Introduction
Publishing is a reflection of contexts; it
not only adheres to, but creates the contemporary. The agenda-driven zines of
the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s were a reflection of disagreement with the mainstream.
Diluted with the bane of advertising, repetitive and imitative content, the
commercial magazines that stranglehold newsstands and social media cannot
challenge boundaries but conform to them.
DIET is a reflection of not only ours, but
our readers contexts, we create the platform for the brilliant common people to
react, question and challenge the contemporary. Social, political and ethical
contexts of the contemporary will be reflected in the content coming straight
from the people who face them, DIET allows content to transcend mediation from
financially driven editors. Our platform is too a reflection of technological
context; variable data printing, a tool that is yet to be used in publishing is
embraced and granted us the possibility of innovating the industry.
To advertise or to not advertise - that is the question
No, if it is to compromise content as
DIET’s content could possibly controversial, to comply to such oppression from
advertiser’s disagreement with our publishing would make us no different from
the rest.
If we could consciously advertise, work
with brands that have similarly directed views through traditional and
contemporary (advertorials) methods of advertising (Such as LAW do) would be of
great financial help and possibly result in our agenda driven content to be our
accessible (cheaper) however would our readership be able differentiate us from
the saturated financially driven industry? Perhaps not.
Without advertising and adhering to
relationships with brands would allow our agenda driven content to be
uncompromised, we are free to publish challenging, boundary-pushing stories.
The platform model lends itself to questionable relationships with advertisers;
the result of a contributor and curation process transcends mediation, leading
to very little stability when it comes to affiliation with content and readership.
To not advertise means cover prices cannot
be compensated and reduced. The traditional methods of financial income then
have to be challenged and alternatives are to be found; LAW have done so with
diversification, not only acting as a publisher but a creative studio. If cover
prices cannot be reduced, the worth of the publication has to be exaggerated to
match cost. The personalization granted by DIET, the uncompromised content and
it’s irregularity within the market are to act as unique attributes to
compensate for this.
Visual
Identity
Without advertising, the visual language
used by DIET can be as unorthodox as possible if desired however consideration
of target audience may suggest design that impeding upon the reading of
content, the unique selling point of the platform, would be a negative
attribute.
Without the need to sell on a shelf, we do
not need cover stars, headlines, sub headings or any visuals at all on the
cover to attract potential consumers – to dismiss visual content on the cover
would be a great contrast to the contemporary industry. DIET doesn’t need to
allure consumers without a cover as other platforms do; the consumer chooses
their content therefore there is little need to sell them it.
Without the intent on focusing on the brand
through visual communication, doing so would dilute the intimate relationship
between product and consumer granted by the platform’s model, a consumer is
buying into a brand’s editorial direction as they do traditionally but paying
for the service the platform grants.
The platform’s individual curation model
results in the need for a standardized design model so to keep print costs low.
The individuality of each publication can be seen as a bespoke product however,
to standardize each article to a maximum of 8 pages and a finite number of 8
articles means every publication is the same dimension; reducing print costs.
In adherence to the great variety of
contributions DIET may receive, each article will have to be tailored in order
to fit the standard size. This may include the dismissing or need for
additional imagery/words or the use of void space as creative spaces for
DIET’s own contribution adhering to the issue’s topic.
The dimension of the magazine itself needs
to be considered in order to fit through a letterbox, DIET’s distribution
platform identifies such as a necessity. For the magazine to be unable to fit
in a letterbox, and therefore a parcel incur both financial costs and
impracticalities for the consumer.
The changing of topics each month grants
creative freedom in the little content to be created by DIET, images, and
ethereal print such as posters can be created in accordance to the issue’s
theme.
To stay as we intend to start, a reaction
against the contemporary has to be sustained in order to sit in the edges and
not be consumed – both content and visually by the saturated market.
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