Breaking traditional magazine design

For the spring issue of New Media's décor magazine Visi, guest art director Peet Pienaar worked closely alongside editor Sumien Brink and designer Elizabeth Janse van Rensburg to create a magazine that showcases South African design and architecture through die-cut page layouts, an unique typeface and ornate, contemporary graphics throughout the title.

"We developed the design themes based on childhood experiences of spring, but very much in keeping with Visi's progressive style approach," says Pienaar, who created an exclusive typeface for the headlines of the magazine.

"Visi magazine has always been at the forefront of design and I decided to create a new font for this issue, following the worldwide trend."

According to Pienaar, readers are bombarded daily with the written word and sometimes tend to gloss over magazine content. If, however, the typeface is memorable, they are encouraged to read, linger over the content and remember it for longer.

"While as an industry we like to believe we think outside the box, very often we merely stay within it. Peet on the other hand continually rises above the 'ordinary'," says Brink who approached Pienaar to work with Visi after he caused a sensation at this year's Design Indaba with his giant inflatable white Protea, which he designed for the Visi stand.

With 48 pages of the magazine die-cut to interact with one another, an issue like this "doesn't just happen," says Brink. "Our production manager, Lucrezia Wolfaardt, printers Paarl Web and finishers UVP meticulously oversaw the printing process, which included a four-day process of hand feeding each section. In addition, each cover was separately die-cut to ensure every interlinking element within the magazine was positioned correctly for the desired effect."

Publisher Hannerie Visser comments: "We are blazing a trail at Visi right now, and having an exciting and stimulating year. The refined editorial and design direction has been a huge hit and the spring issue is very special - we feel sure that this issue will become a treasured collector's item."

The issue, currently on shelf, also focuses on a beautiful loft in the Bo-Kaap and a weekend barn retreat in Clarens - South Africa's new escape hot spot. Thirty-three buildings, each one nominated for the biennial South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Awards of Merit, are also showcased in this latest issue as part of VISI's annual architecture survey, run in conjunction with SAIA.