After switching hands in May and curtailing its presence to online updates, Design Edge Canada has relaunched in print. The September/October issue hit mailboxes last week.

The trade publication, previously owned by North Island Publishing (Masthead's parent company) and now housed at C.J. Oyster Publishing, has been fully redesigned from logo and look to paper. The first issue under Oyster, whose parent company group includes award-winning print shop C.J. Graphics, is finished with a perfect bind and printed on a heavier premium stock. Paper choice will change frequently.


"We're trying to raise the bar on it," said publisher Leslie Smith. He described Design Edge's previous look as "very much like a trade magazine," and said the redesign aims to make readers want to sit down and spend more time with the content. 

Long-time art director Michael Hewis was retained in the transition and given reign to play with the aesthetic. "I think we've now given him a new direction to go in, and a free hand to be a little more creative," Smith said. "It's not just a little update."

The Layar-enhanced cover, a stark closeup of photographer and director Shin Sugino, reflects a change in editorial direction. Previously, covers heavily featured typography, cover lines and graphical elements. "By having a person on the cover, our intent is to celebrate design and the personalities of the design community across Canada," said editor Doug Picklyk.


New sections have been launched, and Picklyk said that while graphic designers and creatives remain the targeted readership, the mag will widen its perspective to explore the influences of other design fields, like architecture, decor and fashion. "It's the idea of design-thinking in a broader scope, and how it applies to business in a lot of ways," he said.

Branding, as per the new logo, will lean on the word 'edge'. The associated Regional Design Awards, known by the moniker 'The Reggies', has been renamed The Redgees, and the website's job board is changing to Jobedge. A full online redesign is also in the works, said Picklyk.