If you haven’t already heard, AMPA has scored an amazing art director to speak at this year’s Alberta Magazines Conference (register now; early bird deadline is March 1, 2012!). Alice Cho is currently an art director at Wired magazine in San Francisco, but she has Alberta roots, hailing from Edmonton and graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) in Calgary. She has worked on several magazines, including Print and the ever-fabulous SEED.
She’ll be giving two sessions at the conference. The first is about apps—Improve your App Aptitude, which will be a session focused on an art director’s view of apps. “I think apps are incredibly important to the future of magazines,” says Cho. “While I don't feel like print is going to disappear any time soon, its app counterparts will play an increasingly larger role. I think the design of apps is just as important as the design of the print magazines. The apps should get as much attention to detail as anything else.” She’ll give you the low-down behind designing apps for Wired, and what tools are needed for these mobile designs. “I'm hoping to share a bit about the app-making process and why it might be important to magazines that haven't made the leap yet.”
Her second session about tactile design will resonate with those who consider magazines paper arts, as I do. But it’s also a must-do for those designers who haven’t explored much beyond their desktop or have forgotten that magazine design doesn’t only happen on a computer. Cho will share handcrafted design ideas that work well on the page or screen, and most importantly, convey clear relevant messages to your readers. “I'm hoping that people will be inspired to look past the computer to communicate ideas,” she says. “I hope to share my enthusiasm for craft and maker culture in an industry where we spend a bit too much time behind a monitor.”
To ensure you get some face-time with Cho, be sure to register today for the Alberta Magazines Conference, taking place March 22 to 24 in Calgary. Early bird deadline is Thursday, March 1, so don’t hesitate and you’ll also save some bucks.
--- Colleen Seto
AMPA Blogger-in-Residence
AMPA Blogger-in-Residence
