+rosebud
Rosebud, Inc., Herms & Magistris Design OG
+rosebud is an international and experimental design magazine, exploring and exhausting the possibilities of paper and printed media.
Ammerndorf, Germany
Pelzetleite 65, D-90614
Email: ask@rosebudmagazine.com
- Category: Art, Design
- Periodicity: Every 15 months
- Language: English
- Format: Various format
- Circulation: 4,000
- Price: 30 €
- Web: http://www.rosebudmagazine.com
Founded in 1998
Founded 1998, has won numerous international design awards, the current issue: +rosebud no.6 – Ideal, release of next issue spring 2009.
Exclusive Interview
"Different and sold out."
What is your magazine about?
+rosebud is an ongoing experiment, explorating yet unused possibilities and potentials that paper and print media have to offer.
Who’s behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
I started +rosebud in 1998. In the course of the following issues Katja Fössel,
who is working as an Art Director in Munich joined the project. Shortly after Fritz Magistris teamed up. Together with him I am running “Rosebud, Inc.”, a design studio with focussing on Brand Publishing. Above all the most essential element are the contributors that provide a major part of the content we publish.
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
First of all we invest a huge amount of time (up to some months) in defining the main theme and developing the creative briefing of each issue. After that we invite our contributors which range from designers, artists, writers, scientists, critics etc. The editing, design and production is then handled by us 3 people.
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
Editing and financing the premier issue. In following each issue always marked a real turning point to.
Which are the key incredients for the success of your magazine?
Constant change is the key feature of the project: for each issue ¬content, design, production and staff are completely different from the previous issue. I guess the fact that people know that they don´t know what they will get plays a major part here.
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be “the” thing to help the magazine to improve?
Since the nature of +rosebud is uncommercial to self-exploitative, time is the resource we are always running short on.
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
Different and sold out.
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
Interesting people that are interested in interesting content.
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
Being independent is not as much a conscious choice but the only possibility within our setup and approach.
What’s your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
We don´t publish “regular” ads from our sponsoring partners but try to come up with an individual proposal which ideally creates an interesting connection between our editorial focus and a brand or product. Therefore an advertorial could be one possible collaboration model. In our case sponsoring does not influence the content, but makes it possible to DO the project at all. Our aim is to reward the financial engagement with an authentic platform for our partners´ communication.
Do you think that magazine readers still need to watch TV?
I think TV-consumers still need to read magazines!
Which is your relationship with your printer? Does he play a main role in your development?
Given the fact, that we are changing the production features for each issue we a strongly depend on dedicated production partners.
Which magazines did influence you most? What are you looking for in other magazines?
I am very interested in magazines with an outstanding editorial and design approach. An all time favourite is the german title “Twen” from the 1960ies. With its Art Director Willy Fleckhaus “Twen” introduced a whole new era in editorial approach and design.
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
I see great enthusiasm, fortunate circumstances and many mistakes and details that had to be improved in the following years.
What question did you never ask in your magazine but would have liked to?
Hopefully we can always ask what we are interested in.
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself a maniac?
Just about enough that i am still able to pile them up somewhere.
E-mail interview from “22.08.2005”. © Colophon2007.com – Mike Koedinger Editions SA (Luxembourg)
Publisher
Rosebud, Inc., Herms & Magistris Design OG
Salmgasse 4a, A-1030, Wien, Austria
Phone +43 (1) 535 49 70-0, Fax +43 (1) 535 49 70-20
- 2044
- 5180
- 2482
- 662
