Citilife Magazine

Featured here is the cover and inside page of a local fashion and lifestyle magazine here in St. Petersburg called Citilife. To many in the graphic design industry this magazine would float pretty close to the top of the list of examples demonstrating what NOT to do in design. The composition is unbalanced. Readability is poor. There's no attention to detail in the photography (they made the governor of Florida's face green for godsake!). Elements are clearly not aligned on the pages. From a design perspective, this magazine should not be around.

So, how is it that this magazine has survived for over four years?

Clearly, it isn't because of the design. If I had to guess, it is because they have a strong sales team. In most businesses when sales go south the ad agency or the design firm gets blamed, or in most cases, fired. The fact that this magazine has been around for a while demonstrates that it isn't always about the design. Like any investment portfolio, design, whether good or bad, is just a piece of your overall marketing plan. Putting all your faith in an ad campaign or a good website won't be of any use if you aren't willing to invest in the other areas of your company like a good sales team.

It works the other way around too, and I will assert that this magazine could really flourish if they just paid attention to the details and invested in good design. However, who am I to judge? If it works for them, I wish them the best of luck.

©2007 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding