Why was the creation of a Photoshop guide aimed at artists considered a worthwhile undertaking? Why in the form of a tablet magazine – and how important is that in relation to its audience?

Photoshop is the most popular subject area for us. It seemed appropriate to choose the modern medium of a tablet magazine to suit a modern audience. Adding live links, interactive elements and animated video is an exciting opportunity to add life to a previously static page.

Why did IDG decide to employ Mag+ as a publishing solution, and why was it particularly appropriate for this project?

We like Mag+’s simplicity of working in both orientations (the app working in both landscape and portrait). It is easy to use. We also wanted to use a tool that worked well with InDesign, which is what we use to create our magazine.

Can you tell us a little bit about the people involved, resources required?

I managed the project handling the art direction and design of the project as well as the motion graphics, the photography and video. We also hired a designer to help us layout the 18 tutorials in the app. The model featured within the photography is Letitia Austin who is also our Marketing Software Editor & Affiliate Manager.

How did your concept for the magazine evolve during the project, and how did Mag+ interactive features help you to problem solve and realize your vision?

I was really keen on incorporating an animated cover in this interactive magazine- the seamless integration of video was great- but I really wanted to inject some life into the app with a short piece of After Effects motion graphics.We also wanted to demonstrate the illustrations being built step-by-step in an animated manner, and found the image sequence feature great at demonstrating this.

Do you have any personal favorite features in the app (or on the Mag+ platform) that you’d like to highlight?

We have a lot of complicated intricate images in Digital Arts, which can sometimes be difficult to see in print. The pinch and zoom works very nicely, enabling our readers to zoom right in.

What have you learned from this project, and how will it effect how you work on future projects?

Yes there will certainly be a new method of managing files, resolutions and word counts.
I’m really looking forward to commission work specifically for digital publishing – tailored content specifically for a tablet experience. Digital publishing offers some really exciting possibilities, such as the integration of video content used in conjunction with text and photography.

As far as this project is concerned, do you imagine you will transition it to other platforms using this publishing model, or is that something that might be necessary for future projects?

Perhaps- we shall see, the first one is always the hardest. We’re really excited to be launching an interactive digital app, with video, animations and sounds. I’ve learned many things of which I will and will not do next time. I look forward to unveiling some new ideas soon.

For more information on the Artist’s Guide to Photoshop check out Digital Arts Online, and download in iTunes today.

The Artist’s Guide to Photoshop from Johann Chan on Vimeo.

Apps are the New Internet – TabTimes Ben Bajarin, Director of the Consumer Technology Practice at Creative Strategies, discusses the opportunity for tablet devices moving forward. We are only scratching the surface of how these devices will be implemented to re-shape jobs and tasks for companies. Bajarin walks through several examples of creative uses for enterprise apps, including high-end restaurants using tablets to display their menus. In fact, several Mag+ clients are using our tools to create menus. 

Think Again: Assumptions About Mobile to Reconsider – Smashing Magazine Fundamentally, ‘mobile’ refers to the user, and not the device or the application, according to Barbara Ballard, author of Designing the Mobile User Experience. This article discusses myths about mobile and touches on the iOS market, mobile specific content, and the definition of mobile. 

The Write Life Magazine

Created with the Mag+ digital publishing software, the app itself is beautifully designed with clever scrolling A-Layers and fun pop-ups that flip out as they are clicked on (a feature available in Mag+ 4.1). The latest issue of The Write Life includes a great feature called ‘What Writing Means to Me’. Here, seven writers were asked what writing means to them – each writer has such a unique perspective – download today to read what they had to say. Another great piece is the ‘Writing Bootcamp’, a short but effective writing exercise. The Write Life provides a bootcamp exercise in each monthly issue, kick-starting creativity for those that are willing to give it a try.

When asked why Mag+ was the best digital publishing software for The Write Life, Editor Laura Pepper Wu answered, “After we started working on The Write Life and looking into the various technology and platforms available, we realized many of our favorite newsstand magazines are built with Mag+ and for great reason. We found that by combining Adobe InDesign with Mag+ tools, we are able to create intuitive design and elegant interaction while maintaining creative freedom with layout and interior design. Going from a concept from InDesign to an interactive app on iPad through Mag+ was simple and straightforward, which is crucial for us with a small team.”

