Is it just me or has the quality of the Linking Ring gone down lately? I mean look at the last couple covers... They just don't pop like a magazine cover should. This month's cover photo looks like it was taken with a cell phone camera! You would think they would hire a professional photographer at least.

I like the fact that Sindie was the cover shot.

Nice "Cover Girl". said Nigel, the puppet that rocks and talks.

I don't mind the subject matter as much as the look of it. You would think that they would have put a little creative thought into the cover. It is a national magazine.

I liked our "Cover Girl" too.

The total graphics of the cover of Linking Ring have changed, no doubt. It is not the photography but the loss of identity with the traditionally recognized format.

I'm not judging it as good or bad but simply as a loss of identity with its history.

Odd that this topic came up this week. I am an old Marketing Professor who also taught and with experience in commercial Advertising. This week I was in my doctor's office (Tuesday I go in for more heart surgery.) and found Boys' Life magazine there. The immediate and most obvious observation is that it now has a very FEMININE graphic format! The lack of "white space" is a dead give away difference between masculine and feminine formats. Professionally we also use feminine formats with accountants and engineers in print matter! As graphics have become more computer controlled, perhaps engineering types have more influence in the production of print matter.

We could always go back to the "traditional" look which was dreadful. Solid color cover with a black and white photo in a box.

Is that your choice?

I'm more interested in what's inside.

I agree!

I agree Bob! In my day job I am a PR director and when I see a cover of a national publication that looks like it was snapped with a cell phone, it just makes me cringe. I think someone should take a marketing 101 class. If they put no effort into the cover, the part that is supposed to stand out, let's hope they put a little thought into the inside.

I just wanted to chime in here a bit. I looked at a lot of Linking ring covers and they look great. And yes, the current cover does look like it was a snap shot, but, if you read the article, it was supposed to be a surprize. They couldn't very well have her sit for a studio photo shoot and still keep it a secret. I think you all are missing that point.
Keith Shazam

KS.

Good point! And one I missed!

Harris.
Looking for the trees in the forest.

Keith hit this nail square on the head. It was a complete surprise to Sindie in honor of everything she does every day for the I.B.M.. This was Sammy's best available option at the time. I'm proud to belong to an organization that remembers those who make it work behind the scenes.

Keith,

My remarks have nothing to do with the photo. It is about the layout of the new covers. They are not being judged good or bad by me. It is being judged as appearing more feminine (which has nothing to do with the photo) than in the past. Without turning this into an advertising class, masculine formats have less detail and more solid space. Look at an ad to CEOs in the Wall Street Journal and compare it to one in a magazine for the ladies. We change the layouts for all the right reasons. Both are very effective for the right audiences.

PS --- My wife is also a member of IBM for many years. I certainly believe in IBM including the feminine.

This is what I was refering to.

And now the I.B.M. Has a new face.

Posted: Jun 12, 2014 06:36 pm 1
Finally, I.B.M. has an official Facebook page!
Come and like!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IBM-Inter......?fref=ts

Traditional gender roles have been changing for quite some time, Professor Sanders.

There's no need to cling to passe gendered layout paradigms.

We are talking about commercial graphic design, not human gender or harmones. The concept of male and female pipe joints predates tubing joints used today too. External threads make a pipe male. Gothic type is still Gothic type.

For professionals we are talking about the use of simple and/or complex spaces around the subject in the graphic.

An easy example using Linking Ring is to see August 2013's cover and July 2014's cover. Put them side by side and look at the backgrounds. The July background is considered feminine (loads of detail) while August 2013's background has essentially no complex background. It has to do with professional descriptions and NOT your harmones!

My wife is a physician. You'll have to talk to her about harmones.

PS --- Tim Cavendish, welcome to you on you first day here at The Magic Café.

I look forward to the August Cover and more important
What's inside.

Yes! It will have the ad for Magic Valley Magic October 3-4. It's FREE! Please join us.

I got my August TLR, but haven't looked at it yet.

I'm behind on my reading. (Except my daily reading of the Bible.

What do you think of this months graphics?