The Best of the West! | Case Study

This is a case study of IN Magazine. The Best Corporate Magazine on the West Coast,  from Liquid Agency
IN Magazine.
Seagate is the world’s largest manufacturer of disc drives with locations and employees all over the globe. IN Magazine is a quarterly publication that Seagate distributes to its employees as part of the company’s commitment to share news and information, and build a common corporate culture. Liquid has been involved with this publication since its inception, including developing the name and the design format. Liquid’s staff works closely with Seagate’s editorial department, and together we have created a project that keeps winning awards, as well as the praise of Seagate’s management and employees worldwide.
IN Magazine is considered the Best Corporate Publication on the West Coast.
In 2002, IN Magazine received two Maggies — the highest awards bestowed by the Western Publications Association. One of them was presented in recognition of its outstanding design as the Best Corporate Publication and the other was presented for the Best Cover Design in the Trade Category.

The Covers. Simple. Clever. Conceptual.
These are the driving principles behind the cover design for IN Magazine. The design style is extremely minimalistic and clean – relying on a strong image that is visually appealing while also being somewhat enigmatic.
The concept behind the name is based on the fact that “In” is the start of a word that is completed on the inside front cover. The image provides a visual clue to the puzzle… but it only gets resolved when the reader turns the page.

The Inside Covers.
In – vention. In – novation.
In – spiration. In – imitable.
Every issue entices the reader to discover what word is completed when they open up the magazine… and how the cover image completes a story when put in context with the inside spread.

This simple, but clever device has made the publication that much more engaging and interesting for the employees, who on occasion write to the editor, with suggestions for the next issue.

The Layouts.
Dramatic use of scale, type and photography elevate the quality of the magazine’s layouts and make the content that much more interesting to read.
The attention to every detail – from the quality of the design to the nature of the editorial content – is the reason why this publication has been recognized as an award-winner by several of the most prestigious publishing industry organizations in the country.