CIO Connect Winter 2013/2014

final_ads-1This issue of CIO Connect magazine seems to be quite focused on growth. The economy (we are told) is improving, apparently, so a couple of the articles are about how to get the best out of that growth. Thus, two of my illustrations feature plants – a big tree with speech bubbles for leaves (showing how growth can be made more solid when everyone’s opinions are taken on board) and a watering can nourishing seedling employees and helping them be more creative. final_ads-32 final_ads-17

As ever there is some stunning photography from Martin Burton who makes my job so much easier.

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You can view the whole issue digitally here

Summer issue of CIO Connect magazine

Henry the cat presents the latest issue of CIO Connect magazine

Henry the cat presents the latest issue of CIO Connect magazine

Well hello my lovelies! Now that it’s summer *looks out of window* I mean, now that it’s MAY, the latest issue of CIO Connect magazine is dropping on to doormats and desks across the world. And I designed it! Here is a picture of the magazine, with a cat.

I guess some people might think that designing a magazine about IT would be boring. It’s quite the opposite. It’s about IT leaders and how they solve problems (solving problems being one of my favourite things to do) and the editor Mark Samuels lets me have a bit of a free rein with the design. We want to keep it fresh and interesting and have the personalities of the people interviewed jump out at you. Because I’ve been designing it for so long I feel I know their readership quite well, so I have a lot of fun creating illustrations and spreads for the magazine.

I guess my best advice for those thinking of publishing a magazine is to invest as heavily in images as in copy – good photography and illustration make the world of difference. They bring life to the page and really draw the eye in. You can go the other extreme and have a periodical with few photos at all – and still have wonderful design – but bad photography is really worse than none.

More spreads below for your viewing pleasure (click on anything to make it bigger), and the full issue of the magazine can be read online here!

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Oh dear lord

is it really three sweet months since I have blogged? *slaps wrists* See the thing is that I know one should blog like maybe twice a week but sometimes life gets in the way a bit and I’m easily distracted and OOH LOOK KITTENS ON THE INTERNET

So, I’m going to try and update you with some of the work I’ve been doing lately. For starters, here’s the most recent issue of CIO Connect magazine. Lovely editor Mark Samuels has asked me to do a bit more illustration for the publication. You can see sections of illustrations for the up-and-coming Autumn issue on my Facebook page now (just to tease you). I’ve been able to take a bit more time with those ones; I had very little time to do the illustrations below – I like them, but I think the ones for next issue are a bit better developed!

Click on any image for a bigger view.

CIO Connect cover. Awesome photography as ever by Martin Burton

article about getting the most out of an IT vendor

article balancing the pros and cons of cloud computing

Article about working with digital natives – ie. the generation that has grown up using digital devices

CIO Connect magazine issue 37 – winter 2011/2012

CIO Connect magazine cover design

CIO Connect magazine cover design

Here’s a quick look at the Winter issue of  CIO Connect. It’s a quarterly magazine for Chief Information Officers (top IT bods to you and me).

Normally the cover feature photos are taken by the talented Mr Martin Burton. Unfortunately this issue the interviewee didn’t have time for a photoshoot so we had to use supplied PR shots which, although passable, were not nearly as beautiful as Martin’s work.

cover feature

cover feature

Usually we have a couple of features on the same subject that warrant being linked by a design device while still appearing to be part of the magazine as a whole. The background texture, use of road-sign symbols and similar layouts mark the features below as separate from the others, but the fonts, layout grid and page furniture are the same throughout the magazine.

security feature design

security feature design


...and again

I learn something new from every project I work on and, though I’ve designed CIO Connect magazine for eight years, I’m still trying to up my game & improve on the previous issue. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of the job and I really enjoy it.