Editorial Design: JIM-, KIM and miniKIM study

The Medien­pädagogischer Forschungs­verbund Südwest (mpfs), a cooperation project consisting of the Landes­anstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg, the Landes­zentrale für Medien und Kommunikation Rheinland-Pfalz and Südwest­rundfunk, has been publishing the so-called JIM study every year since 1998. JIM – that stands for youth, information and media: the study examines the media behaviour of 12 to 19-year-olds. In addition to the JIM study, the mpfs also publishes the KIM study and the miniKIM study. The KIM study examines the media use of six to 13-year-olds, while the miniKIM study observes how young children use media.  

The editorial design of the studies needs a makeover after 20 years of standardised design. In order to do justice to the informative nature of the study (and our own standards), our challenge is not only to beautify it, but also to improve its practical impact. 

A lot of expertise needs good usability in editorial design, because it should reach the reader and achieve something. 

VISUELL is developing a new look for the JIM study, in which the high flow of information is better structured. DIN A4 pages filled with paragraph-less text should be a thing of the past. Glossy paper disappears and gives way to high-quality paper from responsible forestry. The title page is designed to be more open and inviting, and the table of contents is restructured. Each topic will have its own icon, making the study much clearer to browse through and better labelling the main topics. We have retained the green colour concept in order to maintain the recognition value, and we have also used it again in the many graphics, which now break up the text more and more. What’s special: VISUELL creates a design template with which our customer can continue to work independently and add information. We also designed a flyer for mpfs that summarised the key findings of the JIM study.  

VISUELL also presented a redesign for the KIM study, which was based on the corporate design of the JIM study, but differed in terms of colour concepts. VISUELL has designed an appealing product that is convincing both online and in the print version. It is clear and informative, but at the same time modern and appealing.