publication design, digital publishing, magazine design, student magazine
Motivation/Problem/Opportunity
I have designed a few issues of the magazine – all printed versions. There is a need for a digital version now, as it does not fulfil its potential in its current state and does not represent the university or its students properly.
Thesis
The students’ magazine is now only published in a printed version. Students do not seek out online versions of magazines. Yet, many of them stated digital format as preferred for consuming content. Thus, digital magazines have the potential to become more appealing to readers, by creating a new standard practice. Focusing on better online readability and displaying as well as easy production may achieve that.
Approach/Methodology
Studying different students’ magazines and online magazines in general. How are they designed, published and what technology are they using. Exploring trends in online publishing, with a focus on the usage of interactive elements for better readability. Interviewing students about their habits in consuming online content.
Background Research/Literature Review
There are papers discussing the future of magazine form and so, though they offer no applicable tested practices. Still, said papers serve as a theoretical basis for designers and magazine publishers. The discussion tends to sway away from developing digital publishing quite often, due to persistent conflict between print and digital. In an attempt to find out which format is superior and thus more desirable for readers, there is a lack of effort to develop both formats. This stagnates the whole process.
Results/Outcomes/Analysis
There is no standardised practice in digital publishing, which would make digital magazines appealing. Moreover, would ease the production of both formats, which would allow better work-flow and publishing.
Conclusion
The goal is an easy production method of print and digital magazines, in which none is superior to the other. Also, in which the digital version is not lacking in usability. Trying to make the first step to improve digital publishing will make digital magazines more accessible. Moreover, it will attract readers who already appreciate the convenience of digital media. For others, it can present a new way of consuming content. This has the potential to create more opportunities for InHouse publishing, as it keeps up with today’s technologies and trends.
(unifying, in-house publishing)
The aim of this thesis is to explore the current state of digital publishing, and the publishing of student magazines in general. Then applying the acquired knowledge in designing a digital version of the VŠKK student magazine Povstalec N°2. Since the aim is not to overthrow the print, but rather to equalize both formats, this requires to redesign the entire publication with a focus on unifying the production process. There is still a lot to improve in digital publishing, since there is no standard practice on how to publish magazines online, efficiently.
Because online platforms seem in many ways preferable for consuming content today, online magazines have the potential to become more appealing to the readers, by optimizing the digital magazine reading experience. Utilizing interactive elements, which are already staples in digital design, and improving readability, may achieve that.
Trying to make the first step to improve digital publishing will make magazines more accessible. Moreover, it will attract readers who already appreciate the convenience of digital media. Creating the digital version of the VŠKK students magazine is also offering the students a new platform for presenting their work, allowing a better representation of the university itself.
(og english version)
The aim of this thesis is to explore the current state of digital publishing, and the publishing of student magazines in general. Then, applying this knowledge to designing print and digital versions of the student magazine Povstalec N°2. Focusing on unifying the production process for both formats, to ease the process. The results of the questionnaire show that online magazines have the potential to become more appealing to readers. Thus, optimising the digital magazine reading experience is a crucial step. Utilizing interactive elements and improving legibility may achieve that. Creating the digital version of the students’ magazine is also offering the students a new platform for presenting their work. Moreover, allowing a better representation of the university itself.
(my czech version – translated)
The aim of this thesis is to re-design the printed version of the student magazine Povstalec N°2 and create its digital version. Focusing on unifying the production process for both formats, to ease the process. The theoretical part introduces publication design, and then discusses the current state of digital publishing and student magazines in general. Based on research done in the theoretical part, the practical part complements the work with questionnaire results and personal market analysis. Then presents a new visual style of the publication, including a technical solution for print and web. The outcome is a prototype of the digital version of the magazine, based on the visual style of a print version. Utilizing interactive elements and improving legibility allows for a better online reading experience.
(the perfected)
This paper examines the visual design process, publishing workflow, and marketing strategy of the VSKK (Vysoká Škola Kreativní Komunikace) student magazine Povstalec N°2. The theoretical part introduces the field of publication design, the current state of digital publishing, and an overview of student magazines in higher education. The practical part complements the theoretical background with local survey results and personal market analysis. Then presents a new, unified visual style and technical solution for print and web. The outcome of the work presented in this paper proposes a digital magazine prototype that utilizes interactive elements and improved legibility for an enhanced reading experience.