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Design is an ever-evolving field, moving in a dizzying amount of directions.
New trends, ideas, and offshoots are constantly emerging, and an ongoing stream of new and notable artists are making fresh and exciting work.
Design magazines and publications have been at the forefront of showcasing the latest and greatest in design, whether it be graphic design and illustration or industrial design and architecture.
If you’re looking for inspiration, these design magazines are bound to give you the boost you need. Whether you’re looking for cutting edge design news or tried-and-true design ideas, these magazines are filled to the brim with useful information.
Let’s jump in.
General design magazines
Slanted
The award-winning print magazine Slanted is a staple in the world of design. Released just twice a year, Slanted covers all of the latest developments in international design and culture.
In addition to the magazine, Slanted Publishers also runs the daily Slanted blog, which showcases the best of graphic design, illustration, typography, branding, and more. Its focus lies primarily with contemporary design trends and emerging talents, which makes it a must-read for any design enthusiast who wants to stay ahead of the curve.
But the daily Slanted blog is more than just a design resource, it’s also a great source of inspiration. With a constant stream of fresh and exciting content, the blog is sure to get your creative juices flowing.
[BranD]
[BranD] is an international bi-monthly magazine with a focus on multidisciplinary communication design for businesses. It’s published in Hong Kong in both English and Chinese and has been distributed globally since 2012.
Each issue of the magazine is dedicated to exploring a specific theme related to branding, and features contributions from notable branding designers from around the globe. These designers share their insights and perspectives on how to create high-quality designs that meet the diverse demands of customers while also enhancing the overall value of the brand.
In addition to featuring the work of designers, [BranD] also invites brand experts and industry leaders to share their experience and knowledge on brand development and management. These contributions provide valuable insights and perspectives on the strategies, techniques, and tactics that can be used to build and maintain a successful brand.
Communication Arts
Communication Arts is one of the most respected publications in the world of design. They’ve been around since 1959, publishing six times a year, and they remain as vital and relevant as ever. The magazine covers visual communications, graphic design, advertising, illustration, photography, product design, and interactive design.
Communication Arts covers a wide range of design topics, from typography and layout to advertising and interactive design. It features work from both established and emerging talents and includes interviews with designers and industry experts.
There’s also a digital version of the magazine, which can be accessed through their website and downloaded as PDF. Plus, they have web exclusive content, including a blog that features design-related articles, tips, and tutorials.
With its long history and reputation, Communication Arts is a valuable resource for designers, students, and professionals alike.
Wrap
Wrap magazine shines a spotlight on the wide world of illustration, design, and creative culture – with “creative” being the key word. The act of creating and the process of unlocking those initial design inspirations is a huge focal point for the magazine, which it explores through insightful profiles on artists and their work.
The main goal of Wrap is to promote and highlight the work of up-and-coming illustrators, giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents to a wider audience. At the same time, this will hopefully serve as inspiration for readers to pursue their own creativity and chase down that artistic curiosity.
Each issue of Wrap features interviews as well as a collection of their work printed on high-quality, large-format paper. The online edition is also stunning to look at if you can’t get your hands on the physical product.
Graphic design and graphic art magazines
Print magazine is an American institution — dating back to 1940 when it debuted as Print, A Quarterly Journal of the Graphic Arts. Over the course of its run, Print has earned a reputation as a high-quality publication that shares in-depth examinations on topics such as illustration, typography, color theory, branding, and much more. Although the print edition of Print ceased publication in 2017, it has continued to prosper online as a robust and thriving community.
One of the key features in Print is a feed called The Daily Heller, which has been described by Wired magazine as a “must-follow feed in the world of design.” The Daily Heller is a feed curated by AIGA Medalist, Smithsonian National Design Award winner, and Art Directors Hall of Fame Laureate, Steven Heller. Each day, Steven shares his observations of the design that catches his eye.
Additionally, the site runs the annual Print Awards, which celebrate outstanding design in every shape and form, including print and digital design. This makes it a fantastic resource not only to find new and inspiring talents, but as a place for emerging talents to submit their work and be recognized for their craft as well.
Eye
Eye magazine is a quarterly print magazine that specializes in graphic design and visual culture. Since its founding in 1990, Eye has offered insightful coverage of the graphic design world. Flipping through the Eye archives is kind of like looking through an encyclopedia of design and visual language — a comprehensive collection of an impressive range of artists.
The magazine, led by editor John L. Walters and art director Simon Esterson, is famous for its ability to pair incredible stories with truly gorgeous photography and graphics. This is one of those magazines you’ll pick up just as much for the aesthetic enjoyment as for the interesting content.
Each issue of Eye features a variety of articles, interviews, reviews, and essays on a wide range of design-related topics, as well as a feature section dedicated to that issue’s theme. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves design and wants to stay informed about the latest developments in graphic design and visual culture.
Beneficial Shock!
Beneficial Shock! is a one-of-a-kind annual graphic art magazine that caters to film enthusiasts and illustration admirers alike. The publication is dedicated to promoting progressive thinking, and every issue explores a unique theme, such as “the mind” or “war and peace,” in an engaging and visually striking manner. Beneficial Shock!’s approach is both humorous and unorthodox, providing readers with a refreshing and thought-provoking perspective on the themes it covers.
