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WITHIN THE FAMILY

Take a Good Thing and Make It Better

By Alex Sachare '71

If we followed the bromide, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” I’d have ridden to work this morning in a horse and buggy, climbed eight flights of stairs to my office, lit some candles so I could see and dipped a quill in an inkwell to begin writing this.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of those things. Each served its purpose admirably. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be — or haven’t been — improved upon, often several times over. Pen and ink gave way to typewriter, which led to electric typewriter, then along came the word processor and finally the computer. Something that works, and works well, can be made to work even better with some creative thinking, analysis and well-planned changes.

With this issue, we launch a redesign of Columbia College Today that includes a new logo, unifying graphic elements for departments, a revised color palette, and different folio treatments, among other changes.

We regularly make editorial changes and refinements, altering the mix of news and features and introducing new elements, such as the cryptogram on the inside back cover of this issue and the other games and puzzles that have appeared in recent issues. The changes we are talking about now focus on design.

Six years ago, we moved CCT from a black-and-white magazine to one that is color throughout. This allowed us to better illustrate our feature stories and give you a more vivid look at what is taking place on campus and at alumni events. Since then, we have tinkered with some sections of the magazine — we gave Bookshelf a more vibrant look, for example, by expanding the writeup of the book featured each month and showing the cover jackets of several other books in color — but this is the first time we have stepped back, examined what had become a staid design and made changes to refresh the magazine’s overall look.

These changes are meant to be subtle; the idea is to bring you the content you enjoy and have come to expect, but in a more attractive format that should enhance your overall reading experience. For example, we use large photographs to open Around the Quads and Class Notes in this issue and expect to use similar photos, current and archival, in future issues.

It’s more than repackaging — the “same cereal, new box” concept that is so popular with food marketers. In that case, the product is the cereal, not the box. Once opened, the box is only good as a storage container, or perhaps as reading matter at the breakfast table. A magazine is a careful blend of text and graphics, where typeface, layout, photography, design and print quality all play a part in the final product. None can make up for weak, poorly illustrated stories; but when done right, each of those elements enhances the overall experience.

These design changes are a work in progress. We’re trying out a number of things that we believe will make CCT a more attractive magazine and more enjoyable for you, the reader. If you agree, great, please let us know. If you disagree, please let us know as well. We expect to do significant “tweaking,” to use one of design consultant J.C. Suarès’ favorite words, throughout the next several issues, and we value your input.

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