Flight Training magazine, the official publication of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, is one of our proudest portfolio pieces for magazine redesign. When redesigning then handing off to a new team, it’s often challenging to keep the magazine’s integrity consistent through future issues. Our experience working with Flight Training magazine is a great example of how to structure a redesign so the transition from one creative team to another is simple and smooth.

In the June 2011 issue of FOLIO: magazine, Stefanie Botelho talks with Flight Training Design Director, Mike Kline, to discuss the magazine’s recent redesign, and specifically the May 2011 cover.

According to Botelho’s article, “Kline says that the challenge of the redesign was to strike a balance that not only appealed to current readers, but to reach out to potential audiences as well.”

To address this challenge, Bates Creative Group designers pushed for a more modern treatment in everything from the masthead to the content hierarchy. To ensure this new design and structure did not turn off current readers and also engaged with future subscribers, the content strategy and organization was updated to match the more contemporary visuals.

Kline continues, “Aside from the streamlined cover art, fonts were chosen to have a more minimalist feel. Tweaks that rendered an increased readability were also a primary focus of the redesign. From the reader’s satisfaction standpoint, I think we’ve met and exceeded the objectives.”

Botelho also elicited feedback from a few seasoned designers to hear what the gurus of publication design had to say about the May 2011 issue:

The beauty of this cover lies within its simplicity. The all- black cover, with the touches of yellow, is gorgeous. The notches on the word ‘Flight’ are a cool tweak to what would have been a rather straight-forward typeface. The three dimensional yellow band in the roofline with the quote is a nice, colorful accent. – Chris Hercik, Creative Director for the Sports Illustrated Group

This is a cool, smart cover that is very stylish and attention-getting. I love the Flight Training logo, and the way the angle of the airplane wing mimics the slant of the italic type. – Robert Newman, Consulting Creative Director for Reader’s Digest and JCK magazine

Since the April 2010 redesign, Flight Training magazine has won multiple design awards including two 2011 EXCEL Awards, a silver for most improved magazine and a bronze for magazine redesign, presented by the Association Media & Publishing.

“This story proved Bates Creative Group can do impeccable magazine branding and redesign work that, with the right client team, is easy for editorial staff to keep it going and deliver exceptional publications,” says Debra Bates-Schrott, president of Bates Creative Group.

Tips for a successful “design and dash” experience:

Communication

From the launch meeting to the last hand-off, keeping open communication lines with decision makers on both sides is essential. Listening is a huge reason why Bates Creative Group has succeeded in this industry. Understanding the previous landscape and future goals are incredibly important to reaching a successful redesign transition.

Equal Voices

Creative teams on both ends need to have equal voices and respect for the process it takes to collaborate, create and then step back. Each party is in it for the same reason, to make the publication better, and it’s important to remember this throughout the process.

Think First, Design Later

Before defining hierarchy, transitional elements, or typographical settings, designers must remember that this is a template to be handed off to an entirely new team, with different methods and ideas of design. The publication is more likely to be successful in future issues if the template is easily transferable and has clearly communicated guidelines, as well as a certain amount of flexibility for customization and creative freedom.

To read the entire FOLIO: magazine blog post, visit: http://www.foliomag.com/2011/face-flight-training

To learn more about Flight Training magazine and AOPA, visit: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/

Ever since the birth of the iPad, or similar tablet devices, publishers have been struggling to adapt to this new medium. Recently we’ve seen too many poorly designed apps hit the market, and we’d like to make sure your publication doesn’t fall into this unfortunate category.

Here are a few strategy and design tips to consider before diving into the exclusive tablet magazine publishing community:

Strategy

Gather your writers, editors, and publishing staff to discuss your magazine app strategy before entering production – make sure the following items are discussed in detail:

• Budget is the first element to consider. Depending on number of pages and which publishing option you choose, prices vary and generally fall on the expensive side. Once you know how much you can spend, shop around (see Creating Digital Publications for the iPad article for details) and choose the best solution for your budget and your magazine.

• Exclusive content is another major consideration that some have overlooked, and their tablet magazines have failed because of it. Most tablet owners will not pay for magazine subscriptions when the content is identical to the printed publication, which they can generally get for free on the Web.

• New angle – consider whether or not your editorial team can find a way to share similar information in a new and unique approach. For example, online content is usually written in a shorter, more succinct style than its printed counterparts because people go to the Web to get information quickly. The same rule applies to the tablet; consumers use this device differently than any other publishing medium. Editorial teams first need to understand how and why this consumer group is using their tablets in order to provide the content they want and, more importantly, will pay for.

