Bubmag Magazine

“A New Digital Simulation of the Analogue” – Periodical as a digital bridge from visual stimulus to in-depth information. The concept addresses the confrontation with the analog and the digital and its transformation. It seeks a new way of conveying information: the increasing importance of the image is met uncompromisingly, without losing any depth of content. In the process, digital influence and manipulation are significantly reduced because the concept allows for a wide variety of viewpoints – as a counterpoint to the process of selective exposure. The periodical (Bubmag) is physically and digitally available and complements itself to a symbiotic system. The curated images on the specific themes serve as emotional catalysts and the linked, in-depth text content is dynamically generated algorithmically from aggregated information from various sources. The technology acts as a new form of link between the analogue and the digital.

The mechanism: The Bubmag concept allows access to a diverse array of information on current topics and provides a wide range of opinions. Bubmag is curated and available as  a physical and digital product, both forms expanding and complementing each other. Topics are algorithmically generated from aggregated information of various sources. The technology acts as a link between analog and digital, and the design supports the user experience both in analog and digital form.

The ideal medium: a medium that can be used both analog and digital is suitable for the concept; a similar user experience can differ noticeably and situationally from analog and digital. Periodicals provide the best conditions for the idea. The first periodicals appeared at the end of the 16^th century and developed in various forms, but the essential components of the design remained the same for the most part. This new concept, on the other hand, changes the conventional design in its most basic form by separating text content from the image content. The basic idea is that the update-value can be maintained by dynamically generating text content using a search algorithm and adding it continuously; in contrast, static-text content quickly loses its topicality. On the other hand, the image is linked to the dynamic text, is less transient (higher update-value), serves the user as a thematic basis, and as a call to action.

Aggregated texts: The text contributions are automatically retrieved from various sources and collected on bubmag.com. The effectively linked article is always on the original page. The user has a wide range of articles at their disposal, which conveys the diversity of opinions on a particular topic. The aim is to promote the discourse of cognitive dissonance and to minimize selective exposure.

Thematic images: The implemented images are curated and used as emotional catalysts for current themes. They are both entry points and triggers for specific critical stimuli so that photography is increasingly in the focus of the dynamic Bubmag concept. Hashtags also support the images to limit the thematic and subjective space of interpretation.

The symbiosis: The digital form serves, above all else, to convey information, whereas in the physical form images visually extend the content. In addition to the similar design language, both forms complement each other to form a symbiotic system. Nevertheless, there are essential differences between the physical and digital form of the magazine: the haptic perception (sensitivity) or the modality of reading or viewing are different in all characteristics.

The physical magazine consists exclusively of predefined photos supported by hashtags. QR codes are also used, which store the corresponding subject areas as web links and enable the playback of VR videos, to connect the analog and digital world. The use of barcode markers makes WebAR possible, thus overlaying the analog world with digital content. The periodical is published yearly, and the 120 curated images depict the current topics regarding politics, society, and culture.

The digital form of the magazine consists of a website and a progressive web app (PWA). Similar to the analog magazine, the topics are teased with photos and linked to the corresponding text contributions.

The result is a printed and digital magazine.

We designed a new form of conveying information using technology as a digital bridge from visual stimulus to in-depth information. This project was created at ZHdK in Zurich as a part of the CAS Design Technologies Study.

Client #Bubmag / Date #2019 / Category #Editorial #Exhibitions / Design Lab #Soulengineer / Designer Marco Simonetti / Photographers Scanrail, viktoriagam, iggy74, athos1, ablakat, Shaiith79, Imagix, liorpt, palinchak, emilymwilson@comcast.net, razvanphoto, Nyker, cheekylorns2, dimaberkut, radekprocyk, radekprocyk, Alex_Ishchenko, BalkansCat, ookelma, alfribeiro, mazzzur, neilld, frizio, maxoidos, AlexGukBO, jannystockphoto, Vietbox, ifeelstock, czuber, modfos, vincentstthomas, AnjoKanFotografie, lucidwaters, fnalphotos, lusia83, Foto-VDW, harveysart, palinchak, heekylorns2, pkproject, adekprocyk, MaykovNikita, momo11353@hotmail.com, hskoken, littleny, mathias_berlin, sunsinger, davidtran07, Balakate, kjorgen, thelefty, toxawww, giggswalk, zhukovsky, avmedved, panomja7@gmail.com, flydragon, elenarostunova, aapsky, mcdonojj, pwollinga, bluebe, lusia83, olegbreslavtsev, lspencer, josekube, woodkern, Belish, cowardlion, 360ber, AndreyKr, fotogenix, Aksakal, johny007pandp, nikkytok, Mirage3, patrick.daxenbichler, opturadesign, hany_musallam@hotmail.com, neilld, possum, wsintapanon.hotmail.com, nikkytok, Gudkovandrey, proxodimec, frizio, vampy1, Anton_Petrus, actionsports, m.iacobucci.tiscali.it, sergasx, JJFarquitectos, keleny, genious2000de, wjarek, pal2iyawit, uynamedjames, Johann, bettorodrigues, pio3, 1000Words, SherryVSmith, cozyta, jag_cz, Lazyllama, AnjoKanFotografie, jackq, liorpt, loes.kieboom, dimaberkut, razvanphoto, homank76, ikurucan, elenarostunova, maxoidos, bbc001_clashot, askoldsb, Scharfsinn, fnalphotos, MichaelFitzsimmons, Lukassek, bettorodrigues, v.dushenkovsky, phil_bird, Astrelok, Corepics (Deposiphotos, Unsplash), Event Horizon Telescope (ESO: CC BY 4.0), Anders Hellberg (Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 4.0), Stocktrek Images (Alamy Stock Photo), Jason Kempin Photography / Consultant Marco Simonetti

Design Direction Marco Simonetti @Soulengineer