Lupo Burtscher was responsible for the artistic direction and layout of issues 30 to 32 of Progetto grafico, an international graphic magazine published by AIAP. Issue number 30, dedicated to the relationship between open source culture and visual communication, questions the ways in which technological innovation can interact with the areas of design, communication, and publishing.
The redesign of Progetto grafico
The redesign of the magazine provides a thorough study from all angles: from its physicality to the arrangement of contents, from the system of grids to general aesthetics. The aim is not to define a fixed system but to provide direction that will enable each issue to be recognisable and at the same time allow freedom in the layout. The first page of Progetto grafico is dedicated to a consideration of the theme of each issue through a series of questions, a quote, or a short statement interpreted typographically. In order to structure the reading rhythm, the redesign introduces the use of pages that signal the beginning of sections and different grids for different types of articles and texts. Together with the grids, the titles of the essays and the subheadings also change the layout and graphic treatment.
The first pages of the magazine present an introductory editors’ text that serves as the editorial for each issue; a further novelty with respect to the previous issues is the addition, at the beginning of each article, of a biographical note describing the author’s relationship with the article’s topic.
The two typefaces chosen for Progetto Grafico, Times Ten and Univers, are placed side by side in each issue together with another typeface, chosen according to the theme.
The two languages of the magazine – Italian and English – have no hierarchy, if only by order of appearance: first Italian, then English. The texts in the two languages have the same layout and the change of language is only highlighted by an introductory sign.
The cover is the space in which Lupo Burtscher contributes to the theme of the issue, by selecting from time to time a project by an external author. In this way the cover is a preview and provides an idea of the theme of the issue, but also offers a new idea that the reader is then free to discover more about.
Issue number 30
Progetto grafico 30 is divided into three main parts, plus an “off topic” section. The open source typeface Bagnard (designed by Sebastien Sanfilippo of the collective OSP) is used for the titles and section pages. For the subheadings, the typeface Univers is forcibly inserted in bold, creating both a dialogue and a contrast. Blue, chosen as the guiding colour of the issue, gives structure to the different chapters of the magazine. The central body of Progetto grafico 30 is dedicated to the Review, which, within a different grid, presents a series of projects that demonstrate how open technologies can revolutionise visual communication.
The cover
The cover image is rendered from an open source file of the Lincoln 3D Scans project by artist Oliver Laric. The project involves creation and publication of a database of 3D scans of the Usher Gallery and The Collection Museum of Lincoln sculpture collections. All the sculpture files are freely accessible and can be downloaded and used without copyright restrictions. The models may provide a starting point for creating new sculptures or new images: Oliver Laric invites to publish them on the project website, where the cover of Progetto grafico 30 is also displayed.
