Builder magazine has undergone an extensive redesign by Pentagram. Published by Hanley Wood, the number one media company covering construction, the title is the industry leader. The redesign took place as part of a holistic company initiative, following a thorough period of self-evaluation as Hanley Wood looked both internally and at the trade as a whole, for realignment and innovation.
Innovation became a major thrust for the project as the construction industry and associated businesses are rapidly evolving and adapting to new technology. As more of Builder's content migrated online, the existing print structure was poised for change. A major goal of the redesign was to make the magazine direct and navigable. The magazine structure was simplified reducing the number of sections. To improve functionality the new single page table of contents allows readers to scan the content of the whole issue at a glance. Similarly, large page numbers were introduced in the advertising-heavy sections for easy reference and navigation throughout the issue.
The publication's color palette is brighter and more contemporary, employing intense, pure color in contrast to the former palette of earthy muted hues. In tandem with the palette shift was a change to new illustration, again bringing a fresh presentation to content and also new infographics set against clean white backgrounds making dynamic use of white space.
On the cover, the logotype, based on the font Amplitude, was redrawn with crisp angles making the title more distinct and ownable while retaining the boldness of the existing logo. Around the logo the new cover structure is carefully formatted, a white border surrounds the cover and the logo always appears in black. Two font families are used: Galaxie Polaris a robust, muscular sans serif with a wide range of weights combined with Greta, a crisp, contemporary serif font. The paper stock was changed to a whiter matte finish.
Pentagram worked closely with Boyce Thompson, Editorial Director and Denise Dersin, Editor in Chief.
