Redesigning Your Healthcare Magazine? 4 Things to Consider
Hitting the refresh button on your publication is about more than just the design. Here are the things you need to think about as you gear up for a revamp.
Ready for a redesign? If you think it’s time, it’s probably overdue. After all, the last thing you want is an outdated magazine design reflecting poorly on your modern hospital. In fact, you should aim to complete a redesign every few years to ensure your publication stays fresh and relevant. But there’s more to a successful refresh than new colors and fonts (although those are important, too!). Keep these four things in mind as you embark on your redesign journey.
1. Renew Your Focus on the Reader
It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking inward for content ideas and concentrating on the hospital’s awards, doctors and new technologies. But now is a good time to take a step back and ask yourself: What does the reader want to know? What information can you offer that can help your audience lead healthier lives? Instead of running a profile on a new cardiologist, for example, you could opt for a Q&A with the new doctor that offers readers expert tips on keeping their hearts healthy.
2. Rethink Your Pages
Take a look at your articles. Are they skim-friendly? Long running text can seem daunting to readers. But when it’s broken up with subheads, sidebars and (above all) calls to action, you give your audience multiple entry points into the content. Go even further by presenting topics in list, chart or quiz format, or as infographics. In the end, your redesigned publication should offer informative and easily digestible pieces that give readers actionable takeaways.
3. Re-evaluate Your Demographics
When they open the publication, readers should see an accurate representation of the community your hospital serves, including people of the same ethnic background, age demographics and more. Ask yourself: What groups are being underrepresented? If you’re using stock imagery, do the people and the setting feel authentic to your region?
4. Develop Your New Look
That doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. It’s amazing what a few new fonts and a contemporary color palette can do for the overall aesthetic of a magazine. Also consider re-evaluating your publication’s relationship to your brand as a whole. Does it need to sit entirely under your branding umbrella? Or can it have its own personality? There may be unexplored options in your brand guidelines that can achieve both aims.