Model Airplane International magazine - A New Challenge...

[Dave Fleming]

I recall the day when Editors ruled over all aspects of the publication, including design.....

[Seahawk]

Thank you - I pass on the comment to our designers...

Again - thanks for the comment, I'll look into it, though I have a feeling it's a design issue and so not really in my remit!

And that's the nub of the problem. In my eyes most of the ghastly things done to our favourite magazines can be laid at the door of either the dreaded design consultants or owners/publishers who demand "new looks" every 3-4 months. The rot started with Scale Models in the mid-1980s which went overnight from being a perfectly respectable magazine over to wide margins, odd colours and typefaces - oh, yes and about 30% less content. Result: I stopped buying it overnight. The trend has accelerated over the years so that most of our magazines have been gutted into glorified product catalogues, interspersed with large photos tastefully arrayed in acres of blank page with a sprinkling of words. Indeed a post-makeover Scale Models would probably appear nowadays to be crammed full of interesting and well-researched articles, dense text and rare photos.

The aim of the desgner seems to be exclusively to increase the visual impact of the magazine. They seem completely to have lost sight of or are indifferent to the fact that people part with their hard-earned discretionary income in the expectation of finding content, both textual and visual, in usable formats eg text that is actually legible, photos that are large enough to illustrate the point made in the caption. Daft typefaces, minuscule font sizes and low contrast between text and backgrounds seem de rigueur. Is it totally bonkers to suggest that someone apply a basic Quality Control test before publication along the lines of "can anyone actually still read this?"

I am prepared to be persuaded (ie I have not been so far) that designers, like lawyers and accountants, may actually have a useful role in the created order but, like lawyers and accountants, they are good servants and dreadul masters. That point seems to been lost somewhere along the line.

Spence, MAI has not been the worst offender in recent years but I have read between the lines of editorials in other magazines where the editor is clearly biting his tongue over the latest "inspired" revamp. I hope this message will be of some use to you next time the sharks come circling.

Phew! I feel better for that.

[Spence]

I didn't say I had nothing to do with it - just that I would pass your thoughts onto the designers and that in the main, design is not my remit. Every aspect of the magazine's creation is run past me and I see everything that goes into print before it does - if I don't like something, trust me, I say so. I haven't seen my first copy yet, but when I do I'll look at what you have pointed out and talk to the design team, just as I did when editing MIS and just as I should, now I'm at MAI. At the moment though, content and the creation of new features is more important than dealing with subtle design tweaks - that can come later. Now, I'm more focussed on the models and the authors!

Thanks for your comments.

Spence

Edited February 23, 2015 by Spence

[Nigel Bunker]

I got a printed copy yesterday - it's an improvement on the previous issue.

My only gripe is the paper used - is it newsprint? I really would prefer a better quality.

[dwh]

I purchased my copy today, overall the content and layout cannot be questioned, the only area that I personally found difficult, and other members also, is the final verdict banner section, font size is okay but the text colour merges with the background on some sections.

Paper quality could be better, this has happened in other mags and they eventually returned to a good quality paper, and as such the magazine was improved.

Will look forward to all the changes mentioned in the editorial.

[Jon Bryon]

Love the editorializing. The more the better!

Jon

[Muzz]

I've just enjoyed it in digital form, like the mix of articles and reviews of tools (airbrush) as well as kits. Lost count how many times in the past issues (from all mags) have had all the kit builds/reviews Of aircraft from the one era which I'm not interested in so I don't buy it.

Muzz