The big picture - Movieline - Brief Article

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, June 1, 1994

Why do you redesign a magazine that readers are happy with, especially one that has acquired recognition for its icon-oclastic approach? When you see the discerning reader fast-forwarding through the sections you think of as show-stoppers, answers Movieline publisher Anne Volokh. While describing her magazine as "editorially and visually ahead of the pack," Volokh also notes that though a redesign almost always runs the risk of turning off at least some readers, a cutting-edge magazine needs to keep evolving in order to maintain its lead.

As a result, Movieline's visuals have been tweaked to better reflect its au courant and sometimes satirical coverage. The title's redesign begins with the introduction of a more newsstand-oriented logo that carries its typestyle to the contents page, department heads and beyond. But many of the changes inside the book are subtle. For example, the magazine continues to carry spectacular spreads because that's paramount to the success of a movie magazine. But, Volokh observes, "it's important to know when it's time to pull back" and avoid overwhelming the reader. So now, where there used to be, say, five good pictures, there might be three instead.

Sometimes, Volokh reasons, the best time to make a design change is when you have "a growing circulation, increased ratebase and strong advertising--when one era is over and another one is starting."