ModMag NY Edition Speakers: Eye On Design

SINCE 2014 AIGA’S EYE ON DESIGN WEBSITE HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A RELIABLY OPINIONATED VOICE ABOUT GRAPHIC DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, AND THE ISSUES THAT CONCERN THEM. IT OFTEN COVERS MAGAZINES AND EDITORIAL DESIGN, SO IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE PERRIN AND HER TEAM ARE NOW LAUNCHING EYE ON DESIGN MAGAZINE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER AS THE FIRST ISSUE IS ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TYPICAL MONDAY JOURNEY TO WORK. I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and getting to my office in the city includes trains so crowded there often isn’t room to open a book or magazine—you’re lucky if you can squeeze close enough to grab onto a pole so you’re not doing the subway surf.

WHICH MAGAZINE DO YOU FIRST REMEMBER? As far as formative mags go, it’d have to be ARCHIE COMICS and THE PARIS REVIEW, which I used to buy second hand in used bookstores. ARCHIE COMICS and THE PARIS REVIEW may seem like odd bedfellows, but it’s actually a pretty good indication of how wide my tastes range.

WHICH MAGAZINE MATTERS TO YOU THE MOST RIGHT NOW? It’s thrilling to see so many quality titles out there right now, but the one that stands out as the most unique and exciting is THE SMUDGE, produced by Tan & Loose Press. It’s a six-page piece of Risograph newsprint that’s always surprising.

WHY LAUNCH A PRINT MAGAZINE WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE? I’m a writer, ephemera collector and daughter of a letterpress printer; I can’t pass a used bookshop without buying something old and musty. Which is all to say I love things printed on paper, and like most editors, I had an early and ardent love affair with magazines.

After we brought on more globally-minded editors and writers at Eye on Design, we started to publish longer, more reported, and deeperreaching stories on broader topics. We found ourselves wanting to invest more time reporting on certain issues (sexuality, mental health, education, etc.), and while we still publish under those verticals on the site, we recognise that print offers the opportunity to really dig into one specific area from a variety of points of view and in a range of formats in a way the digital medium, or at least our site, just isn’t suited for.

HOW DOES THE NEW MAGAZINE RELATE TO THE WEBSITE – IS THERE SHARED CONTENT? We’ll occasionally run a story commissioned for the magazine on the site, but only as a jumping off point to have a wider, ongoing conversation about the topic with our readers and audience on social. We’d never dupe content just to fill a void in the editorial calendar; we fortunately don’t need to operate that way. We’re lucky in that, as a not-forprofit, we don’t have a story quota to fill or advertisers to appease.

The first topic we’re turning to print to dig deeper into is “Invisible,” the theme of issue one. We’re looking at it from a range of perspectives, from the problem of underrepresentation within the design industry and the unsung heroes behind well-known designers, to code as the invisible language of design, with some visual fun and games in the mix. — HOPE BROTHERTON, MAGCULTURE JOURNAL, 03.12.18

MAGAZINE LAUNCHED 2018 NEW YORK THREE TIMES PER YEAR ISSUE ONE OUT NOW EYEONDESIGN.AIGA.ORG