Are design magazines a good source for inspiration?

Being a designer requires a lot of research and a lot of head washing or better yet, brainwashing. I don’t mean it in a wrong way, though. It’s just obvious that we have a lot of information available everywhere and that can become a challenge.

How do you maintain concepts fresh without falling for trends or looking like 300 ideas already out there? It’s a lot harder than it seems. Designers aren’t born with some divine inspiration (I wish!).

So like everyone else, we search for inspiration before, during and in-between projects. That way, we maintain some creative juice flowing, and hopefully, we see something that genuinely moves us.

There are many places you can go for inspiration. I like to use Pinterest, Muzli, and other design blogs but my primary resource, the one that I find that inspires me the most are design magazines. Seeing in print examples of other designers’ ideas is a treat. It always causes me some significant level of excitement ( I look like a little kid with a new toy).

However, since it’s inviable to the environment and my wallet, I frequently go for 3: Brand Magazine, Courier, and Slanted.

Today, I’m going to focus on the first case, Brand Magazine.

Why do I prefer it in comparison to other magazines

I found out about this magazine existence by chance. I saw on Instagram that someone picked up a copy of Brand, and that issue was about branding. From that point on, I was hocked and really wanted to get my hands on one too.

I prefer it over other magazines for three main reasons:

1- it’s made in Hong Kong, which means that it’s not another big corporate magazine coming from the US;

2- it approaches what can be seen as timeless topics (even though the works and designers featured are current);

3- it’s so complete and so carefully put together, that you always feel like you’re holding a book instead of a magazine. That way, there’s no temptation in throwing it out after reading it. It’s something to keep on your shelf.

Inside Brand Magazine Issue 38

This Issue is really special because it’s all about handmade printing techniques.

It covers a variety of processes like Letterpress, Riso printing, Screen Printing, and Wood-block, so it’s quite a lot, and something not very commonly seen in a magazine. Most recent ones only focus on current topics and more digital/branding approaches.

Another incredible thing about this magazine and this issue, in particular, is the final poster (in this case about the paper). It covers everything from the history of paper, the process of making it and different sizes and kinds you can buy.