Shorlist: Art Director of the Year

by Grace Wang in November 2016

The judging day for the Stack Awards is this Thursday, and we’re looking forward to a day of reading and talking about magazines, searching for the cream of the crop (I can’t believe this is ‘work’, either!) If you’re a journalist and would like to come along and give us some love, drop me a line.

We hope you enjoy browsing through the many great titles below, which are currently being pored over by our expert judges Debbie Millman, president of AIGA and host of Design Matters, and Angharad Lewis, co-editor of Grafik.

A5 Magazine | Tel Aviv
Pushing the boundaries of what might be considered a ‘magazine’, A5 comes as a box full of loose, single artworks. “The format is perfect for blue-tack prone magazine readers” — read more on magCulture.

Accent | London
“Accent Magazine is an online quarterly that celebrates the lives of people who dare to buck the conventions of the mainstream” — read the interview with creators Lydia Garnett and Lucy Nurnberg on VICE.

Acid | Paris
“This sub-A4 magazine provides a much-needed insight into the diversity of surf culture, which is about a lot more than the just beaded necklaces and sandy golden locks that are often attributed to the surfer stereotypes.” — see more on It’s Nice That.

Amuseum | London
A playful magazine that sees objects differently, Amuseum combines illustration with clever comics and curious trivia.

Backstage Talks | Bratislava
A showcase of By Design Conf, the conference focused on design and design thinking, this magazine uses interviews to give a brief overview of the speakers’ works and their thoughts on design, all the while creating a sense of fun and discovery that goes to the heart of what the best conferences are all about.

Elephant | London
A fresh visual art title designed by Spanish studio Design By Atlas, Elephant is renowned for its playful aesthetic. Take a look inside the Atlas studio with magCulture, and watch our review of the Art and Silicon Valley issue below.

Eye Magazine | London
A collectable graphic design journal, this print magazine is made for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical writing about design and visual culture.

Lost | Shanghai
One of the most talked about magazines to come out of Shanghai recently, LOST is a magazine about self-discovery through travel. Watch our review of their first issue below.

Nichons-nous dans l’Internet | Paris
A French print magazine devoted to the Internet. Twenty-one seconds of fireworks says it all.

NOUS | Manchester
This beautiful riso printed publication focuses on the modern mind and empathetic thinking.

The Outpost | Beirut
Based out of Beirut, this is a title dedicated to possibilities in the Arab world. Watch our review of their latest issue below, themed around finding a home.

The Recorder | Massachusetts
“Marrying a playful typographic approach, sensitive illustrations and deliciously tactile gold foil, the cover of The Recorder is a great indication of its contents: a beautifully designed ode to typography and its omnipresence.” Read more in editor Emma Tucker’s interview on It’s Nice That.

The Ride Journal | London
We were sad to see this magazine go last year, but very pleased for one last opportunity to shine a light on its fantastic work. Read the thoughts of the big brains over at Creative Review.

Shukyu Magazine | Toyko
The soccer arena and beyond, this magazine covers “everything from blind soccer to an interview with the chef of the Japanese national soccer team” — see more on Hypebeast.