Interview with Justus Magazine
Photo Jackie Chan.
Photo Jackie Chan.
Just to be frank. Justus Magazine is a graphic design orgasm. This truly amazing 128-page quarterly publication features over 10 different stocks and beautifully printed with foils, embossing and other innovative embellishments. Nothing is held back.
Justus celebrates the craftsmanship and passion of the Australian design and print community, and it is Australia’s only journal dedicated to creatives, educators and suppliers. The share the love around, Justus seeks to use a different printer with each issue and with a different paper merchant’s stock.
The publication aims to be a day-to-day resource for designers, and encourages innovative thinking for how and why we print. With already over 2,000 subscribers across Australia, this independent project is causing ripples in the design world. Subscribe for $180 per year.
The concept for such a dream magazine can only be appropriately tackled by an experienced designer, and with a real heart for our industry. The Founder and Creative Director is Lindsay Smith from Sydney.
This week sees the launch of the long awaited Issue 2 – To Letterpress with Love and in anticipation for its release, we interviewed Lindsay for some insight behind the workings of this beautiful publication.
Photo Jackie Chan.
Photo Jackie Chan.
Photo Jackie Chan.
How did Justus Magazine come about? Was there a gap in the market… Or did you feel the industry needed it?
First and foremost, I love our industry, I love design and I love print. I have been privileged to choose a life career that makes me satisfied and so I have decided to dedicate my time and energy into building a stronger design community.
There was a definite gap in the Australian market for a journal that celebrates and showcases the Australian print design industry. Throughout the course of my career, I have always been impressed with the robust level of inspirational design publications on offer abroad.
I felt that it was deeply relevant for Australian design, in particular Australian print design, to have it’s own platform for recognition – it was time; it was justified.
The journal is also a tool that can help designers and printers see, feel and learn various processes and concepts that are currently on offer. I wanted a bible for the Australian design community to help it grow and discover the right partners for projects in the print and paper industry.
What are you guys most proud of during your time together (so far) as Justus?
I think it’s been the industry’s reaction to Justus that has made the team at Justus smile with pride. As most will tell you, print designers aren’t easily stunned nor do they suffer fools, so to have received such positive feedback from such a broad range of industry artisans and craftsman – from bespoke letterpress boutiques to high end, award-winning designers – has been a proven testament of our hard work.
We are proud of our sponsors and supporters for coming on the journey with us. My vision could only be realised when they sat down in the studio to cast their eyes’ over the flat plan to see this single piece of paper translate into a beautifully crafted journal. There are some brave people in our business and I salute them all!
The first issue is just gorgeous. This must be a dream for you to work with all of these beautiful stocks and finishes?
Each issue of Justus aims to delight in the beautiful stocks and finishes that our market has on offer. Uncovering them, choosing them and watching them come together to create a gorgeous sample book and a useful tool for all other designers, has been a wonderful dream to achieve.
Have there been any unexpected challenges along the way?
There are always logistic issues with multifaceted print pieces and this one is more challenging than most.
We have chosen to allow a different printer to print each issue of the magazine to showcase their print capabilities, however the fact that we utilize 10 different stocks in each issue with their own characteristics and behavior pushes our printers to the limit.
Since we reference every page with the corresponding print information – any issues that arise need to be overcome otherwise our information would be incorrect.
The fact that we showcase a different finishing technique covering more than 10 pages of each issue also means that there are numerous sections that need to travel back and forth to various suppliers.
Last but not least allowing our advertisers to supply their own produced pages that need to be hand collated and inserted is a time consuming process.
You’ve just completed and are about to launch Issue 2. How are the Justus team celebrating?
A drink to toast our newfound Justus friends and family. At the same time, we are gearing up for Issue 3. This is an exciting journey to be on and we are constantly on the look out for new, creative ways to contribute to the growth of the print design community.
Photo Jackie Chan.
Photo Jackie Chan.
Photo Jackie Chan.
About You
What’s your background? Tell me a little about your journey before and up to getting started with Just Us Magazine…
As a self-taught designer, my career in design first took me to London where I worked on corporate literature for blue chip clients including the British Army, Cadbury and Twinings. I then became creative director for AMM Publishing, single-handedly designing for a luxury travel magazine.
I returned to Sydney eight years ago to launch ElevenEleven design. The studio works on very diverse projects with clientele including Palazzo Versace, Elizabeth Arden, The Observatory Hotel, Mirvac and the Asia Luxury Travel Market. The studio has successfully helped many start-up companies with their branding identity.
In a few words, describe yourself…
Persistent, Persuasive and Passionate.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
We have just moved into a new office and are dealing with all the logistics of the new set up; hiring new team members for both companies, exploring a new venture in Europe with an office set up in Brussels, and setting the foundations of the next issue of Justus Magazine.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
I consume myself with information related and non-related to the project I’m about to work on – I then leave it and I sleep on it. I’m generally blessed with finding a design either in a dream or first thing in the morning – the shower wall is a great canvas.
What or who inspires you?
Inspiration is observation. Taking your time to stop and reflect often helps you see the most unexpected solutions that become the building blocks or the starting point of your next design journey.
What are you most proud of?
It may sound so cliché, but life is an incredible journey! In triumphs and disasters there are so many things to take with you. I am proud of pushing my boundaries every day with my two companies – Eleven Eleven and Justus; my team and their dedication to each project, despite challenges that may occur.
Being a designer tout court – I still think is a great privilege and my place as a woman in the industry, my children and my personal ambitions.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I told everyone that I was going to be a graphic designer without knowing what one was. I thought it sounded good and I thought it might be the person who decides what prints are on material.
My mum does tell me that I was a very well behaved child because all I needed was a piece of paper and a pencil and I was happy to sit and draw at her friends’ houses, when she took us for visits.
