Co Creation

Stappers: Co Creation & The new landscape for design.

"Were ancient community arts not about co-creation? Did farmers co-create by cultivating the commons? Has mass production taken away the mentality to co-create? Did the digital revolution restore the desire for it? Does the restoration of co-creation have the potential to change the world for the better? Do miners co-create, or bankers? Co-creation is a method for people to regain their ability to design their lives, their environments." Open Design Now

Analysis 3

A Magazine - Belgium

http://www.amagazinecuratedby.com/

Bi-Annual
187 Pages - 230 x 295

A Magazine is a bi-annual publication that uses a different international fashion designer as the 'curator' of the magazine each time. The magazine becomes a statement about that designers personal ideas and design interests.



Nice Magazine - UK

































Issue 1 (Spring 2002)
230 x 300


"The ultimate experiment in magazine format?" Jeremy Leslie, magCulture (2003)

I haven't been able to find much about this magazine on the internet but it's in a couple of books I've read recently including my key text The Last Magazine. Issue 1 came as an A4 block of wood with no pages or content whatsoever besides a printed advertisement on the back of the wood. The idea may seem strange but it is claimed as a bestseller for all outlets who stock it by Jeremy Leslie in his 2003 book magCulture. This reflects a theme of self reflexivity I've seen in many stylepress magazines, commonly this theme is used to express their own role as magazines, point out the ever increasing obsolescence of printed magazines or even poke fun at mainstream titles.


Eat Magazine - Japan

Issue 7 - Nov/Dec 2001


This issue of Eat magazine focuses on packaging and imitates chocolate on the front cover, with an imitation packaging sleeve. Interesting way of reflecting a theme through format/design.

They Shoot Homos Don't They? - Australia







Issue 5 + Online preview of 1 & 5
148 x 210

"Four men are involved in running the magazine. It began because they were dark about the convergence of homo culture with mediocrity—some call it the mainsteam.
"There is a concerted edffort in the editorial direction to encourage people to read between the lines and negotiate their own politics."
http://www.theyshoothomosdontthey.com/

They Shoot Homos Don't They? is an Australian magazine for "men and their admirers" (Renard). The content focusses on gay and art culture but is not made to exclusively appeal to those in the gay community. The magazine is split into 3 'folders' titled 'homos', 'shoot' and 'they don't they', each folders title page attempts to link the content of the folder through a common theme, as the 'brotherhood' of contributors often offer quite differing . It's glossy format lures the audience into a false sense of security preceding it's assault of edgy content. Their website presents a preview of each issue, hosted on their own website, allowing more freedom than that seen with online publishing services such as Issuu.

VIV Magazine Interface

Cool idea that goes a lot further towards realizing the potential of digital magazines and recreating the intimate relationship between reader and magazine in a digital space. Though I question some of the specifics from a typography/readability perspective. It would be interesting to see how this would react to the iPads rotating display. The possibility of more interactive or reactive content could be interesting to explore with a concept like this.

Pentagram on IPad magazines

http://new.pentagram.com/2010/01/five-ways-the-ipad-will-cha-1/

Interesting in relation to stylepress as a genre. Many of the things outlined in this article as the future of (digital) magazines seem to contradict or compete with a lot of the defining ideas of stylepress but ends by loosely reaffirming Renards prediction of stylepress as the future of printed magazines.

Poster Quotes

A few quotes that summarise what my project is about, aiming to fit one or two on the poster.

"Tablet computers, PDAs, third generation mobile phones... the 'killer' application, set to replace the printed word. All have failed thus far because the inveterate book reader or magazine reader still seeks a physical experience." David Renard

"It's about the single magazine a reader bought. It's about being part of a league of publications that are willing to take a risk and step forward in the next movement of editorial design." Timba Smits

"Mass market periodicals are unsatisfactory, too often functioning like a communications relay for the political and economic or industrial authority. This inevitably leads to individual initiatives" Angelo Crimele

"Not only has there never been such a variety of titles catering for so many markets, they are also successfully pushing the boundries of editorial design. It is not necesarily within the mainstream that this is happening—although there are exceptions—it is within the countless independent magazines from all over the world that have been launched in recent years" Charlotte Rivers. Mag-Art, Innovation in Magazine Design.