The ability to offer the magazine across all major platforms was another important benefit that Mag+ offered to The Write Life. Many of their readers are writers and authors with Kindle Fire tablets, so they knew they had to offer an Android version alongside the iOS version. “The ability to export to different device formats was a huge benefit and the final push for us to decide to go with Mag+,” says Laura.

Is Mag+ the best digital publishing software for you and your brand? Download our tools and try it out today.

The Write Life is available in iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. Check out this app for instant inspiration and advice on living the write life.

Mag+ met up with Matt Durrant, a Senior Graphic Designer at Howell Penny, a multi-channel, retail and shopper marketing agency in the UK. Here’s what he had so say about making an iPad app for their client Dixons Travel.

The Dixons Travel app looks really great! Will you tell us what your goal was with this app?

Dixons Travel app is a digital platform that helps customers fully browse new products, more effectively than you could with a print format. Our goal is to lead the user through the edition showing them richer content than is available elsewhere. If they are interested in a product, we are finally able to provide them with enough information to help them make their purchase. It is the next best thing to holding the product, whilst still being able to share it with their friends before buying it.

Is the app based on the print catalogue?

Yes, this is a direct evolution of their print catalogue, which comes with some inherent limitations, but these became a fun challenge to overcome. It is now no longer simply a page-turner but a voyage of discovery. The app format is really a great opportunity for Dixons Travel to demonstrate the value it adds as a retailer. Functionally, it is a good example of in-app video capabilities and pinch and zoom. The layout demonstrates the effectiveness of Mag+ in removing the constraints normally implicated with excessive volume of text. You are able to include more information in a smaller space, compared to printed catalogues.

What Mag+ features and unique attributes made a difference in making an iPad app for Dixons Travel?

In this app, the group pop-ups update in 4.1 version of Mag+ proved to be a game changer. It allowed us to maintain a linear journey for the user without the previous interruptions of having to close pop-ups once opened.

How is the app being promoted?

Dixons Travel will promote it through in-store POS and via email marketing.

Can you share some of the future plans specifically for Dixons Travel? More devices? More apps?

We are in the process of launching this app on more devices. New updates are also in the pipeline, to be released as new products become available and as new Mag+ updates become available to make the most of new features.

Was Mag+ integrated into existing workflows to create this app?

Yes, it has been seamlessly integrated and works well with our studio’s abilities and possesses more impressive interactive features than other competing production systems.

What excites you the most about digital publishing to mobile devices?

It is the ability to add digital specific content such as videos, 360º views and audio that is restricted in other formats, such as print. With these elements we are able to create a rich user experience whilst helping them follow the ‘story of the app’, and to plan the way in which they interact with the app.

Tell us about any future plans for Howell Penny and digital publishing with Mag+?

Onward and upward for us. Our capabilities with Mag+ help to raise our profile and expand our target market. We are able to publicise our expertise in an industry that is (as yet) unclogged with every Tom, Dick and Harry claiming to build digital content for mobile devices.

Check out our highlights video on Dixons Trave app below.

More about Howell Penny: With decades of retail activation and shopper marketing experience, Howell Penny builds and delivers compelling brand propositions that help national and international brands & retailers sell more. Their multi-channel marketing strategies include brand design, digital activation, in-store marketing, advertising, sales promotion, experiential marketing and employee engagement solutions. They are proudly independent and work with some of the best brands and best people in the world.

If you’re into street fashion you need to talk the talk, and walk the walk. What better way to do that than with an iPad and iPhone magazine filled with fashion from one of the hottest street fashion companies in the world – WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy (WeSC). WeSC chose to create the mobile applications –The Superlative Conspiracy Magazine – to inspire their audience with stories and style. The beautifully designed apps, the digital translation of the publication, are packed with high quality visuals, including videos and still photography, and are fully interactive. They also offer powerful, easy to use e-commerce functionality.  Readers simply tap the images of featured WeSC clothing and accessories to purchase items direct from WeSC.com. Social-ready, WeSC editions for iPad and iPhone include sharing via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other popular networks built in.

