VISI wins again

Rounding out VISI’s impressive list of awards in 2011, is a Gold Ozzie Award in the category Best Overall Design for a consumer magazine with a circulation under 250 000. 
 

The Ozzie was awarded for the design of VISI 52 the maiden issue of editor Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly, heralded a new and exciting era for VISI. Instead of merely following the same recipe as before, Jacquie envisioned a magazine that would reinvent itself with each issue, whilst maintaining the VISI voice and style and the core editorial pillars of decor, design and architecture. This December/January issue had a refreshing A–Z format showing trends that would be important in 2011 and supporting the magazine’s positioning as an innovator and authority on design and lifestyle trends. 

The overall design language and art direction of this issue favours minimalism and stripped-down aesthetics over graphic gimmicks. The sans-serif font and the use of a relatively small heading font reinforce this simplicity. Emphasis is placed firmly on the ABC format through the use of solid blocks of colour around the relevant letter in each case, all in the fifth Pantone colour chosen – a zesty lumo orange. Art director Etienne Hanekom effectively employed the colour to give the issue a sense of continuity. The cover choice perfectly embodied the A–Z theme with a clear and striking graphic. Two different coloured bookcases were used on the cover to distinguish the English issue from the Afrikaans issue.