42. MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT: MONOCLE

Magazine Spotlight #02
Monocle www.monocle.com

"Keeping an eye on the world" since 2007, Monocle was launched by the man behind Wallpaper magazine, Tyler Brûlé. It's the one title I am a paid subscriber for, accepting their package of 10 issues + 2 papers + 1 tote bag + full online archive access + event invitations for an annual fee of £90. That price is actually more than what the cost of buying individual copies at the newsstand would be – a challenge to the standard pricing model where in-advance batch subscriptions tend to be better value. This is explained in the confidence placed on their services, a subscription being more than just a sales contract but as an act of buying into the brand. And Monocle's branding is one of the most complete around.

In partnership with sister design studio Winkreative, Monocle has rapidly achieved an iconic status of design and presence. The magazine aims to pioneer the ever-changing print and journalism industries, priding themselves with dense, in-depth and carefully selected content covering what they have identified as today's most relevant topics in affairs, business, culture and design (following a beautifully effective logic of ABCD). Significantly rooted across all parts of the world with offices, correspondents and sources, the work is assured to be genuine and unique, and certainly doesn't lack in quantity either as issue after issue they deliver seemingly larger, book-ish documents that I've currently collected the past 23 of.

Monocle has from the beginning laid out its version of aspirations and represents a high quality lifestyle in collaboration with their readership, and in recent years the company has expanded and ventured into radio broadcasting, physical shops and cafés to supplement the paper product and emphasise their values. Each outlet offers a different, yet equally asset of the brand and has proven to be a fine example of changing the relationship with its followers and the expectations for what a magazine title provides. At the very least, it's a successful challenge on what the relatively static print culture had been in the past couple of decades. Now, six years down the line, the format remains unchanged in its aesthetic design, which clearly reflects said aspirations and framework, using a sure template filled with beautiful first-hand photography and a masterful combination of Plantin and Helvetica.

It's a publication I constantly have much to take and learn from, in all aspects of its venture and one that has no doubt inspired my joy for the revival of print media.

27. MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT: OFFSCREEN

Magazine Spotlight #1
Offscreen www.offscreenmag.com

First up in my spotlight series of good publications is Offscreen, a magazine exploring the people behind websites and apps – a smart concept looking at the offscreen lives of those who are behind the work we see on screen as well as more literally being behind screens all day for a living. I'm no coding enthusiast nor app developer, but it's still really interesting to be presented with how these people operate and to hear their outlooks on the broader notion of design and lifestyle.

Originally a web designer by trade, Kai Brach launched the first issue of Offscreen in early 2012. Feeling disconnected by the fast pace and the ephemeral nature of the digital world, after ten years of freelance work Kai wanted to create something more tangible. With Offscreen Magazine, he combines both his love for technology and the web, and the unique experience of printed magazines.

In the span of three months, Kai "converted" from a UI designer to an editorial art director, not only publishing and editing Offscreen but also designing the magazine from the ground up. As such, Offscreen is still a one-man operation, and a proudly authentic indie magazine supported by amazing contributors and curious readers. Kai hopes to reinvigorate printed magazines as a choice of media that provides a welcome break from our always-on society.

The words here, extracted from Offscreen's own About page, are eloquently put and provides a perfect introduction to the project's aims and purpose, which resonate with my feelings towards print as both an industry and as a reader who can appreciate good content. Printed magazines being a "unique experience" is vital to note, as an experience I am eager to find in its creation as well as the experience I feel as a reader. I think that Offscreen's statement of intent or self-instigated value is well communicated and on point for fitting into our lifestyle. It's therefore one of my favourite publications in the market, and has thus found itself first in my series of upcoming 'spotlights'.

20. THIS

This arrived in the post along with my magazine subscription today, the Christmas Collection booklet by Monocle. I've done a couple of booklets for Victate, the layout and content of which I'm greatly satisfied with, but the final print has been lacking in my opinion. This, however, is absolute perfection. This little booklet is precisely what I want to recreate in form and weight. I'm not sure what paper type it is but I'm sure it's some sort of wove paper and its heavy weight just adds to the texture – it's goodness objectified.