Core77

I.D. Magazine to cease publication

By Allan Chochinov - December 15, 2009

in Design Business

A very sad day in the design world today. After 55 years in print, I.D. Magazine will be closing its covers following the January/February issue. Virtually all of us at Core77 grew up on I.D. Magazine, enjoying everything from the pub letters at the beginning to that iconic frog design ad with the Sony TV skating rink on the back cover. We want to thank all the contributors over all the years for providing such great coverage and inspiration, and to to let them know what an impact they had on the design industries, designers, and design. Here's the official press release:

December 15, 2009 To Readers, Advertisers and Friends of I.D. Magazine: Since 1954, I.D. Magazine has served as one of America's leading critical magazines covering the art, business, and culture of design. Today it is with regret that we announce its closure. The January/February issue of I.D. will be its last; subscribers to I.D. will receive Print magazine for the balance of their subscription. Ceasing publication of an iconic brand like I.D. is never an easy decision, but there are several forces that have worked against its sustainability. Certainly the downturn in print advertising has contributed to this decision, but other factors include the fragmentation and specialized information needs of I.D.'s core readers (product designers) and the plethora of information resources available to them--some for free (online and B2B) and others that are highly specialized and targeted to specific industries served.F+W Media will to continue producing the I.D. Annual Design Review, its flagship international product design competition, in an expanded fashion online. This new web initiative will feature not only 2010's winners but will catalog thousands of notable entries from past competitions. Going forward, in addition to the I.D. Annual Design Review, F+W Media's Design Group is comprised of the award-winning HOW and Print brands--magazines, books, events, and competitions serving the information needs of graphic designers in all media. We thank the entire I.D. community, past and present--staffers, contributors, readers, and advertisers--for their support of the magazine throughout its 55-year history. Sincerely, Gary Lynch Publisher & Editorial Director F+W Media Design Community

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Spooky Nick

13 years ago

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Maybe i am uninformed, but what with the advent of digital "e-readers" and smart phones, can we not still have "print" magazines in digital format? I dont always want to have to surf a website and click on links to have a good read.

It doesn't make sense, the overhead of a print magazine makes it harder to stay afloat these days, i can understand that. Why close your doors? Why give up?
I would think a Design magazine would understand the digital media opportunities we have these days...
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Geoff

14 years ago

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Why are you sad? Your "old school" competition is dying. It should be a happy day for online design sites such as Core77.
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Ramon

14 years ago

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I.D. has been sucking for over ten years now. The Design Review is the most laughable element of it all, with the sordid fees and the ridiculous winners.
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polo90

14 years ago

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I'm glad I wasn't lured to the subscription. It is sad to see a magazine with 50+ years of history go away. But look at the content, other than promoting a few "elite" designers and some novel artifacts, anything else they provide?
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SPN

14 years ago

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Truly a sad day....all of these publication and even struggling companies really need to assess the changing times and evolve...for example the I.D. website was pretty much very weak. they had no weekly updates no video content and no exclusive interviews.With the way the web is designed today, you need to really grab the attention of your audience and make them feel like they are part of the community... make them anticipate the printed publication. With all that said I enjoy tangible products and I feel..... PRINT MEDIA WILL NEVER DIE
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Cameron Nielsen

14 years ago

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I agree with Mathieu - maybe it went downhill because they neglected their product design niche with all the tangential articles.
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jeff

14 years ago

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You've got to me kidding me?! I just renewed my subscription a few weeks ago. God damn it.
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Devin LaDawri

14 years ago

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That darn internet.
Always messin' with my.......
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Mathieu Turpault, Bresslergroup design director

14 years ago

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This is sad but does not surprise me. This magazine had been going downhill for a few years by neglecting product design (its core reader base). It had become a mix of non descript vaguely product design related articles.
It is sad for the recognition of our profession by the general public, it is a step backward but it was to be expected.
Thank you Core77 for bringing this to you reader's attention. We know where to go now for information about design.
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Damon

14 years ago

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Well... I'D has turned into a less - written version of Dwell Magazine anyway. I was thing just today even that with Designboom & Core77 I don't really need ID anymore. Or Dwell for that matter.
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shane

14 years ago

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I have to agree with Lindsey...
every print mag i've tried i've ultimately found irelavent.
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Craighton

14 years ago

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I'm scared for the future of design in the US.
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Brandon

14 years ago

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What a shame, to have such a thriving ID community in the US and fewer industry outlets. Especially after a reinvention of I.D. of sorts over the past few years and regaining a relevance that had been sorely needed too. It would be nice if they could remain somewhat intact even without their own publication. Perhaps taking over or curating the design section of Business Week or Fast Company, or revamping the painfully dated Innovation/Design Perspectives magazines? RIP I.D., you'll be missed.
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Lindsey Clark

14 years ago

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I don't envy people working in print media, it must be a really confusing, scary time for the entire industry.

That said, I've never found a design magazine that meets my needs. I.D. and Metropolis were too high-brow, preachy and focused on the type of celebrity design that totally disinterests me. I still have my subscription to I.D., but canceled Metropolis a few years back.

I've asked around, and haven't heard of anything better. Core77 has more relevant content than any print pub out there.

Is this an opportunity to reinvent the design magazine and do it better? This is what I'm looking for:

- Profiles on up-and-coming designers or studios featuring new work, from a variety of disciplines (softgoods, medical, housewares, transportation, footwear, apparel, etc)
- Features on new manufacturing processes
- Profiles on hot factories showing all their radness (yes, they exist)
- Showcase of new materials, maybe with swatches or samples? (Whoa, that would be cool)
- Examples of totally radical thinking outside of the design world that could be inspirational for a designer
- Thematic collages for inspiration -- a few pages of images

Basically, I'd like to recreate my design school experience in NYC (information and inspiration overload) now that I'm lacking that input. Representing multiple viewpoints and cultures would be perfect. I'm so excited about the possibilities!

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561design

14 years ago

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Damn! I shall pour some for my homies @ ID magazine. With sticky pages and all.
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Gong Szeto

14 years ago

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this sucks rocks. but good for core77.
g
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