Big Book Overhauls

If you want a quick barometer of the state of the economy, pick up a newsstand magazine. Two years ago, they were as thick as small-town phonebooks – you had to roll up your sleeves and WORK to find editorial content amid all the ads. Today, even the widest circulating brands feel closer to pamphlets than magazines. Ad pages have been slashed – and so has editorial staff.

But despite – or maybe because of – the economic pressure, there’s still exciting creative work being done in print. One of the most blogged-about magazine design shops right now is Pentagram. Pentagram is headed up by Luke Hayman, who has become the Timbalaland of major magazine design, working behind the scenes to give books like the Atlantic much-needed overhauls.

Here’s Hayman sharing a few thoughts on effective magazine design – thoughts which apply to custom publishing as well as newsstand publishing.