Civil Society Media

Background
Civil Society Media is the UK’s only independent media company dedicated solely to supporting the charity sector. They deliver essential information, expert analysis and thought leadership through high-quality printed and digital publications, training courses, and live events.

We are solely responsible for the design of all their printed publications and have been involved from the conceptual stage through to design and artwork of individual issues. These include Charity Finance, Fundraising and Governance & Leadership magazines.

The publications are sent out to subscribers on fixed dates, and we enjoy the challenge of finding visually engaging solutions that enhance the written content, often within very tight timescales.

We work closely with the editors and have monthly meetings to discuss cover designs. We have also implemented the use of InCopy so the editors can make live copy changes while the design work is taking place.

Brief
We recently redesigned Fundraising Magazine. We wanted to give it a fresh look without losing its integrity, ensuring the publication met current accessibility standards.

Results
We created a new grid system which maximises the page space without compromising on design, and we selected new typefaces with legibility as a prime consideration. While the magazine tackles some serious issues, professional fundraisers are creative and imaginative people, so we also incorporated a playful feel to reflect this.