explains. The illustration style on the cover has been updated; the first redesigned issue features a great portrait of Shirley MacLaine by illustrator Jody Hewgill. "The covers will continue to be illustrated, but rather than attempt to copy the look and feel of the classic Norman Rockwell covers, we will maintain a contemporary approach," says Janerka.

Check out the turn page for some pages from the inside redesign of The Saturday Evening Post, plus some logo design sketches.

(Above): The Saturday Evening Post, January/February 2013. Creative director: Andrzej Janerka, illustration: Jody Hewgill.
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Bespoke Magazine No. 11: American Cowboy

48 01.21.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until January 25th).

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: American Cowboy
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Cover of the Day: Friday Edition

Cover of the Day 01.18.13 posted by The Editors

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

Room 100, Spring 2013

Creative Director: Marne Mayer

Director of Photography: Greg Pond

Photographs: Ture Lillegraven

This is one of four covers for this issue of Room 100. See the other three on the next page, each with a different cover subject and photographer.

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Bespoke Magazine No. 10: Kiawah Island Legends

48 01.18.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until January 25th).

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: Kiawah Island Legends
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Bespoke Magazine No. 9: Climbing

48 01.17.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved (the standard deadline has passed but you can still enter with an additional late fee until January 25th).

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: Climbing
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Anorak Kids' Magazine Now Available in the U.S.

01.16.13 posted by Robert Newman

Anorak is a UK-based kids magazine for ages 6-12 that just debuted in the U.S. and North America with their new "Animals" themed issue. Edited and art directed by Cathy Olmedillas, Anorak launched in 2006, and is taglined, "The happy mag for kids."

Anorak is filled with beautiful, charming illustrations, stories, puzzles, games, and activity pages. It has nice production values that make it feel like classic children's book, but with a contemporary sensibility. "Just like much-loved children's magazines and annuals of the past, it is designed to be collected and kept," is how Anorak desicribes itself. To me it feels like an updated version of the Highlights magazines I loved as a kid, with the same sweet, friendly spirit. This is indie publishing at its finest!

Take a look at some of the inside pages of the current issue on the turn page, and for more delights, visit the collection of Anorak back issues covers. You can get the magazine online and at select bookstores.

(Above): Anorak, "Animals" issue, illustration: Studio Tipi, art director: Cathy Olmedillas
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Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

Cover of the Day 01.16.13 posted by The Editors

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

The Build Network, Winter 2012

Creative Director: Patrick Mitchell

Art Director: Ashley Bond O'Brion

Studio: Modus Operandi Design

Bespoke Magazine No. 8: Huffington Magazine: The Literary Issue

48 01.16.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bespoke pub you may may not be aware of is aimed at the magazine's fans of the written word: Huffington Magazine's Literary Issue

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A New Look Field & Stream

Redesigns 01.15.13 posted by Neil Jamieson

Over the last few months Field & Stream Design Director Sean Johnston and his hard working art and photo teams have been pretty busy. Not only do they now over-see the design and production of all the Bonnier outdoor titles (including Outdoor Life, Shot Business and the ASME and SPD favorite Field & Stream) but since taking the reins they've been quietly and smartly retooling each of these legendary all-American brands. The OL redesign was a gradual one which they rolled out over a series of issues last year...Field & Stream on the other hand got a front to back redesign all at once, the results of which are available on newstands across the country today. Here Johnson reveals his philosophy and gives us a preview of some terrific looking pages...… MORE

Bespoke Magazine No.7: Assets Digital

48 01.15.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: UCLA Anderson's Assets Digital

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Bespoke Magazine No. 6: Sports Illustrated Presents

48 01.14.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bunch of bespoke pubs you may may not be aware of: Sports Illustrated Presents, the "specials" unit of Time Inc's Sports Illustrated.

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PUB 48 Standard Rate gets an extension

48 01.11.13 posted by The Editors

Good news for those of you who weren't quite able to squeeze in under the standard rate deadline for competition entries today. We've managed to adjust our online entry system to delay the late fee until Tuesday Jan, 15th. It looks like an amazing year's worth of entries. Huge amounts of incredible work flooded in this afternoon in (as you may know if you were able to get through to the staff at HQ...our phone-lines were as jammed as the mail box!). This volume may have slowed things down a bit so to accommodate your efforts the least we can do is give you an extra few day. Hope this helps, keep 'em coming. (note: the late fee deadline remains Jan 25th)

Download you entry form here ..disregard the old standard rate deadline.

PUB 48 is going to be a ground breaker, thanks for all your hard work!

Kenji Aoki Photographs for Room 100 Magazine

01.11.13 posted by Robert Newman

Here's a tasty photographic treat from the latest issue of Room 100, the in-house magazine distributed by Thompson Hotels to all their locations. The series of vintage top hat photographs is by Kenji Aoki. Greg Pond was the director of photography, and Marne Mayer was the creative director.
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Bespoke Magazine No. 5: Wired's Premier Issue

48 01.11.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bespoke pub of which you may may not yet be aware: The premier issue of Wired, customized for the tablet. Sure its a retro-fit, but a bespoke one for sure!

