Hot off the presses! The new magazine i+D has a new look. Two interior design organizations, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC), had announced last spring that they were merging their membership magazines—Icon and D—into one. (ASID’s Metro New York chapter relaunched its magazine, Design, earlier in the year.) The first joint issue of i+D was published in July/August, but the November/December issue is the first to show off the redesign. Among the highlights of the latest issue: a feature on how to design for a “circular economy,” a story on kitchen and bath home improvements, and a piece on the new focus on health and wellness at work.
Jennifer Quail, editor in chief of i+D magazine, walks us through the new look:
What are some of the most notable changes? The most subtle?
The redesign of the magazine is the result of careful collaborative planning with Gauthier Designers, a Montreal-based design firm that was brought on board to help us launch the project. In developing a new look for our readers, the designers considered every detail, from the fonts and layouts used in our organizations’ previous publications—Icon at ASID and D at IDC—to future subject matter and the varying markets and demographics the magazine will serve.
Now, bolder headlines and images draw readers in while a thoughtful use of positive and negative space guides the eye through each story. The subject matter and its presentation are in harmony as the importance of good design comes through on every page. Gauthier Designers built on our initial ideas for a magazine that would engage and inspire the design community and visually brought the magazine to life. This is a publication dedicated to the impact of design; Gauthier’s own work and vision fit perfectly with that goal.
The magazine explores the countless ways design impacts lives and the effect design professionals have on the progress of our cities, our workplaces, our lives at home and our world at large.
What is the magazine’s mission? How does it support ASID and IDC?
The magazine explores the countless ways design impacts lives and the effect design professionals have on the progress of our cities, our workplaces, our lives at home and our world at large. Even the logo itself nods to the human aspect of design with the softer, lowercase i lending personality and a human-like form to the presentation.
The magazine supports ASID and IDC by digging into the topics our members have told us they care about, are curious about and want to explore. i+D brings together perspective from within our two organizations and beyond to keep our readers informed and connected with one another and with the greater design community. We also formed an Editorial Advisory Committee that consists of practicing designers, as well as design researchers, educators and consultants, from both the U.S. and Canada, who offer a range of perspective on the topics that will find their way to the pages of i+D.
What are some of the features designers can expect in future issues? And what’s the planned publishing frequency?
Looking at 2018, some of our regular front-of-book columns will include the Design Pulse series that looks at significant design and architecture projects in a different city or region each issue; the Design by Numbers column that will bring important industry research and statistics to our readers; and the Business of Design series that will focus on topics like designing for a circular economy and building a brand. Our Q&A with design luminaries—the ICONic Profile—will continue to run in each issue as well.
Features will investigate topics ranging from the adaptive reuse of abandoned spaces and the science of design to the role design professionals play in the future of transportation and the way we design and experience our homes and workplaces. The coming months also will see the development of a dedicated website for i+D, as well as opportunities to connect with us via social media.
The magazine currently prints on a bimonthly schedule (Jan./Feb., March/April, May/June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct., Nov./Dec.). Digital versions of each issue are available in both English and French online and on the i+D app.