Design

• Include Tablet-Exclusive Multimedia Elements – This device is enormously popular because of its unique features. You can surf the web, check out pictures and video in super high-resolution, and learn more about just about anything with the tap of your finger. Do not overlook these multimedia elements or under estimate their significance when building content and design. You’re doing your magazine app and your readers a huge disservice if you don’t include these elite features; that’s why they bought it right? So create your product accordingly!

• Sharing to Social Networks – The ability to share content through social networks is a sought after option for most readers, however this should be a smooth transition without annoying those who are not so “social.” When designing social networking elements, be sure they don’t add clutter. Provide the option, but don’t make it in your face.

Stay at the top of your game and in the hands of your favorite audiences by planning ahead, offering extraordinary content found nowhere else, and by infusing the newest technology into your design techniques. If you’re thinking of taking your publication from print to pad, and may need some assistance along the way, we’d love to hear from you!

Raised on a collage of rapidly shifting images, the so-called “MTV generation” refers to the group of young adults who spent their youth hooked on a steady diet of music videos and pop culture. Subsequently, the term MTV generation has become synonymous with fast-paced lifestyles, cynicism, uncertainty, impatience and an overall ability to process information quickly.

When assembling content for this fickle group, timing and impact are the most important elements to consider. When individuals from this generation open a magazine or enter a website, the first thing they want to see is pictures–big, eye-popping, thought-provoking images. Consequently, reading and writing have become less fashionable and more about achieving the means to an end. These individuals might read a short caption and, if there’s time, the first paragraph of a great article. If they do decide to read an article in its entirety, it will most likely be on their iPhones or BlackBerrys and at their convenience.

Finding information easily, immediately and free of charge is also essential to these young adults. They want a multitude of options without having to commit to subscriptions or memberships. Keep in mind that the MTV generation grew up with the Internet and countless other informational options at their fingertips. As a result, they have acquired unconventional reading styles and fastidious shopping habits.

Customization is also a key factor to consider when creating content. For example, I could go online right now and, in a matter of minutes, purchase a pair of customized Nikes, a bag of M&M’s or even a personally accessorized car. To many twenty-somethings, paying a little extra to be able to express their individuality in unusual places is worth the extra time, money and effort. For content development, this could translate to implementing interactivity elements, such as allowing members to select which information they want and then suggesting additional content based on the users’ likes and dislikes. Find out what the customer wants most and get it to them in a way that will make them feel like a big fish in a small pond.

For the most part, the descriptors used for the MTV generation seem to outline a rather selfish collection of juveniles, but in reality, this generation has a noticeably large soft spot for cause marketing. These younger consumers are concerned not only about their own future, but also the future of the planet and those who are less fortunate. As a result, they expect companies to share their concerns and act accordingly.

A recent television commercial from AT&T and TOMS Shoes is a great example of how to appeal to this generation’s tastes. In the ad, a young entrepreneur promises to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased, all done from his trusty AT&T BlackBerry. Attention to personal esteem, passion for the welfare of the world at large and an uncanny devotion to information technology all wrapped up in one neat marketing package. To date, there are countless campaigns of this nature geared toward young adults and the issues they are passionate about.

Enticing one of the largest and most influential consumer groups to pick up your magazine, go to your website or buy your product means keeping content brief, relevant, customized and free wherever possible. It also doesn’t hurt to add some meaningful marketing behind your brand to attract the softer side of this media-driven, technology-obsessed, attention-deficit-prone MTV generation.

I have been thinking for awhile about three magazines founded in the UK and published stateside, two with US versions: The Economist, The Week and Monocle. All three publications have developed a following in the US and least two of the three, The Economist and The Week, are growing in circulation and advertising sales in a horrible economic climate.

What are they doing right and what are they doing differently from many US publications? As a reader of each one of them let me begin with this: they have a strong “voice” in presenting their content. I am sure they invest in reader/audience/advertiser research, but then they step back, look at that with a grain of salt and bring perspective to what they publish.

Each publication has what I refer to as “signature” content that is distinct.

They have strong branding. Each publication is quite good at communicating their value proposition with clarity and consistency.

And last, they ask their readers to pay for the privilege of reading. You won’t find a $9.99 subscription offer for these chaps.

Back to the UK, I tend to think that because most publications in the UK are sold as single copies, the discriminate consumer votes each time they go to check out. So the content must deliver. The empire strikes back.

Do you want to do more than survive, but rather thrive in your publishing endeavors? A primary objective is to meet the needs of the audience. Most publishers strive to do this, but at the same time they assume too much about the reader/customer. Or they move forward on information that is dated (over two years old) about the audience’s needs. Recognizing this core principal is vital to creating and sustaining audiences that are engaged and profitable for publishers (or content creators).

