The truth of the matter is that some publications deserve to die. These are the craptastic bottom scrapers in a schlocky publishing world.
But then comes news that an iconic brand has fallen by the wayside and it gives pause. Such as today when news came that ID Magazine — winner of five National Magazine Awards and general arbiter of all things design for the past 55 years — will stop publishing with their upcoming January/February issue.
Wrote the publisher in a press release:
Ceasing publication of an iconic brand like I.D. is never an easy decision, but there are several forces that have worked against its sustainability. Certainly the downturn in print advertising has contributed to this decision, but other factors include the fragmentation and specialized information needs of I.D.’s core readers (product designers) and the plethora of information resources available to them – some for free (online and B2B) and others that are highly specialized and targeted to specific industries served.
F+W Media will continue producing the I.D. Annual Design Review, its flagship international product design competition, in an expanded fashion online.
If it provides any consolation, F+W will continue publishing Print, a bimonthly magazine about visual culture and design.
