DINK travel magazine: from concept to coffee table

The idea

Method Marketing founder Lucy Mowatt has always wanted to create magazines.

Having made an early attempt to launch one at the age of 14 using the school photocopier, the ambition never entirely disappeared. After working as a magazine editor for several organisations, the idea began to take a more definite shape around a decade ago: an independent travel magazine for people who love exploring but don’t have unlimited time or money.

The aim was to create something for travellers who want to stay in interesting places, eat well and have memorable experiences, without presenting travel as an exclusive luxury.

DINK magazine was designed to feel premium, but not unobtainable.

The challenge

Creating a magazine involves much more than writing enough articles to fill pages.

The first issue needed to offer a variety of articles while feeling like a coherent publication. It had to cover different types of travel, appeal to a clearly defined reader and maintain a consistent identity from the opening pages to the final feature.

There also needed to be a balance between longer, immersive travel stories and shorter, more practical pieces. Too many long-form articles could make the magazine feel dense, while too many short items could feel piecemeal.

The project also developed alongside Method Marketing’s client work, which remained the business’s priority. As a result, maintaining momentum and finding the time to bring everything together became one of the project’s main challenges.

Developing the editorial strategy

Before writing began, a content matrix was created to establish what the first issue needed to include.

This considered three main areas:

• The first was the type of travel covered, including long-haul destinations, short-haul trips and breaks closer to home in the UK.
• The second was the range of subjects and experiences explored. These included food, art, culture, nature, history, people and the practical side of planning a trip.
• Finally, the content was assessed according to how it should make the reader feel. Some articles needed to inspire a sense of adventure or curiosity, while others might evoke nostalgia, provide reassurance or encourage readers to see travel differently.

Looking at these elements together made it possible to identify gaps, avoid placing too much emphasis on one kind of travel and create a balanced issue.

It also provided a framework for deciding whether a potential article belonged in DINK, rather than including it simply because the subject was interesting.

Planning the issue

A flatplan was created to map the content across the magazine’s 40 pages.

This helped establish the rhythm of the issue, including the placement of longer stories, interviews, practical advice and shorter features. It also made it possible to consider how text-heavy sections would sit alongside more visual pages.

The content continued to evolve when a new idea emerged or the developing issue revealed that a particular destination, theme or type of article was missing. Features moved, changed length or were replaced as the magazine took shape.

This combination of planning and flexibility helped DINK retain a clear editorial direction without closing the door on new ideas.

From blank page to finished publication

Method Marketing managed the complete editorial and production process.

Designer James Ward was commissioned to create the DINK masthead and a set of initial design templates. These provided the visual foundations for the publication while allowing the layouts to develop around the individual stories and photography.

Method Marketing then:

• Refined the magazine’s concept, positioning and audience
• Developed the editorial strategy and flatplan
• Researched and wrote more than 10 original pieces
• Edited the complete issue
• Took original photographs and sourced additional imagery
• Created the page layouts
• Arranged printing and reviewed proofs
• Developed initial launch marketing

The completed issue brings together personal travel writing, long-haul and short-haul explorations, UK breaks, an interview and practical advice. Although the subjects and formats vary, each piece contributes to the central idea behind DINK: thoughtful travel that feels special without being out of reach.

Designing for print

Producing a physical magazine involves different challenges from publishing articles online.

DINK is perfect bound, meaning the pages are glued into the spine rather than secured with staples. This can cause parts of a design to become less visible where the pages meet, particularly across double-page photographs and layouts containing important details close to the gutter.

The layouts therefore had to be reviewed with the finished physical publication in mind. Images needed to retain their impact without allowing faces, text or focal points to disappear into the binding.

The result

The first issue of DINK is a 40-page travel magazine available in both print and digital formats.

It reflects the original ambition for the publication: to feel considered, visually appealing and aspirational while remaining relevant to people travelling within realistic limits on their time and budget.

The process also created a strong foundation for future issues. Work on issue two is already under way, with the concept continuing to develop through new destinations, subjects and ways of telling travel stories.

Although DINK is Method Marketing’s own publication, the process behind it reflects the work involved in producing customer magazines, membership publications, annual reviews and long-form reports.

A successful publication requires more than a collection of well-written articles. It needs:

• A clear purpose and understanding of its audience
• An editorial strategy that guides content decisions
• A balanced and carefully paced content plan
• Strong research, interviewing, writing and editing
• Effective collaboration between editorial and design
• Accurate proofreading and quality control
• Close attention to how the final publication will be used

Method Marketing can support the complete editorial process, from developing the initial concept and planning the content to writing features, editing contributions, managing flatplans and proofreading final layouts. Get in touch to find out more.