Redesigning GWD

From This

To This

Gases & Welding Distributor is one of the older magazines published by Penton and when I came aboard as editor, it looked it. Part of my job was to give GWD a more modern look. As you can see from below, I did. I got rid of the clutter on the cover, went to a stronger and more readable nameplate, and concentrated on a single strong graphic.
Cover Before	Cover After
I streamlined the contents page to make it more attractive and inviting. The whole point of design, in my opinion, is to assist the reader in conveying the content from the page to the eye. From the looks of most magazines, that's out of style. Pick up most any newsstand magazine not devoted to news, and the words and graphics send the eye bouncing around the page like a pinball on amphetamines. Compared to them, GWD is just a puny bimonthly with a circulation of 7,500 at its heyday, so I can't thunder from on-high. But, take a look at any contents page of a popular magazine, especially those aimed at women, and tell me they're easy to read.
TOC Before	TOC After
I did the same thing on the inside as well. For the body type I went for a font with a larger span and slightly higher point size that lent itself to better readability. For the display type I chose a contrasting sans serif for a cleaner look. I tried my best to avoid the line-them-up-against-the-wall types of photos that just scream "snapshot."
Inside Before	Inside After
My predecessor in the editor's seat at GWD had left for a different job. My No. 1 – Managing Editor Ron Lucas – related horror stories about the former editor working until 3 or 4 a.m., the day before printing, trying to get things ready for press time. I don't know what his problem was, but my first time running the book alone, we made it with time to spare. I don't know if the guy was a procrastinator or just incompetent.         To fill in the gap between his departure and my arrival, they drafted the old war-horse who ran the magazine before the previous editor. This old-timer was one of the type of editors that Penton favors: an expert in the field who kinda, coulda, maybe had the ability to write, a little. Very little. Few J-school grads like myself – or even people who had come up through the writing side rather than the industry side – are editors at Penton. And, boy does it show. A writer can gain expertise in a field whereas it is the rare engineer, scientist, or technician who can put words together in an appealing way. The old former editor imparted what little knowledge he had about running a magazine and then went on to put out a competitive newsletter. Glad I wasn't around to see it.         I eventually moved on to National City Corp., to a job that paid $10K more per year and was three blocks from home. But, I sure do miss publishing.