Both apps and issues were created with the Mag+ digital publishing tools, by Mick Drougett, Art Director at Mag+ Studios, where the layout was based on the Superlative Conspiracy Magzine design created by WeSC’s Senior Art Director Tony Arcabascio. Among the cool features that Mag+ offers, the apps include Mag+ dual layout system, where content can be varied when the device is rotated from portrait to landscape. The iPad version also uses the platform’s brand new Overlay Layer feature (available soon in Mag+’s upcoming 4.2 release). This provides a layer of content that sits above the other pages as they swipe beneath it. Here it acts as a navigation layer, providing a permanent menu for jumping around the issue.

Download WeSC today in iTunes and get street fashion ready!

Who are these 70 million tablet users in the U.S.? According to Ipsos MediaCT’s LMX study, 52% are male, 48% are female, and 74% of tablet owners have a household income over $100K (see chart below).

The tablet category launched with Apple’s iPad, and since that launch the competition has been fierce. Though many technology companies have introduced their own version of the tablet, there are only a few (mostly those running on Google’s Android operating system) that have managed to take a significant share of the market.

The tablet is the ultimate consumption device, which is exactly why content creators must have their content available on tablets. The below chart, from the ABC Re:think 2012 study, shows tablet usage by activity. 70% of tablet owners use the device to read their news, and whopping 93% user their device for web browsing. Tablet owners use their device at home, in the office, on trains and planes. Let’s face it tablet devices are everywhere.

“One-fourth of the U.S. population currently owns a tablet. It’s only going to grow,” according to Craig Etheridge, Senior Vice President Mobile and Digital Ad Sales, USA Today. It is time to face the numbers. This device has created a new outlet for content creators to reach their target audience. Engage your readers by creating a tablet app today. The Mag+ tablet publishing platform provides free tools to help you create the app of your dreams, download today and reach the every-growing tablet audience.

Do you find these statistics interesting? Download The Pool app, created on the Mag+ publishing platform. The app includes interactive infographics and relevant statistics on the tablet industry, as well as insights to advertising solutions available with tablet devices. The Pool is a network of media and technology companies founded by VivaKi. This group collaborates to conduct research on topics such as online video advertising, display banners, and interactive tablet advertisments to help create industry alignment on advertising solutions by pooling resources and the uncovering of human insights.

Users can see additional details about this app on App Annie, and download in iTunes to see the brand’s product line, read about the brand’s history and check out the brand ambassadors, which include some A-List celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Maria Sharpapova.

Created with the Mag+ tools, this app is filled with many interactive features. The brand ambassador page, for example, is designed for both orientations. All images re-arranged to their proper place whether the device is in portrait or landscape position. Another favorite section includes the TAG Heuer boutique map. It is just so beautifully designed. Users can simply tap on the icon in the country of their choice to get the specific location of the boutique in that country.

The video below showcases this elegant example of digital publishing with InDesign.

]]> http://www.magplus.com/digital-publishing-with-indesign-tag-heuer/feed/ 0 http://www.magplus.com/digital-publishing-with-indesign-tag-heuer/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/magplus/~3/3B8uhE6u858/ http://www.magplus.com/upgrade-indesign-plugins-cs5/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 15:24:07 +0000 Björn Alberts http://www.magplus.com/?p=13809 We get a lot of feedback from our customers appreciating that they can create digital publications with Mag+ InDesign plugins for CS4, CS5 and CS6. And for this purpose, there’s really no need to upgrade InDesign.

Adobe frequently releases upgrades to their CS. Software upgrades are released for a reason, but it might not always be worth doing them. It’s a daunting task – and sometimes costly – to keep up with the programs. We are all familiar with the ever-burning question, “should I hold out for next version?”

If you want to upgrade InDesign to be able to create digital publications, look no further. The Mag+ free InDesign plugin is all you need.

Are you still on CS4? Or are you looking for InDesign plugins for CS5? Maybe you’ve already upgraded to CS6 but do not feel like paying for DPS? Then Mag+ is for you.

Here is a video that further explains the Mag+ concept.