In the pages of Beneficial Shock! you’ll find analyses of cinematic tropes, illustrated stories about the world of film, interviews with artists and filmmakers, and features on specific films — always focused on the visual aspect of the medium. It’s also a gorgeous magazine, overflowing with color and striking images. The magazine’s website includes some of these features as well as supplementary material and additional interviews.
Beneficial Shock! is a must-have for anyone who loves film and illustration and is looking for a new way of interpreting the world of celluloid. With its unique approach and visually striking illustrations, Beneficial Shock! is sure to be a valuable addition to any film lover or illustration enthusiast’s library.
Digital Arts
If you’re looking for interesting coverage of graphic design, digital arts, and illustration — Digital Arts is the magazine for you. Digital Arts is an online publication that offers a wide range of content about the world of digital art and design, including features, tutorials, interviews with industry professionals, and reviews of hardware and software.
There’s a real sense of cutting edge to the work featured in Digital Arts — you’ll see the work of established designers as well as emerging artists from all over the world. With each issue of Digital Arts, you’ll discover a good amount of your new favorite artists, as well as a wealth of information on a wide range of digital art and design topics.
Web design magazines
Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is a popular online magazine that focuses specifically on front-end design and user experience (UX) content. The publication is a must-read for any creative professional. Smashing Magazine’s website shares deep dives into product features and think pieces offering unique perspectives in the UX space. Plus, their Smashing Podcast series explores trends and interesting questions about technology and design.
Additionally, you’ll find useful front-end templates and starter kits, CSS tools for animations, and online workshops on various web design and development topics. The site goes in depth on usability and user experience, web accessibility, mobile and responsive design, web typography, and more. This makes Smashing Magazine an invaluable resource for web designers, developers, and anyone with an interest in the field.
Creative Bloq
Creative Bloq is a fantastic online destination for artists and designers, with a particular focus on web design. The site provides a constant stream of news, expert advice, and inspiration for creatives of all types, including web designers, graphic designers, digital and traditional artists, 3D and VFX artists, illustrators, and more.
The Creative Bloq website features everything from analyses of the latest trends and developments in the design world, tips and tricks to get the best out of design software, reviews of various tools and gadgets, and inspirational content that you can apply to your own practice as a designer. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or are a seasoned professional, you’re bound to find something unique and valuable here.
Webdesigner Depot
Webdesigner Depot is an online magazine that provides resources and tutorials for web designers and developers, focusing on the latest web design trends and software news. It is a popular source of inspiration, information, and best practices for those in the web design industry. The site posts daily and offers a wide range of content, including articles, tutorials, and resources for web designers and developers.
You’ll find in-depth analyses of the newest design trends and even a monthly list of the 20 best new websites. On top of that, you’ll find insightful think pieces about why web design still matters, and predictions for the upcoming year.
Inspirational magazines for designers
Apartamento
Apartamento is a biannual lifestyle magazine founded in Barcelona, Spain in 2008. It has become one of the most important interior design publications around. The magazine explores the design of daily life, featuring photographs of a diverse range of homes — apartments, houses, studios, and lofts from all around the world.
The magazine’s exploration of aesthetics and the visual elements that make up our environments can be beneficial to anyone in the world of design. The spaces featured on Apartamento are a masterclass on composition and layout, color theory, photography, and design trends. Even if you’ve never explored the field of interior design, you’re bound to get a lot of inspiration from this magazine, as well as compositional techniques and ideas you can bring over to your work.
Each issue of the magazine is based around a theme, such as a color or a season. And within that theme, they highlight various homes from all across the globe, featuring interviews with the homeowners to display their personalities and lifestyle.
Juxtapoz
Juxtapoz magazine is a quarterly printed magazine based in San Francisco, California. They focus on street art, graffiti, pop surrealism, underground art, and all that good stuff that happens in the fringes of the mainstream. It covers a wide array of art forms, including sculpture, painting, illustration, photography, and more.
With its wide range of contemporary art and design styles, Juxtapoz can serve as a source of inspiration for designers of any type by exposing them to different styles and techniques as well as digging into the cultural and social context of art. The connection between art and society is a focus of the magazine, exploring the topic in a playful, subversive, and often irreverent way.
Juxtapoz cuts through the stuffiness that sometimes accompanies certain areas of the high-end art world by bringing a fresh, fun attitude, with colorful art that often depicts outrageous scenarios. And the website’s blog covers the latest news and trends in the world of street art, as well as other extra content that you won’t find in the print edition.
GraffitiArt
GraffitiArt magazine is a bimonthly magazine that focuses on urban contemporary art. It’s published in both French and English and distributed in 15 countries, making it one of the most widely read publications focusing on the urban contemporary art scene.
GraffitiArt magazine focuses on providing readers an in-depth visual understanding of the art and the artists behind it. Urban contemporary art is a movement that is often dismissed as vandalism and widely misunderstood by the public, so shining a light on the specificities of its craft as well as its expressive power puts into question what we consider “art” in the first place.
The magazine can be of great use as a source of inspiration for designers of any kind, with the eye-catching artwork and unique use of colors, as well as incorporating elements of the urban environments around it. The magazine also features leading street artists, interviews, book reviews, and exhibition listings. Once a year, they publish the Urban Contemporary Art Guide.
Fuel your creativity with these great design magazines
We hope you’ll check out some of these great design magazines – flipping through them is great for igniting that creative spark. And remember, you can always find more inspiration from Made in Webflow.
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