Without design a magazine is merely a melange of disparate elements; with it, it is a disciplined entity. Therefore all magazines are designed. In the 90s there is no longer the golden rule of magazine design. While most magazines maintain formats in which an array of editorial contents are placed, many "alternative" publications are experimenting with totally mutable design schemes, and sometime overall sizes and shapes. For some, consistency has become the hobgoblin of creatity; for others it"s a must. This book represents the diverse visual approach practiced today. This book shows how various methods are practices; how current styles are reinterpreted by different designers; how unique design identities are established; and how conceptual thinking pervades the design of the best magazines.