Last week we announced the launch of the Manna covers on Tumblr.com. Now, many people are wondering who’s responsible for the impressive design that prefaces the content. We recently sat down for a brief Q&A with Creative Director, Joe Willey, to give you the inside scoop on the creative and production aspects of the Manna covers:
Q: The Manna covers have a simple, but powerful look. How would you describe its style?
A: Uncluttered, I hope. I like the word “powerful” and since the issues are thematic, one cover design to set the tone for the entire issue has a lot of weight and should get your attention quickly.
Q: Where does the creative inspiration for the Manna covers come from?
A: I think about the broad theme. The January 2012 edition was about guilt, so I thought about all of the things that guilt implied and looked for photos that loosely supported the idea. The text worked with the image of someone bent over in a chair. To me, it looked like the weight of guilt.
Q: How has the Manna covers evolved over the years?
A: The Manna was originally a newspaper and the front page had a headline and text, like a typical newspaper. The changes were subtle at first, like an illustration that incorporated a headline above the fold. Most newspapers only used photos to support the stories, but we were trying to capture interest with graphics.
Q: Has the Manna‘s transition to a digital platform hurt, or helped the creative/production aspects of the covers?
A: It’s helped creatively, because it has distilled the cover down to a manageable visual size, and I think there is more impact when you see the cover without a fold like the newspaper. It has helped with production because the image we need for a digital prublication can be a lower resolution than for print.
Q: How do the Manna covers differ from other webzine covers?
A: I think the Manna resists the temptation to fill the cover with a list of what’s between the covers. The Manna covers are more like book jackets or posters, than magazine covers. I’m happy with the comparison.
Q: In March, the Manna will release its first print magazine. Will the cover differ from the digital covers?
A: The goal is to make them similar if not exactly the same, but I also want to make them the most useful for their application. I hope casual observers say, “that’s different than what i usually see. I want to read that.”
Check out the Manna covers on Tumblr at http://themanna.tumblr.com
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