Editorial design tips and tricks courtesy of Kinfolk’s Alex Hunting

Alex Hunting was the second speaker at January’s Nicer Tuesdays, joining our editor-in-chief Matt Alagiah for a Q&A that revolved around his recent redesign of Kinfolk magazine and the visual strategy behind the publisher’s newest venture, Kindling. Speaking on the former, Alex said that the team chose to update the magazine’s look and feel to coincide with its 10th anniversary: “It felt like the right moment to make that big call.” He took the audience through the various changes that were made, including a complete rethink of the cover, doing away with the iconic white space that has framed the top and bottom of the page for as long as we can remember. He said that it marked a significant evolution in the magazine’s visual style, one that the team were excited about, but he also conceded that not everyone will approve – for some, it may take some getting used to.

The team were equally excited by the newest addition to the Kinfolk family, Kindling, a magazine for “people with children”. Alex explained how they developed an entirely new approach for this publication, leaning on the design of educational resources and scientific journals to help inform the overall look and layout. Lots of colour and a playful tone were equally as crucial to the aesthetic and Alex delved into the importance of creating “moments” throughout Kindling that would grab a child’s attention, dotting these throughout the publication’s often adult-orientated editorial. Working between such diverse editorial projects, Alex finished his talk with some great advice on refining your process and honing your craft.