Graphic Design That Works

Does design make the world go round? That’s debatable, of course, depending on whose world you’re talking

about—but from the perspective of

I.D.

magazine, design is the core around which an entire universe revolves.

Making the pages of this magazine is a prestigious accomplishment for graphic, furniture, industrial, architectural

and digital designers.

I.D.

successfully strives to find the most elegant and innovative ways to display examples of

design excellence, building tasteful, smart layouts around simple images of products.

WHY IT WORKS:

Brilliantly simple backgrounds, creative photo editing and placement, and electrically charged colors and type team

up for a sleek, modern gallery of designers’ work.

I.D.

The International Design Magazine

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far left Funny and startling, the bright pink cover

line for a focus on robotic vacuum cleaners leans to-

ward streaks of light for a flashy product portrait.

Color and type create an electric atmosphere that ani-

mates products.

left A battered pair of Converse sneakers is a com-

fortable symbol of influential design. Literally inter-

preting the theme of the article, cover lines with

apparent distance and depth play off the headline

“Giant Steps.”

Graphic Design That Works

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Published since 1954 and originally a trade publication

focused on industrial design,

I.D.

has evolved to cover

the “art, business, and culture of design” around the

world. “In its early years,

I.D.

mirrored the excitement

of the post-World War II American design scene,” says

executive editor Jenny Wohlfarth. “Since then, the

magazine has blossomed to become more interna-

tional and eclectic in its scope,”

In 1988, the magazine shed its strictly trade image and

revised its tagline to read “International Design Maga-

zine,” reflecting both its global reach and its coverage

of a wide scope of design topics ranging from architec-

ture, industrial design, and graphics to fashion, interi-

ors, technology, and design culture. As a hybrid trade/

general-interest magazine,

I.D.

is as accessible to the

design-curious consumer as it is to trained artists.

Global Design Focus

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W)

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Long based in New York City, the magazine was pur-

chased by F&W Publications in 1999 and moved its ed-

itorial headquarters to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2001.

I.D.

continues to stretch its tentacles around the globe; fur-

niture and gadgets from Milan and Berlin mingle with

those from the vibrant Manhattan design community.

“

I.D.

is to the design industry what

Wired

is to technol-

ogy,” Wohlfarth says. “It pushes the proverbial enve-

lope—both in content coverage and design—exploring

the most primitive and fascinating kernels of design-re-

lated topics while philosophically scrutinizing their sig-

nificant implications on culture and society. Its greatest

strength is its own dichotomy: It’s both provocative and

simplistic, serious and sassy, focused on details while

always revealing the bigger picture.”

I.D.’s

readers fall into three categories: designers who

want information about the art and culture of the de-

sign industry; business executives who want to take ad-

vantage of the positive impact that innovative design

has on their business; and design aficionados—nonde-

signers who love great design and who understand and

appreciate the importance of aesthetics.

above The sensual

curves and angles of Ital-

ian furniture are silhou-

etted dramatically

against white space, not

only showcasing the

products’ design but also

creating a lilting white

space across the spread.

left What body parts

are we looking at, and

what are those padded

things on top of them?

The strangely staged

photograph nets some

long stares before read-

ers turn to the article

about the award-winning

Japanese handbags.

right This article show-

cases an interactive Web

game, a choose-your-

own-adventure idea

using simple lines and

text. Rather than enclos-

ing a screen shot in a

picture box, designers

transformed the layout

using the site’s colors

and images.

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