Exactly four weeks from today there will be a one-day magazine conference at St Bride Library in London, organised by Jeremy Leslie (of magCulture) and our own Simon Esterson. ‘Nobody can be sure what the future holds for our industry,’ says Leslie, ‘but we hope to offer some guidance.’ The event is for everyone who’s involved in making magazines, or who would like to be: editors, art directors, designers, and students doing design or journalism courses.

The speaker list includes art directors Marissa Bourke (Elle, above) and Andrew Diprose (Wired UK, below, The Ride); Newspaper Club co-founder Russell Davies; award-winning Reader’s Digest UK editor Gill Hudson; Church of London founder Danny Miller; and Eye favourite Christoph Niemann, famed for his New York Times illustrations, his Abstract Sunday blog for the NYT and his many stunning New Yorker covers (top). (See ‘Storytelling giant’ in Eye 72.)

‘The past few years have seen huge changes to the way magazines are created and consumed,’ says Leslie, who blogs regularly about his personal and professional passion for magazines at magCulture. ‘The result has been a rebirth in creativity, as editors and designers seek to make their magazines stand out through design and image. ‘Making Magazines 2012 features a group of people at the forefront of this development, providing a snapshot of the industry today.’

Attendees can expect everything to do with making magazines, from print to digital … from indie to mainstream … from form to content.

Topics covered include the iPad, fashion, technology new and old, general-interest, specialist and customer publishing, illustration and cover design … plus a bit of history. There will also be a conference newsstand with new and vintage magazines for sale.

In an informal session, organisers Esterson, Leslie and others (including Eye’s editor John L. Walters) will talk about (and show us) their favourite magazines.

Making Magazines 2012
Friday 16 March.
9.30 am (registration from 8.45), Bridewell Hall, St Bride Foundation, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EE UK
Tickets £85 / £70 FoSB members. Students and other concessions £50 / £45 FoSB members. Book through Eventbrite.
Making Magazines is supported by MagCulture, Eye magazine and St Bride Library.
Ticket price includes a complimentary copy of a special publication based on the day and made on site, which will be distributed after the event.

Eye is the world’s most beautiful and collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about graphic design and visual culture. It’s available from all good design bookshops and online at the Eye shop, where you can buy subscriptions, back issues and single copies of the latest issue. Eye 81, has the theme of ‘Designers and clients’; Eye 82 will be on press any moment.