October 26, 2008 78 Comments

Magazine Designers Are Very Creative And Unique

While thinking about trust agents, I mentioned to Julien that some magazines use a + symbol as part of their design elements. He said something like, “I think I’ve seen that before, yeah.” I shot all these covers in an airport news stand in one night. There were more, but I couldn’t exactly go crazy. Plus, plus, plus, plus, plus.

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  • http://www.runlancaster.com Carol Deckert

    Thanks for an interesting post Chris. I look at lots of magazines on a regular basis and I must admit that the “+” sign has not had an impact on me one way or the other and that 99% of the time, I look right “over top” of the sign and keep reading. It does not invite me to look for more and it doesn’t invite me to look for less. I’m still not sure what the value is in using that sign, particularly when “everyone else (other magazines)” are all using it. What happened to wanting to make yourself unique in your marketing and standing out from the crowd?

    Just my 2¢!

    Happy Netweaving,
    Carol Deckert

  • http://www.runlancaster.com Carol Deckert

    Thanks for an interesting post Chris. I look at lots of magazines on a regular basis and I must admit that the “+” sign has not had an impact on me one way or the other and that 99% of the time, I look right “over top” of the sign and keep reading. It does not invite me to look for more and it doesn’t invite me to look for less. I’m still not sure what the value is in using that sign, particularly when “everyone else (other magazines)” are all using it. What happened to wanting to make yourself unique in your marketing and standing out from the crowd?

    Just my 2¢!

    Happy Netweaving,
    Carol Deckert

  • http://futurebells.com Ali R Khan

    Still surprised at your discovery Chris…And wondering why they put a + sign on cover??? Is it a marketing rule to attract more People?? I guess it is…

  • http://futurebells.com Ali R Khan

    Still surprised at your discovery Chris…And wondering why they put a + sign on cover??? Is it a marketing rule to attract more People?? I guess it is…

  • http://www.socialmediatrainingnetwork.com Doug Firebaugh

    I was in an airport recently and counted 15 covers had a plus sign on them-really does get your focus on the plus. Makes you think ADDED when you see it, and possibly more value in the magazine. Psychologically? Not sure. either way- great post and my wife and I totally agree-this is a PLUS post!

  • http://www.socialmediatrainingnetwork.com Doug Firebaugh

    I was in an airport recently and counted 15 covers had a plus sign on them-really does get your focus on the plus. Makes you think ADDED when you see it, and possibly more value in the magazine. Psychologically? Not sure. either way- great post and my wife and I totally agree-this is a PLUS post!

  • http://clutterlovers.countzeero.eu count zeero

    hmmm, never really looked at “+” as a Visual Trust Agent signifier but now you come to mention it…

    …maybe we consciously overlook a “+” sign, but subconsciously it probably has a much deeper impact than we might like to believe.

  • http://clutterlovers.countzeero.eu count zeero

    hmmm, never really looked at “+” as a Visual Trust Agent signifier but now you come to mention it…

    …maybe we consciously overlook a “+” sign, but subconsciously it probably has a much deeper impact than we might like to believe.

  • http://www.patsyterrell.com Patsy Terrell

    Interesting. I have never looked at it in the context of lots of covers at one time because I rarely look at magazine racks. I subscribe to a bunch. I just picked up a pile and the one on top – “Adventure” – has a + symbol on it. However, nothing else in my stack does. “Home Companion” has “plus” spelled out. Curious.

    I think it probably has more to do with the psychological impact than finding a shorter way to say “and” or “plus.” Somewhere, someone has come up with the idea that we react positively to “+” and everyone has bought into it.

  • http://www.patsyterrell.com Patsy Terrell

    Interesting. I have never looked at it in the context of lots of covers at one time because I rarely look at magazine racks. I subscribe to a bunch. I just picked up a pile and the one on top – “Adventure” – has a + symbol on it. However, nothing else in my stack does. “Home Companion” has “plus” spelled out. Curious.

    I think it probably has more to do with the psychological impact than finding a shorter way to say “and” or “plus.” Somewhere, someone has come up with the idea that we react positively to “+” and everyone has bought into it.

  • http://www.murphyssaloon.com Hieronymus Murphy

    I think you folks are reading way, waaaay to much into what I believe is nothing more than a design decision, plain and simple.

    Sure, a “+” is a symbol for something positive and upbeat, but I think you’re attaching too much significance to its use, attaching some degree of sub rosa importance to “+”.

    Sometimes a symbol is just a symbol – visual shorthand meant to be understood quickly and easily, without any clever subconscious baggage attached.

    Sigmund Freud was once asked by a reporter if the cigars he smoked were phallic symbols.

    No, Freud reportedly answered, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

  • http://www.murphyssaloon.com Hieronymus Murphy

    I think you folks are reading way, waaaay to much into what I believe is nothing more than a design decision, plain and simple.

    Sure, a “+” is a symbol for something positive and upbeat, but I think you’re attaching too much significance to its use, attaching some degree of sub rosa importance to “+”.

    Sometimes a symbol is just a symbol – visual shorthand meant to be understood quickly and easily, without any clever subconscious baggage attached.

    Sigmund Freud was once asked by a reporter if the cigars he smoked were phallic symbols.

    No, Freud reportedly answered, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

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  • http://wesleyism.com Wesley

    I don’t see the digg request.

  • http://wesleyism.com Wesley

    I don’t see the digg request.

  • http://kristianakocis.blogspot.com/ Kristiana

    These +s are a fabulous way to draw the reader’s attention to other important stories/articles in the magazine. It almost makes the reader feel like EVERYTHING is important!

  • http://kristianakocis.blogspot.com/ Kristiana

    These +s are a fabulous way to draw the reader’s attention to other important stories/articles in the magazine. It almost makes the reader feel like EVERYTHING is important!

  • Roberta Wedge

    I’m surprised not one of you savvy people has mentioned that the plus symbol is visually identical to a cross. Is there a Christian theme?

  • Roberta Wedge

    I’m surprised not one of you savvy people has mentioned that the plus symbol is visually identical to a cross. Is there a Christian theme?

  • http://www.OldRadioFun.com Shawn

    @Roberta…

    Amen.

  • http://www.OldRadioFun.com Shawn

    @Roberta…

    Amen.

  • http://www.davidlamorte.com Dave LaMorte

    I give this post a ++++++++!! Great Ebay user!

  • http://www.davidlamorte.com Dave LaMorte

    I give this post a ++++++++!! Great Ebay user!

  • http://www.juretic.com Vinay

    + 1 Digg & SU :)

  • http://www.juretic.com Vinay

    + 1 Digg & SU :)

  • http://blog.winningworkplaces.org/blog/team-building Mark

    I like your tongue-in-cheek title when considered with all your mag cover photos, Chris. I had been thinking the same thing after seeing all those “+”‘s on a variety of covers lately. Given that, I think a smart mag could stand out by going back to the word “plus” in some original way, whether it be a color or font that stands out, or perhaps a bolded font that allows for a screen of a photo inside it.

    Great observation!

  • http://blog.winningworkplaces.org/blog/team-building Mark

    I like your tongue-in-cheek title when considered with all your mag cover photos, Chris. I had been thinking the same thing after seeing all those “+”‘s on a variety of covers lately. Given that, I think a smart mag could stand out by going back to the word “plus” in some original way, whether it be a color or font that stands out, or perhaps a bolded font that allows for a screen of a photo inside it.

    Great observation!

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