Elevating an alumni magazine for our alma mater.
Client
Iowa State University College of Design
Services
Editorial
Designed for designers
The College of Design at Iowa State University is one of the most comprehensive art and design institutions in the nation. Offering an impressive array of programs and interdisciplinary studios spread across the globe, the college has earned a solid reputation and built a loyal alumni community—including the entire staff of Measure. Hoping to better engage that audience with their new focus on civic innovation and social entrepreneurship, the College of Design tapped Measure to redevelop their alumni magazine Inspire from the ground up. We developed an entirely new editorial outline and format to appeal to one of the most discerning audiences of all—designers just like us.
From noise to narrative
Editorial design begins with content. Over the years Inspire had shifted from magazine to newsletter with dense content and small images that ran together. We began by defining the types of content important to the audience and then developed a logical structure for organizing it in a way that guides the reader through the magazine. A new front of book department, Prototype, leads readers in with smaller tidbits that reinforce the college’s core vision. Feature stories lead into back of book departments for alumni stories, college news and awards.
Elevation of content and craft
The leap from mailbox to coffee table is a perilous journey for print media today. For a design audience, the threshold is even higher. The dense pages and stale design of the previous incarnation of Inspire wasn’t making the cut. We felt that to really stand out the design of the magazine should not only elevate the content, but also the medium itself. We chose an unusual smaller size and tactile uncoated paper to give the magazine immediate appeal as something special. The new visual system creates a unique, cohesive identity for the magazine that manages to exist within the university’s rigid brand guidelines. Tinted pages, bold typography and playful exploration of the grid establish a voice for the publication that is both academic and experimental. More space is given to imagery throughout to appeal to the visual nature of the magazine’s audience.
