The Media Education Research Network Südwest (mpfs), a collaborative project comprising the State Media Authority of Baden-Württemberg, the State Media and Communication Centre of Rhineland-Palatinate and Südwestfunk, has been publishing the so-called JIM Study annually since 1998. JIM – stands for Youth, Information and Media: the study examines the media usage of 12- to 19-year-olds. In addition to the JIM Study, the KIM Study and the miniKIM Study are also published by the mpfs. The KIM study examines media usage among six- to 13-year-olds, whilst the miniKIM study observes how young children interact with media.
After a proud 20 years of consistent design, the editorial design of the studies is in need of a makeover. To do justice to the informative nature of the study (and our own standards), our challenge is not merely to make it look better, but also to improve its practical impact.
We combine information with design; we are the nexus between specialist knowledge and understanding. A wealth of specialist knowledge requires good usability in editorial design, as it needs to reach the reader and make an impact.
VISUELL is developing a new visual identity for the JIM Study, in which the high volume of information is better structured. DIN A4 pages filled with unbroken text are to be a thing of the past. Glossy paper is being phased out in favour of high-quality paper sourced from responsible forestry. The cover page is being designed to be more open and inviting, and the table of contents restructured. Each topic is given its own icon, making the report much clearer to browse through and highlighting key topics more effectively. We are retaining the green colour scheme to maintain brand recognition, and we are also incorporating it into the numerous graphics that now increasingly break up the text. What makes it special: VISUELL creates a design template that our client can use to continue working independently and input information. We also design a flyer for the mpfs, which summarises the key findings of the JIM study.
VISUELL has also presented a redesign for the KIM study, which is based on the corporate design of the JIM study but differs in its colour scheme. VISUELL has created an appealing product that works well both online and in print. It is clear and informative, yet at the same time modern and visually appealing.
“We’ve received nothing but positive feedback from our readers about the new layout. The study is much better structured and makes effective use of icons to organise the content.”
Theresa Reutter,
former media and audience research officer,
LFK
