The demise of the magazine industry can be put down to many contributing factors, such as environmental pressures and rising distribution costs, but none so much as new media technology which allows the consumer to access media-rich entertainment, news, analysis and opinion delivered the instant they are relevant. Blogs fall into this category, delivering daily posts on all that is relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) about the world we live in. In this case, lets take design blogs. They deliver constant updates on design, photography, illustration, architecture, installation, and art amongst many other things which are accessible at only the click of a mouse. What's even better about this experience is that when the blog has said all it has to say, the click of a link will introduce you to more pieces of work by the creative through their website, enabling you to learn more about the work and the creators, something which magazines can never compete with due to their physical limitations. This, combined with the standards of design blogs being so high at the moment and for free, their seems little future for design magazines.
Having that amount of new information at your fingertips has to be a good thing. But I can't help but think that there would be a design overload, which would go a long way to desensitizing the viewers ability to see good design from bad. I think that has definitely happened with music, now that it is so easily accessible. I think that by buying a magazine it forces the reader to look deeper at the design. Maybe we are a dying breed, but magazines are a must, if we are to see great design.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways I agree. As you said it definitely has happened with the music industry, and constantly being immersed in design through blogs can lead finding it difficult to appreciate each piece to the extent it deserves. But I don't think it desensitizes the viewers ability to see good design from bad. I think the standard of work on design blogs is so high that it raises the bar for everyone who see's it. Making people aware of good design raises the standard and can only be a good thing can't it? What I would say is that the design overload on many blogs causes trends and copying of work that is 'kool' at that time. Much of which is not particularly good design, just the same as what everyone else is doing.
ReplyDelete