A Record of Design
We received an email from Richard Calvert last week. He wants to give away almost 200 issues of the Magazine “Classic Boat”.
Now I tend to think there are two types of traditional boat enthusiasts; Those that grew up reading the American publication “Wooden Boat” and those who grew up with the British monthly, “Classic Boat”. The former seem to be more serious. Dedicated to the science and function of their craft. Interested in technicalities and offset tables, the chemistry of epoxy and which model of paint scraper works best. The “Classic Boaters” seem to be more the dreamers. The romantics, the dilettantes, the ones who embrace the beauty and adventure, but are happy to put up with a little rot here and there. I’m a little embarrassed to say I was one of the latter.
Richard’s collection stems from the 1993 to 2009 with a couple of very small gaps. It spans a period of change in the approach to wooden boat custodianship where we moved beyond the plank on frame hegemony, to an acceptance of “exotic” techniques like cold moulding and strip planking.
But interestingly, it also spans an era when magazine design was changing rapidly. So over to SWS resident design critic to comment on the cover an masthead layout from 1993, 1997, 2003 & 2008
Sal here. Okay, we’re about to do something we seldom do at SWS, we’re about to judge books by their covers. Before you read on, do your own quick survey. (Click images to enlarge) It is interesting to consider, if you were buying a copy of CLASSIC BOAT, which one would you choose?
So what is ‘good’ design? Let’s define design as being that of publication as opposed to product design**.
For us, the criteria for judging publication here at SWS is as follows.
Limited and carefully considered colours
Confident use of white space
Clear and considered hierarchy of elements
Balance and alignment
Ensure readability
May the judging commence! Clockwise from top left hand corner, which cover wins the most points out of a possible fifty?
CLASSIC BOAT 1993
This design shouts ‘I was created before the invention of the iMac in the days when type was cut out from a bromide and stuck to the page’. The only hint of classic is the serif font and the jaunty use of super cap C’s.
Considerations of colours? not really – 3/10. Confident use of white space? More from necessity than intent – 3/10. Clear use of hierarchy? – everything is kind of screaming at me – 3/10. Balance? Don’t think it had been invented – 3/10. Readability? Yes, granted – 7/10.
TOTAL SCORE 19/50
CLASSIC BOAT 1997
What a huge jump. iMac’s and Quark rule the design studio and nowhere more does it show than on this newly minted cover direction. We’re offered FREE STUFF! Clearly the magazine has undertaken a STOP START STAY workshop and elected to stay using the MASTHEAD and serif fonts, while start using italics and a border and bullet points to drive home exciting content.
Considerations of colours? Totally – black, white and highlight colour – 8/10. Confident use of white space? Border says clean and classic – 6/10. Clear use of hierarchy? – Yes, on glance our eye roams and is instructed what to read in an orderly manner – 8/10. Balance? Yes, but also no – the masthead, while retained, one might wonder why as it still makes all feel a little clunky – 6/10. Readability? Yes, granted – 7/10.
TOTAL SCORE 35/50
CLASSIC BOAT 2000
A new millennium and CLASSIC BOAT indicates (with some sadness to readers) they are ‘taking tradition into the future’. In 2000 the mag decided to throw out everything and start again Y2K-ing the guts out of the publication. Nothing on this cover says classic boats apart from the pic, the obvious word in the masthead and a single use of a serif font . They tried, they failed.
TOTAL SCORE 0/50
CLASSIC BOAT 2008
Good design considers a past and re-imagines a future. In 2008 the design team decided that a clear masthead stands out from the clutter of a busy newsagent rack; deemed oxblood to be a traditional colour; give the cover picture a frame; deemed white space important and so too the use of a bright colour to pop out key information. Equally they signal - sans serif fonts = a contemporary audience. This cover design aims to have a foot in the past and one in the future. Tick.
Considerations of colours? Totally – black, red, white and highlight colour – 8/10. Confident use of white space? Masthead stands alone, border says clean and classic – 8/10. Clear use of hierarchy? – I find this information a little shouty – 7/10. Balance? See previous note– 6/10. Readability? Yes, granted – 8/10.
TOTAL SCORE 37/50
AND THE WINNER IS….
2008. But here’s the thing. While the marketer in me acknowledges the data and 2008 most likely sold more mags. The romantic in me says there’s adventure in 1997, design feels more hands on, less polished and a little more….Classic Boat….so screw the matrix. REVISION…AND THE TRUE WINNER IS….1997!
But over to you - what do you think?
**If you happen to be interested product design - here’s a link to the god father of product design Dieter Ram’s and his TOP TEN of what makes good design.
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