1. Please give a short introduction to the team responsible for the app.

The Tharawat magazine app was created by the Tharawat magazine team in Dubai and the Mag+ team in Stockholm. Our team here in Dubai is composed of the Editor-at-Large, Farida El Agamy, our Creative Designer, Mohamed Issa and myself. We collaborated with the talented Mick Droguett who is the Art Director at Mag+ and are supported by Alexander Rehnström who is in charge of our HTML animation.

2. Tell us about your app. When is the launch date?

The Tharawat magazine app is a simple concept that gives our readers access to our quarterly magazine and allows them to download an annual subscription. The launch date is set for the end of April. We will first launch in the UAE stores, and then follow that with a global launch by the end of July, 2013.

3. Will you give us some background on the app? How has it evolved from print to iPad? What is your vision?

Our magazine is the only publication in the Middle East focused on the topic of family business and one out of three publications worldwide in this niche. The Tharawat magazine app makes our content available to a wider audience and creates an interactive experience for our readers to enjoy. We want it to be exciting for people to read our publication. We also want to raise awareness about the fascinating family business stories around the world.

4. What sort of interactive features will be included in your app?

We created this app for iPad so that readers can download our interactive magazine, which includes photography, video and interactive infographics that illustrate our editorial content. For our launch, we’re providing our January issue as a free sample for our readers to enjoy. Readers can then purchase single issues that they are interested in, or buy an annual subscription.

5. Why did you select Mag+? Was it a competitive decision?

After much research into the sensitive transition from print to digital publishing, we found many different providers that wanted to assist us in this endeavor. We chose Mag+ mainly because of the great support they were able to lend us in design and the creative outlook the team has on digital publishing. We felt like nothing was impossible with them and felt supported in an adventure that was, quite frankly, one of the most risky endeavors we have undertaken as a publisher.

6. What are your plans for the future?

Our goal is to make Tharawat magazine the number one family business magazine in the world. We have high hopes that the tablet application will help us achieve this goal. The family business model is the leading business model in most economies around the world and we feel like understanding family firms is of the utmost importance to the business community at large.

Market Research

It is crucial to make sure that there is a market for your app. Research different app categories, and specific apps that provide a similar service and or content to what your app will provide. There are several online tools that can help you with your market research. App Annie and Distimo are websites that offer app analytics and market intelligence. Apptrace is another good tool that provides insight to the app economy. With these tools you can easily find top listed apps within specific categories based on downloads and engagement. Do your research. It will pay off in the end.

Create Your Mobile App & Spread the Word

Mag+ is a digital publishing platform based on an InDesign plugin.  Whether you are looking to make a consumer, corporate or enterprise app, the Mag+ platform is an easy way for you to create smartphone and tablet apps without any programming skills. Learn more about the Mag+ tools to get started with your app design and creation. It is critical to keep the user experience top of mind when creating your app. It must be easy to use, and a beautiful design certainly goes a long way.

As you are creating you app, start the hype online. If you don’t have one already, you should create a website and Facebook page for you app, and start to cross promote. Do you have a personal blog? This might be a good outlet to begin marketing your app as well. Begin building the online presence of your app.

Optimize for the App Store

We recently did a series of blog posts with Mag+ product expert, Anders Odevik. He provided best practices for naming your app in the App Store, selecting the best category for your app, designing app icons for the App Store, and using keywords in your App Store listing. Following these guidelines will greatly improve your visibility of your iOS app in the App Store. If your app is in English, we recommend you consider localizing your app. The translation of the app name in the App Store will increase downloads.

Engage with Your App Users

More and more tools are becoming available to improve engagement with your app users. It is important for you to understand your audience so that you can better meet their needs. As their needs are met, they are more willing to return to your app. Appboy is a fantastic customer engagement platform that pulls information from your app users to help you to better understand, engage and monetize your audience. Through this platform you can see how users are using your app, and send them relevant push notifications to keep them coming back for more.

Dont’ Give Up!

Don’t stop marketing your app after its launch. It is an ongoing process. Remember to measure your user engagement, cross promote your app on other online properties and continue your marketing efforts. There are tools to help you along your way! Apptamin is an app marketing firm that offers some fantastic services. If you have not seen their website you should. Their blog is packed with valuable information and marketing tools for developers, including this great iOS App Marketing Strategy Guide.