The best of editors take the pulse of the audience and then balance audience needs/wants by curating content [selecting and presenting content from all sources to best meet audience needs].

The first step is to create a clear and current definition of the primary audience segments served by your organization or brand. It is important to determine if the audience served in print and online are the same or if not, how they differ in terms of their interests, etc.

Then attempt to document the anticipated needs of the primary audience segments. Examples of reader needs can include: inspiration (success), news, community, how to information, education, sourcing, and product reviews. This includes identifying the interests, technical skills, and special issues for each segment. There will be some golden threads throughout…content that is valued by all segments. And there will be content that is specific or of interest to only certain segments.

This exercise helps prioritize key topics, issues, themes and content gaps to bridge and to fill. Be mindful that this is a strategic content planning tool that once created, should be reviewed each year and/or if a dramatic change occurs with your audience composition.

Here are a few publishers that, in my mind, do an outstanding job with content planning that serves their audience: Taunton Press, Consumer Reports, National Geographic, Martha Stewart Living and Chemical Week.

At first you may think choosing a couple keywords to describe your site should be pretty easy, right? Well, yes and no. There are several factors to consider when selecting the most effective keywords for your site. To begin, it is important to understand that the most effective SEO strategy involves optimizing every page and not just your home page. When selecting keywords you can always start with more general keywords for your top-level pages and then be more specific on secondary pages. Optimizing every page is critical since they all generate traffic to your site.

When selecting keywords, you not only want to pick words that describe your content, you also want to think about words that would be used to describe your site. The Web is so densely populated with content that it is nearly impossible to obtain a top rating for a one-word search string, therefore optimizing your site using keywords, as well as specific key phrases is a much more effective approach.

Most searches are three words or more and when people search for answers, they often phrase their search terms as questions. Therefore, when thinking about your keywords and phrases think like your audience or potential customer and ask yourself “what search phrases will people most likely use to look for the content on this site?” or “what questions does this site answer?”

As we were selecting keywords for our own SEO strategy, our research made it apparent that it would not be wise to focus our keyword strategy on a broad subject like “graphic design” since the chances of users finding our site amongst over 65 million search results are slim. Instead, we used other, less competitive phrases that are most likely to be used by people trying to find us. Pairing “graphic design” with more specific phrases such as “association magazine redesign” significantly narrows down the search results and also provides a more accurate description of the services we provide.

If you are not sure where to start, or you to want refine your selected keywords and phrases, there are several helpful online resources to help, such as Google’s Keyword Tool. This tool lets you enter the URL of your Web site, or of any site related to your business, and suggests a list of relevant keywords based on the site’s content. It also shows statistics of the search popularity as well as the level of competition for the various keywords. Online tools like this are a great help, and I certainly recommend using them, but ultimately your own understanding of your pages and your audience should be the basis for determining your SEO strategy.

After you have brainstormed, researched, and selected your keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your site. In the next post, we’ll look at how and where to use them, including placement within the title tags, header tags, URLs, and body copy.

Related articles in Align:
• What is SEO
• Keyword Placement for SEO

Now, let’s note trends that may impact your publishing program and content planning:

• Expansion of multimedia content: marrying traditional print content with video, audio and graphics online
Implication: Requires additional/different skills than those possessed by “traditional journalists.”

• Widespread adoption of user-generated content (forums, blogs, online communities)
Implication: Requires a certain loss of control by editors accustomed to being gatekeepers.

• Shift to constantly updated content from traditional defined publication cycle
Implication: Places heavier demands on staff and requires change in mindset.

• Use of third-party content to supplement content generated in-house.
Implication: Requires establishing criteria and quality standards for third-party content.

• Pooling of print and online resources under a “chief content officer”
Implication: Requires separating “high-value activities” from “commodity-style activities” in order to reduce redundancies and focus on producing content. Within this structure, editors have mutual accountability to each other. There are many benefits from the collaborative environment fostered by talented managers free to allocate staff and resources.

As noted in Folio: magazine, Publishers as diverse as b-to-b publisher Source Media and enthusiast publisher F+W (both regrouped their operating structures around audience communities rather than media channels), Nielsen Business Media (combined content development and distribution for Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek) and Time Inc (reorganized content around three business units: news, lifestyle & style and entertainment) are reorganizing how they create content. They are not cost-cutting moves, but rather an attempt to prepare the companies for the new multimedia workflow and revenue opportunity.”

Lou Ann Sabatier, www.sabatierconsulting.com