Response

Visiting Meredith Corporation in Des Moines was quite an experience. I don’t have much to say about the 9-hour return trip, but the actual magazine tour was fun and informative. The physical structure is quite stunning. The original brick building still stands and is now connected to a more modern office. Glass skywalks take you across the campus and provide you with sweeping views of the snowy white city. The art collection is massive, and so is the amazing photo studio!




I enjoyed sitting in on the cover critique session, especially since we had done the same on Thursday. There is so much thought that goes into putting a room on a cover. It was fascinating to learn about the process of choosing the right cover image as well as how important type is. The editors toiled over whether the right phrase was “potting station” or “gardening station.” Was the vase too tall? How does the page flow? Every time we were asked to give our two cents I felt like the editors and art director were really listening to what we had to say.

I’ll be working in the publishing group for Renovation Style. While we had a productive meeting, I came out with the realization that the editors of the magazine are happy with how it looks. They even said that they like the magazine the way it is and that they’re not having trouble selling ads. I found myself wondering why we’re doing a redesign. New ideas are always important, so I’m hoping to come to the table with many—some close to what they have now and others that are in far left field.