Kak
Design Depot
Moscow, Russia
Street 14/ 2, office 423, 125015
Email: editor@kak.ru
- Category: Culture, Graphic Design
- Periodicity: Quarterly
- Language: Russian
- Web: http://www.kak.ru
Founded in 1996
Exclusive Interview
We are sure the popular phrase “Russia has is own way of living” is radically wrong.
What is your magazine about?
Graphic design
Who’s behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
The magazine was founded in 1996 by Peter Bankov, who is the editor-in-chief from that time and up to now.
Peter Bankov was born in 1969. He graduated from Minsk Art Colledge in 1988 and Moscow State Polygraph Institute in 1993.
1996 – he organized [kAk) magazine. Now it`s one of the key points of graphic design creative progress by forming of energetic communicational space among its audience.
Peter Bankov is “Design Depot” (http://www.designdepot.ru) founder and creator director.
Awards: Victoria National Award at the “Design”All-Russian exhibition-competition (1997, 1998, 2001), First diploma at the “Grahit” Moscow Festival (1998), Diploma of the Russian Union of Designers and Special prize of the “Design and Advertising” exhibition (1999), Second Award at the “Press Prize” Festival (2000), First Award (2003), Second Award (1999, 2001, 2003), Third Award (two times in 2002) at the Moscow International Festival Advertising, First award (two times in 2004), Second Award (2004,2005), Third award (2004) at the Kiev International Festival of Advertising , two Golden medals and Bronze medal at the “ADCR Award” competition (2005).
Mr.Bankov is a laureate of the “Golden Bee” in the nominations “ Magazine Design” (1998). He is a member of “Golden Bee 6” and “Golden Bee 7” Guardian Council
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
1. Choice of the theme of the issue
2. Poll of professional designers about the chosen topic in order to make a plan of the issue
3. Editor gathers all materials (texts and graphics).
4. Proof-reading, makeup and printing.
There are 2 main persons in the editorial stuff and 3-4 assistants (journalists, translators, etc. – are freelances)
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
1. the founding of magazine itself in the mid 1900-es - the time in Russia when nobody understood exactly what the design is indeed.
2. In 5 years after starting we reached an understanding of possibility of earning money (by means of magazine, of course)
3. In 7 years after starting web resourse www.kak.ru was founded. Firstly it looked as a web-page of the magazine, but nowadays it`s an all-sufficien resource devoted to design with 2000 visitors per day.
4. In the nearest future we are going to start business edition deals with management of creative companies and books about significant designers in Russian.
What are the key ingredients for the success of your magazine?
Within 10 years we keep the only illustrated periodical issue devoted to professional graphic design in our country. There were some competitors, but they did not exist for a long time. The cause of it we see in our knack of moving a step forward and keeping vigilant watch over development of design. We are sure the popular phrase “Russia has is own way of living” is radically wrong.
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be “the” thing to help the magazine to improve?
As a whole we have not any difficulties
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
We`d like to be distributed all over Europe
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
kAk is loved and respected by professional designers as well as commercial advertisers and students.
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
Our independence is not a premeditated policy, but the situation doesn’t disturb us.
What’s your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
Advertisement is not enough and we`d like to increase it`s amount.
Do you think that magazine readers still need to watch TV?
We do
What is your relationship with your printer? Does he play a main role in your development?
Of course, it`s play. Because the good print leads to great progress.
Which magazines influence you most? What are you looking for in other magazines?
We are respect our colleagues in print, Eye, How, Etipe, TYPO etc. And we try to get their level.
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
It is still worthy to be one of the best number
What question did you never ask in your magazine but would have liked to?
We are free in choice of subjects, themes and topics of our magazine, that`s why we bring up any questions we like
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself as a maniac?
About 7. I`m not a maniac.
E-mail interview from “16.11.2006”. © Colophon2007.com – Mike Koedinger Editions SA (Luxembourg)
Publisher
Design Depot
- 2044
- 5180
- 2482
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