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Village Voice Covers

Alternative Weeklies 01.10.13 posted by Robert Newman

Weekly magazines get a lot of love and attention for their covers, and deservedly so. Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York, The New York Times Magazine, until recently, Newsweek, and even the Huffington. app have all been producing a highly sophisticated and oftentimes cutting-edge approach to cover design. Meanwhile, a little under the radar, art director John Dixon has been doing some serious cover rocking over at The Village Voice, creating a graphic, engaging, oftentimes provocative series of weekly covers featuring a powerful array of visual artists. Dixon is using an invigorating mix of photo illustration, photography, and illustration of all kinds, featuring established names like Ward Sutton and Steve Brodner, as well as a stack of vibrant young talent. These days it's rare to see publication design, especially covers, that feels so creatively gonzo, and Dixon manages to pull it off every week with an extremely limited staff and budget. Take a look at this collection of a dozen of our favorite Voice covers from the past couple years.

(Above) The Village Voice, January 9, 2013. Illustration: Edel Rodriguez.
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Bespoke Magazine No. 4: Click

48 01.09.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bespoke pub of which you may may not yet be aware: Click, a magazine for the modern photograp[her]. This magazine is many things but its primary goal is a simple one, to help women (mostly Moms) become better photographers.

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Brian Stauffer Illustrations

Illustrators 01.09.13 posted by Robert Newman

Illustrator Brian Stauffer has been on a tear the past couple years, creating a brilliant body of work for publications as diverse as Worth, The New Yorker, the Huffington app, and countless altweeklies, as well as doing some knockout posters along the way. His cover illustrations for altweeklies from Kansas City to San Francisco have been powerful, pointed, and provocative, while at the same time he has created delicate and elegant covers for Worth. And like a great blues guitarist, Brian keeps getting better and better, adding new shadings and nuances to his work, as with this classic, painterly swan poster illustration for the University of Baltimore. We've got a dozen more wonderful Brian Stauffer illustrations on the turn page, and you can see many more at his website.

(Above): Poster for University of Baltimore, February 2012, art director: Gabrielle Boam
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Cover of the Day: Wednesday Edition

Cover of the Day 01.09.13 posted by The Editors

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

Glamour, February 2013

Design Director: Geraldine Hessler

Photo Director: Suzanne Donaldson

Photographer: Ellen von Unwerth

Fashion Editor: Maggie Mann

Bespoke Magazine No. 3: People Magazine Specials

48 01.08.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The bespoke pubs profiled here are the one-shot special issues produced by the team at People Magazine.

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ShopSmart Redesign

Redesigns 01.08.13 posted by Robert Newman

The Consumer Reports ShopSmart magazine was relaunched in January with a bright, sharp new design. The 300,000 circulation magazine is aimed at women 35-60, and is densely packed with consumer service material, charts, lists, best and worsts, and much more. The redesign is a remarkable structuring and ordering of a huge amount of editorial stuff, all crisply articulated and bright and engaging. This is a really smart redesign, one which gives the magazine a huge jumpstart and a powerful visual identity. We've got a nifty gallery of selected pages from the January and February 2013 issues of ShopSmart.
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The Going Away Cover

Appreciation 01.07.13 posted by The Editors

We've all either made 'em or received 'em: The infamous "Going Away" cover. Here's a look at a great tradition in magazine publishing:… MORE

Weekly Dig/Dig Boston Altweekly Covers

Alternative Weeklies 01.04.13 posted by Robert Newman

One of my favorite altweekly newspapers is Dig Boston, formerly called (until last year) the Weekly Dig. Creative director Tak Toyoshima's covers are a weekly visual treat using a brilliant selection of illustrators and photographers, and sometimes handling the art chores himself. Dig Boston/Weekly Dig covers are artful, smart, provocative, and funny (and sometimes very funky). Here's a collection of 12 of the best, all designed by Toyoshima, dating from 2007-2012.

(Above): Weekly Dig, August 12, 2009. Illustration: Matt Moore
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Bespoke Magazine No. 2: Notre Dame Gameday

48 01.02.13 posted by The Editors

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world, celebrating publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

The next bespoke pub that you might not yet be aware of is in fact an app, or an interactive gameday program to be exact: Notre Dame Gameday created for the University of Notre Dame by Joe Zeff Design. JZD used Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to design and develop the entire iPad app in less than two weeks to help the school preview its January 7 BCS National Championship matchup against Alabama.

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Bespoke Magazine No. 1: Gather Journal

48 01.01.13 posted by The Editors

The term "bespoke" has traditionally applied to men's apparel. Today it is increasingly used in reference to modern-day items such as computer software, bicycles, luxury automobiles and, yes, magazines.

For the 48th SPD Pub competition and gala, Co-chairs Courtney Murphy and Marshall McKinney sought to acknowledge the "bespokeness" that adds interest to our increasingly homogenous world. It is the bamboo bike builder in Brooklyn, the artisanal chocolatier in Des Moines, and more than we might realize, publishers both large and small that are creating customized publications with an emphasis on individuality.

Download your PUB 48 competition entry form here and get involved.

Our first bespoke pub that you might not yet be aware of: Gather Journal --a bi-annual, recipe-driven food magazine devoted not just to cooking and eating, but to the art of bringing of people together.

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January 2013 Archives

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