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One way the iPad won’t change magazine design

01Feb10

I was sent this article at work and also picked up on it again through Twitter, it’s on Pentagram’s blog. In my opinion one of the points made is wrong because it confuses what audiences want and expect from different types of publications.

The point I have a problem with is below.

The end of frequency
Say goodbye to the idea of monthly magazines, or weeklies, or dailies. Print publications, already under siege by the Internet and 24-hour news cycle, will have to learn to adapt to a world of instantaneous updates. This is most obvious for news and business publications, but it’s just as true for fashion, entertainment and specialized titles.”

Luke Hayman, 2010

I disagree with Luke, I would have written something like this.

The rebirth of frequency
Say hello to the idea of monthly, weekly or daily digital magazines. Print publications, which have seen their audience decimated by the unbundling of content on websites can take control of their content once again. News publications by their nature require instantaneous updates the feature led niche subject matter found in magazines doesn’t. The iPad may provide a consumer platform for a digital equivalent to a monthly, weekly or daily magazine.”

Me, 2010

Putting news, business, fashion, entertainment and specialized titles in the same bracket confuses the issue. Newspapers and magazines are fundamentally different platforms, which are consumed in a very different way by their respective readers and in turn deserve different digital platforms.

Luke comments himself that “Print publications [are] already under siege by the Internet and [a] 24-hour news cycle” the modern news cycle isn’t part of the way modern magazines need to operate. While touching on topical issues magazines are predominantly feature led and nowhere near as time or location sensitive as a newspaper.

I also have a problem with Luke referring to the Internet like it is a medium (“under siege by the Internet”). It isn’t, the Internet is a place, print publications are under siege by websites.

Websites by their nature make bundling content rather difficult. The iPad as a medium may be able to deliver bundles more effectively in a fundamentally different way to websites. As Jony Ive comments in the iPad launch video though “In many ways this defines our vision, our sense of what’s next”. It isn’t the final solution, but it is a start.

When Bonnier published their Mag+ research at the end of last year they commented that audiences like “an editorial package” and “an infinite, endlessly expanding RSS feed” makes it difficult for an audience to really engage and relate to a content provider. Audience like a package they can “read through and finish”. I agree.

Audiences like a bundle of content, it’s not a bad thing for them to want and it’s not a bad thing for us to want to provide. The birth of the iPad does in no way whatsoever signal the imminent death of monthly, weekly or daily magazines, it signals their renaissance.

Lessons from my mum: Socks

31Jan10

It’s Sunday night and I am getting myself in order for the week ahead. The dishwasher is on and some bread is baking. How domesticated, mum would be proud.

The only thing left to do is put the washing machine on, which I’ve now done.

All fascinating I’m sure.

While loading the washing machine I was pleased to see my favourite pair of socks (yes I have a favourite pair of socks, deal with it) and was looking forward to perhaps wearing them later in the week. To my horror I found a hole in the heal of one of them.

Aghast at this discovery I felt incredibly disappointed but remembered my mum telling me to  ‘just chuck them away’ (I’m not sure of the circumstances in which she has previously had to tell me to throw away socks but as you can tell I do get fairly attached to them) so they’re in the bin.

So what did I learn from this? Yes, socks can teach me things.

If something you are attached to and really like fundamentaly breaks beyond repair, get rid of it. Don’t try and fix it. It will be a waste of time and effort, ultimately resulting in having a second rate version of something you previously loved for being perfect.

Sometimes you’re infinitely better off finding yourself a new pair of favourite socks because they’ll probably be even better than the last ones.

Avatar: Disruptive storytelling

19Jan10

I’ve just got back from watching Avatar in 3D at the Imax. It was an incredibly immersive experience and the effects were brilliant. Having said that, as a story it’s really no better than any other well made blockbuster. So why has it taken so much money at the box office and why are audiences all over the world so excited about it?

It’s already the second highest grossing film of all time and will soon topple Cameron’s last outing, Titanic, from the top spot after its 12 year stint at number 1.

Avatar has done so well because James Cameron is a master at disrupting the market in which he operates and always improves his product in a way that the audience do not expect, but which is of benefit to the experience of it. This excites the audience and gets bums on sets in the cinema.

Cameron has raised the bar yet again for special effects blockbusters to meet. His competitors, while being impressed with the splendour of his work, must be wondering how they can compete. That’s simple, make a better film, and they will, but they’ll need to use the technology he has invented and use the studios he has built to do it. That is until they come up with their own disruptive innovation.

Crowdsourced campaigning

15Jan10

After seeing a tweet from @cslyons about the mydavidcameron.com website I had a look and decided to submit the picture above, a day later it was up on the site. Today, incredibly, it went up on the Mail’s website.

The Labour party have also now adopted the idea and posted an entry on their website, which they’ve used to highlight what they see as some of the misgivings of the Conservative campaign so far. This little idea is really having an impact!

With the simple instruction below and a good idea Clifford Singer, the man behind mydavidcameron.com, has effectively crowdsourced an audience of activists and provided a vehicle through which their voices can be heard and can gain national attention. What a great achievement!

This is the first election that can really harness the full power of social media to intimately involve us in the debate on our terms. With mydavidcameron.com Clifford has started something which may grow and develop over the coming months and result in more people taking an active shared interest in the current feelings about the different parties campaigns. Could that effect the result of the general election? Not on its own, but it can form a relevant part of the debate.

The reason people don’t vote in the numbers they used to is because they are disillusioned and disconnected with the electoral processes. If through activities like this the electorate can re-engage with it then this is an extremely good thing.

This is the first part of the user generated digital election of 2010. As Labour and the Conservatives trade blows over the coming moths it will be interesting to see who really ‘gets’ digital. If one of the parties can harness social media as Obama did to such great effect in the US presidential election last year it could get really interesting!

Augmenting Esquire

11Jan10

The December issue of US Esquire sold itself as the Augmented Reality Issue. This means you can hold up certain pages that contain a special barcode in front of a computer with a webcam, which has a specific piece of software installed and are shown images, videos and audio that relate to the page you’re on. It’s really good fun!

Benjamin Palmer from Barbarian Group who put the augmented reality application together comments that.

What we’re trying to do is create something that isn’t just about showing off the technology, but actually adds to the story.

Benjamin Palmer, 2009

And it does, it’s the best issue of US Esquire I’ve ever read, actually it’s the only issue of US Esquire I’ve ever read, but isn’t that the point. Being brave and taking a risk can put you back on the map for readers and advertisers. That’s always a good thing.

This issue of US Esquire is engaging, exciting, inspirational and makes you feel intimately involved with the magazine (look I’m in the background!). If that’s not good for brand building then I don’t know what is.

Although it’s fun and I’d love to make something with this technology it’s really just a publicity stunt, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I hope it gave US Esquire a sales boost and I hope they are back on the map for some readers who might have lost interest in their brand.

Trying something new like this is brilliant for the industry and Esquire should be congratulated for giving it a go and hopefully inspiring others to take similar risks. Because sometimes, as in this case, they pay off!


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I'm David Williams, a Digital Product Manager working at Bauer Media in London on FHM.com and zootoday.com.

This blog is my take on the media and technology issues that matter to me. I am particularly interested in user engagement, brands and social technology.

You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Delicious, Netvibes, Last.fm, Flickr and Friend Feed

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The views in this blog are those of the author alone and not of Bauer Media.