"They are not published to cater to focused demographics or marketing whims but because their publisher, editors, designers, photographers and artists are compelled to satisfy their own desires and inspire others." Steven Heller, Art director of New York Times Book Review.
"Doing an independent magazine... you really can present your own vision of what you think, not only a magazine should be but what you think your viewpoint on the world should be"  Andy Pickering

Format Analysis

I previously analysed Soko Magazine, Pilot Magazine and Idn magazine to test their alignment to the definition of Stylepress. The purpose of the following analysis is not to define whether a magazine sits within stylepress, but to explore format, define it's usefulness in stylepress and inspire ideas for my own stylepress project.

Is Not Magazine

"among other things, an experiment in publishing real content where people expect to find advertising. It’s a design challenge and a reading experiment; a paper saving device; a bastion of editorial complexity and a grey area for the discerning communal reader."

Size: 1500mm x 2000mm
Format: Printed, poster
Regularity: Irregular
Issues: 11
Still in print: No
Online representation: Website with blog and short wrap up of topics covered in various issues.

Advantages:
- Easily accesible content
- Saves paper and printing costs.
- Encourages not only individual reader participation but community participation
- Challenges current ideas of a magazine.
- Still can be sold as a 'takeaway' magazine to become a treasured object.

Disadvantages:
- Open to damage or theft from public space.
- Unable to be easily flicked through or read
- Does not engage the user in the third dimension of the printed object.

McSweeneys, Issue 16

"Each issue of the quarterly is completely redesigned. There have been hardcovers and paperbacks, an issue with two spines, an issue with a magnetic binding, an issue that looked like a bundle of junk mail, and an issue that looked like a sweaty human head."

Size: 227mm x 150mm
Format: Printed, three fold hardcover book with a story printed on cards and hair comb.
Regularity: Quarterly
Issues: 40
Still in print: Yes
Online representation: Extensive website with store and summary of each physical issue


Advantages:
(General)
- A constantly shifting format continues to challenge (even regular) readers every issue
- As a literary journal, the format reflects the subject matter well, challenging an audience that are ready to recieve these left-field format ideas and also relating to the issue of sustaining print (an issue relevant to writers as well as designers)
(Issue 16)
- The three fold method encourages further interaction beyond the typical page-by-page flip and offers multiple avenues for exploration.

Narrowing Definition

Trying to compile my findings thus far in one place. Most of my research seems to be confirming the same things thus far unfortunately.

Based on the defining features identified by others and repetitive themes in my research, I've made my own set of defining philosophies for Stylepress. After writing them I realized they are essentially Renards factors but slightly reworded and prioritized. Below are what research has lead me to believe is the result of these philosophies. Number 4 is part defining factor, part derivative of factors 1, 2 and 3. As with Renards factors not all of them need to be present to be defined as part of the Stylepress although in my opinion it is essential to have one of the leading two factors featuring prominently.

Primary Factors
1. Driven by the creators desire to realize their vision.
2. Experimental or unconventional approaches aesthetic and format.

Almost Primary (not quite secondary) Factors
3. Focuses on user experience and timeless content.
4. Exists in a bubble separate to mainstream media

Derivatives:- Inevitably Becomes a personal manifesto of the creator/team, declaring their tastes, philosophies, interest and ideas. (1)
- Becomes inspirational to the viewer. (1, 2, 3)
- Often realized in a physical form. (1, 2, 3, 4)
- Recontextualizes the magazine as an art object rather than news media. (2, 3, 4)
- Can talk directly to niche groups such as graphic designers. (4)

What it means for my project:
1. The perfect vessel to declare a position on current graphic design issues.
2. Ideal oppurtunity to experiment with new ideas and formats unrestricted by current audience requirements.
3. Allows the oppurtunity for a stylepress magazine to set a 'standard' for creative practice by (2.) inspiring the decisions of the reader to (4.) influence their creative practice.