Saffron Mag case study.
Coffee-table editorial redesign and print system for a food-and-culture quarterly.
The brief.
The problem. A quarterly food-and-culture magazine wanted to stop looking like a Sunday supplement and start looking like the kind of object people leave on coffee tables for months.
The solution. We rethought every spread from grid up — generous serif body, concentric-circle visual motifs tying covers to feature openers, full-bleed photography, and signature pull-quote treatments.
The process.
Three phases. No hand-waving. Here is how the work actually got made.
Grid Architecture
Designed a 12-column dynamic editorial grid supporting long essays and visual photo spreads.
Typography Pairing
Custom display pairings between high-contrast serifs and crisp geometric monospaces.
Print Proofing
Paper stock selection, uncoated matte finishes, and spot color calibration.
The impact.
Design that moves metrics — shelf presence, engagement, and revenue.
Newsstand pickups
Vs. the issue before the redesign.
New subscribers
Net new in the first quarter post-redesign.
Indie magazine list
Listed by Stack as a 2024 pick of the year.