Designed to win attention - and awards - magazine design - includes list of competitions

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Oct 1, 1994 by Robert Sentinery

Design is a sensitive subject for publishers because it is so difficult to grasp, yet so essential to the publishing process. Good design can boost newsstand sales while upgrading a magazine's image, whereas bad design will make even the most polished prose appear shabby.

I approach magazine design by thinking about every publication as a product unto itself. Each magazine serves the needs of a specific audience; therefore, each has its own function. One of the first concepts taught in design school is that form follows function. So figure out who the publication is intended to reach and what it is trying say, and the form should naturally follow. Design decisions should be based on market research conducted with a clear understanding of who the target audience is.

The essential point is that there should be a reason for a magazine looking the way it does. Rolling Stone, for example, started out as a newsprint tabloid covering the local music scene in San Francisco. But as its audience expanded, its design evolved to meet its readers' growing demands. That meant adding glossy paper, full color, better graphics, etc. The design of Business Week has a completely different attitude because it performs a completely different function. If publishers understand how and why magazine design works the way it does, they can produce a more successful product.

Cover design can make or break the newsstand sales of a particular issue. I've never forgotten what a consultant told me when I was starting out: "Your cover is the most important piece of real estate in the magazine business." The look of a magazine--its presence, personality and energy--is conveyed to the reader primarily through the cover; it's the first thing a reader sees. If your cover engages the consumer and communicates a message that interests him or her, then half of the sales battle is already won.

National Geographic provides a perfect example of the relationship between cover design and economics. The title started out with a simple cover that looked almost academic, utilizing typography exclusively. Later, the publication changed its approach and began to showcase dramatic full-color photography on its cover--which not only made it stand out, but also caught the attention of many new potential readers.

As design technology and capabilities grow, design styles seem to become outdated more quickly than ever before. Readers weaned on slick design and the latest in visual styling become anesthetized to the same old attention-grabbing techniques. Therefore, attracting an audience becomes even more difficult. Ray Gun and its offspring Bikini were created by publisher Marvin Jarrett, who has capitalized on the MTV generation by making design the predominant concern. In fact, the design makes reading one of these magazines a challenge for even the most patient reader. In this case, the questions to ask are, "Where does editorial fit in?" and "Should a publication sacrifice readability for the sake of design?" Certainly, editorial content must be an important factor, but how much and where it is to be emphasized is a decision left up to the publisher.

One way for a well-designed magazine to get widespread exposure is by winning awards. Design competitions allow a publication to reach important people in many different fields, from designers, ad agencies and distributors to publishers, art directors and leaders in other media. Winning is important because often a picture of your publication and your address will be published in a book or annual, serving as a directory of sorts, a guide to the most successfully designed publications. You can count on these award compilations to be widely distributed to ad agencies. What better way to get the attention of media planners than to knock their socks off as they flip through the pages of the latest annual?

Although competitions may well get your magazine in the hands of the right people--something that is invaluable, especially for a new publication--this exposure can come at a high price. Some art directors are known to spend thousands of dollars a year entering competitions. The costs can add up pretty quickly, with the usual separate fees for each spread, cover, story, etc., entered.

Here is a short list of competitions to get you started. Write or phone for more information on dates and entry procedures.

The Book Show, American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1059 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10021. 212-752-0813.

The 100 Show, American Center for Design, 233 East Ontario Street, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611. 800-257-8657.

Print's Regional Design Annual/1994, Print Magazine, 104 Fifth Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10011. 212-463-0600.

Publication & Design 29, The Society of Publication Designers, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 721, New York, NY 10165. 212-983-8585.

Graphic Arts Awards, Printing Industries of America, 100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314. 703-519-8100.

MPA Kelly Award, Magazine Publishers of America, 919 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10022. 212-752-0055.