Delivering Consumer Reports’ Print Redesign

While many magazines are struggling to succeed in the current industry climate, Consumer Reports is experiencing growth in both newsstand sales and subscriptions. Newsstand sales have more than doubled to 190,000 in 2008 from 83,845 in 2002, and subscriptions rose 12 percent to 4.3 million during that same period and have continue to trend upward, the company reports. Still, despite its growth, Consumer Reports decided it was time for a bit of makeover. The results of that decision were delivered earlier this month, when Consumer Reports debuted a redesigned print magazine.“Now, more than ever, we’re the magazine we were always meant to be,” says Editor-in-chief Kim Kleman. “We are thrilled to introduce the redesigned Consumer Reports to a new generation of readers and to better serve our current subscribers.”To assist in the redesign, Kleman and her team hired magazine designer Luke Hayman, a partner at New York-based Pentagram Design. Hayman, whose firm also recently redesigned Vibe magazine, spoke with Publishing Executive Inbox about the process behind the redesign of Consumer Reports.Inbox: What were the main goals of the Consumer Reports redesign, and how did you achieve them with your approach?Luke Hayman: The goals were to make the design both more contemporary as well as more functional. The project was a little complicated because the magazine is currently so successful—a rare story these days of healthy newsstand and subscriber growth. Consumer Reports is obviously a company that tests, and they talk to their readers on a constant basis, so the design wasn’t “broken” and readers weren’t unhappy. Despite this, the new editor, Kim Kleman, and her design team, George Arthur and Tim La Palme, felt the magazine would benefit from an update.Inbox: What are the major elements of the redesign? What will readers see when they open the magazine?Hayman: The first change they may notice is the logo. I say “may” as it’s an evolution of the current mark rather than a complete redesign. We used a customized condensed font that allowed us to put the logo [on] one line, which created a clear space for the cover imagery. The cover is tidier with a clearer hierarchy of stories.The largest change was the organization and navigation. Content has been grouped into newly named sections, which are clearly marked and color-coded.The fonts are all new. Text and headlines are set in Fedra, a modern Dutch typeface with a serif and sans serif version. Both families have a wide range of weights and widths. This font was chosen for its versatility, readability and approachable personality.The tables are set in Amplitude, a font designed for agate size settings. It’s remarkably clear at these small sizes and extremely space efficient. The tables and the classifications were simplified, but will be familiar to the current reader.Inbox: What was the working relationship like between your firm and Consumer Reports? Hayman: Our process at Pentagram is collaborative. We don’t try and “push” a client in a direction that feels unnatural.The process starts with an exploration of why the redesign is necessary, a review of peers and competitors, a look at [the publication’s] heritage, and multiple conversations with stakeholders and, of course, readers. We then follow with a presentation of several possible directions. Each has a rationale for its particular design. Usually, one of the options feels close: The decision is often instinctual rather than purely logic based.The design evolves from this point with further refinements and experiments, always with input from the current staff. For obvious reasons, it’s important [that] the team who’ll be implementing the new design understands and supports the new direction.Inbox: What are the major trends today in magazine design?Hayman: Unfortunately, the major trend is that magazines are getting smaller! They are also working harder. The British “lad-mag” trend of packing pages with multiple entry points seems to have stuck, although [it] is done with more refinement now. New York magazine and Portfolio are good examples of pages abundant with sidebars and devices. They also use alternative story forms well; in particular, info graphics like New York’s “Matrix.”We’re also noticing a rash of modern, futuristic-looking display fonts. Some recent examples are The New York Times sports magazine Play, Wired and the redesigned Blender.There’s an ongoing backlash against color. Fred Woodward’s redesign of GQ unleashed a torrent of rainbow pages, which has been replaced by the austere, monochromatic designs exemplified by Fabien Baron, first in French Vogue and now in Interview magazine.Inbox: Do you have any advice for publishers who are considering a redesign? Any tips for choosing a design firm to work with?Hayman: Give yourself and [your] team enough time to do the project well—three to nine months depending on size and scope. We recently redesigned a large, multi-section newspaper in eight weeks and a pop culture magazine in six weeks. Both projects came out well, but of course there was no room for error. So whomever you chose—give them time.When choosing a design firm, publishers and editors should look at the range of work in a portfolio. Make sure that the designer will work with you to discover what is appropriate for your magazine. Avoid a firm [that] imposes its particular vision, which may be fashionable but possibly a short-term solution. You know your readers better than they do.

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Delivering Consumer Reports’ Print Redesign

Janet Spavlik

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