How a cultural magazine channels the zeitgeist through design
When Masanobu Sugatsuke first published the Wood Pencil-winning publication ESP Cultural Magazine in 2020, “it was meant as a cultural platform for Whole Earth Citizens” as “a means to communicate the notion of contemporary culture as an international language”. And in 2021, the dialogue surrounding global restrictions and international borders has never been more pertinent.
ESP Cultural Magazine takes its name from a 1965 Miles Davis album called E.S.P – chosen because it alludes to the utilisation of our sixth sense – and stands for two vital concepts: Extra Sensorial Print for Extra Sensorial People. Amongst other things, here Editor-in-chief, Masanobu Sugatsuke discusses the parallels between crafting the magazine’s visual identity, and the instinctive collaborative process associated with jazz.
Finding a design studio that matches your vision is key
“When we began to brainstorm our design concept, which was to have a universal mindset with a simple yet playful design for the magazine, it was clear that we definitely wanted to work with Experimental Jetset,” Sugatsuke says of the critically acclaimed Amsterdam-based design studio whose work has been acquired by MoMA. “To me, they are the most conceptual and daring design studio in the world. They were the perfect match for our magazine concept, as they continuously work to create universal graphic language in their own practice. Once we started working with them, it was bingo!”
Naming the magazine is an extension of the design practice
Much like how “a singer/songwriter might create a refrain where the lyrics and melody come together” Sugatsuke cites the thinking process behind a magazine’s title as “extremely important,” adding, “when we were coming up with the titles for both Esperanto Culture Magazine and ESP Cultural Magazine, the visual language of the magazines immediately came into focus.”
Stripping things back can elevate a magazine’s power
In a bid to create a universal platform, selecting a simple but effective visual identity was essential. “We looked back into the roots of 'universal design’ and typography created by the Swiss like Helvetica, and centred our identity around a typography that does not give a sense of national or regional identity,” Sugatsuke says. He adds that although the texts are predominantly printed in black and white, with a “very standard” design format – versatile touches such as making the design around the title bold, as well as the positioning of the title, body, and captions, helped the team to “use standardised elements that seem to be normal and transform them into something extraordinary.”
Powerful design whispers rather than shouts
Quoting media icon Marshall McLuhan, Sugatsuke stands by the old adage that “The medium is the message”, but is fast to add that it’s accompanied by the form, texture, and design, which he says “are one of the essences behind a magazine's message”. In his eyes, “a great magazine is one that has a harmony of both. Unlike a fashion show, design should not be too strong in a magazine. I think the ideal relationship between design and content is not one that has a high-brow, or conventional, pre-established harmony, but rather one that protests against existing formats.”
Aligning the editorial and design team was like a jazz session
Shortly after deciding what content and contributors would be included in the issue, Sugatsuke translated the editorial concept to Experimental Jetset, who “were quick to make dummies”. Sugatsuke hails the process as a form of “creative ping pong” in its speed and interactivity. “The exchange of ideas was so great that it’s very difficult to pinpoint specific parts,” he says. “This flowing, uninterrupted back-and-forth ping pong game was truly stimulating. Our editorial and design direction clicked immediately. It was like a jazz session - we both knew what performance we had to do next.”
Triggering the senses was the key to the magazine’s success
“I often say that print media is like theatre,” Sugatsuke says. “Whenever a new film or TV show is created, we are always told that the theatre will disappear, but, as you know, while the business of theatre won't grow rapidly, it will not disappear either. This is because theatre has the essence of human beings performing in public with their bodies”.
With conversations surrounding the at-times-bleak future of print growing in vivacity, Sugatsuke assures, “I don't think the publishing media will disappear easily, as long as there is a solid prototype of a media communication model that knits words, images and designs together to reach a large number of people”. Tapping back into the publication’s sensorial aim, he adds, “Like other mammalian creatures, people only feel a sense of attachment to things we can touch. Or they desperately try to touch the things they have affection for. This is the same psychology that causes movie buffs and animation buffs to obsessively collect books, soundtrack CDs, and figurines. If art directors want to create work that is celebrated by people, they should create works that can be felt”.