The Online Gallery
Retrospective
Elevating Artistic Voices: Our Journey with The Online Gallery Magazine
Since 2020, we have partnered with The Online Gallery to design and develop every edition of their Magazine.
From conceptualising layouts to creating bold covers, we've worked closely with Creative Director Ché Morales and Editorial Director Meredith Shepard to ensure each edition is visually captivating, amplifying the voices of the artists and making their unique perspectives resonate.
The magazine's growing acclaim is a testament to the synergy between our design expertise and the editorial vision of The Online Gallery.
Working collaboratively since the magazine's inception, our goal has been to support diverse artistic voices.
We draw inspiration from each contributor, their artwork and interviews to inform our design choices.
By carefully selecting layouts, fonts and colour palettes, we create a visual narrative that enhances the magazine's articles, paying great attention to how each of the articles flows from one page to the next.
Visual storytelling is central to The Online Gallery Magazine's identity, with our evolving work staying true to the brand's mission of amplifying artistic voices through intentional art direction and design.
From the magazine's inception, it has been crucial for us to authentically represent the community featured in each edition. This is achieved through regular dialogue with key stakeholders, artists and galleries, allowing us to deeply understand the themes and messages that need to be conveyed.
As a result, we curate bold and dynamic layouts that not only highlight contemporary art but also reflect the cultural and creative nuances of the contributors. Each design decision is made to ensure that the visual narrative enhances the reader's connection to the art and the stories behind it.
Typography plays a crucial role in the magazine as an integral part of the storytelling process, serving as the visual voice that shapes how readers perceive and engage with content. We carefully select typefaces to evoke specific emotions, set the tone and reflect the personality of each featured artist or theme.
For example, bold, modern fonts might highlight contemporary art, while a more classical font could be used to align with a feature on traditional techniques.
By tailoring typography to each issue's content, we create a unique visual narrative that resonates with the artistic expression showcased, keeping the magazine fresh and visually engaging while honouring the artist’s individuality.
The interview between Pat Steir, Mickalene Thomas, and Jasmine Wahi in Edition 10 of The OG Magazine is a significant milestone for both the publication and the art community. To match the depth of this conversation on time, creativity and legacy, we selected elegant, flowing typography that symbolises the fluidity and continuity in Steir's artistic journey.
The spacious layout encourages readers to linger on the introspective dialogue, mirroring the thoughtful nature of the content.
These design choices help to underscore the magazine’s commitment to fostering a community by providing additional depth to the content for the reader’s to absorb.
Throughout our journey, our partnership with Ché Morales and Meredith Shephard has been pivotal. Behind the scenes, our collaboration involves countless iterations, with design concepts evolving as we refine the synergy between message and visuals.
We’ve explored many bold design ideas to ensure the final product aligns with the magazine’s vision. As a team, making bold decisions behind-the-scenes, including spreads that didn’t make the cut, is a testament to the shared commitment to producing editions where design and content harmoniously work together.
The Online Gallery Magazine has become a renowned platform in the art world. Each edition stands as a collectible and unique piece of art, reflecting the diverse voices and perspectives of contemporary artists.
Notable artists featured across editions include:
Edition 11: Tyrell Winston, Revok, Library Street Collective
Edition 10: Pat Steir, Autumn Breon, Curtis Talwst Santiago
Edition 9: Genevieve Gaignard, Sanford Biggers, Kennedy Yanko
Edition 8: Nick Cave, February James, Alexandre Diop
Edition 7: Hank Willis Thomas, Dee Dwyer, Liz Plank
Edition 6: Candida Alvarez, Devan Shimoyama, Tony Matelli
Edition 5: Mickalene Thomas, Johnathan Mannion, Shepard Fairey
Edition 4: Derrick Adams, Krista Kim, Reo
Edition 3: Patrick Church, Jon Key, Deborah Brown
Conclusion:
As a Creative Agency we pride ourselves on being committed to pushing the boundaries of design to elevate artistic voices, and this ongoing relationship has allowed us to do exactly that year on year.