LMU Magazine

Taking an award-winning publication to new heights.

Project Synopsis

LMU Magazine serves as the official publication of Loyola Marymount University. Since its launch in 2010, the magazine has earned more than 100 awards. The print edition has been designed by Pentagram Design from its inception.

The digital version of the print magazine has been presented within a very clean and simple website. LMU enlisted Pentagram and Storyware to create a digital-only issue that would be distinctive and independent from the existing website while remaining closely aligned with the brand, ensuring it wasn’t mistaken for a product from a different organization.

Team

Before beginning work on the digital-only issue, we collaborated with LMU to determine whether it should be housed under the same “roof” as the LMU Magazine website. This approach would involve building and managing the digital-only issue within the same WordPress instance as the existing site.

We recommended this option for two key reasons: 1) the same staff members would oversee content for both the digital-only issue and the main website, and 2) it would enable stronger integration with the digital versions of the print issues.

A review of the website’s WordPress admin revealed several outdated fields and custom post types that were no longer in use. These fields caused confusion for new CMS users as they were visible, unclear, and occasionally buggy. Additionally, the backend was underutilizing native WordPress blocks. Drawing on our experience with WordPress and familiarity with the LMU Magazine website, we proposed addressing these issues by selectively rebuilding parts of the backend rather than redesigning the entire site. This approach also allowed us to lay the groundwork for the digital-only issue. We completed this critical step while LMU focused on creating the stories for the upcoming digital-only edition.

LMU Mobile blue bg

The success of any website project depends greatly on a content-first approach, and this was especially true for a digital-only magazine. The stories for the Fall 2024 digital issue needed to be planned and developed with the same care as previous print editions, but now tailored for an entirely different medium.
LMU Ipad

LMU recognized the value of involving not just Pentagram, but also Storyware, in brainstorming how to present these stories effectively.
LMU Vote mobile

By combining LMU’s editorial expertise, Pentagram’s creative vision, and our front-end development skills, we were able to deliver a truly exceptional user experience.

Creating the front-end experience was just one part of our mission. We also needed to enhance the backend foundation we had previously built, ensuring that LMU could seamlessly produce future digital-only issues with minimal complexity and without incurring significant development costs.

LMU laptop

We utilized existing custom post types, such as Issues and Videos, to ensure the digital-only content blended seamlessly with the existing website pages.

We added new features to WordPress, including digital article types and content blocks within Posts. This allowed LMU staff to easily create digital-only articles, as all print-first articles were already managed as WordPress posts.

Inspired by the New York Times, one of the digital-only stories featured an interactive map.

Rather than creating a one-off solution for this specific story, we developed a reusable content block, based on Pentagram’s design, that allows LMU to easily incorporate interactive U.S. maps with customizable data points and content for future stories. Looking ahead, we plan to expand the functionality of this block, giving LMU even more flexibility whenever they want to use maps as storytelling tools.

We’re excited to begin work on next year’s digital-only issue, building on the foundation and insights gained from this project.
Quotemark

Storyware brings exceptional digital development acumen to the table, with the capacity to keep up with our biggest, craziest ideas and deliver the latest features in web functionality. But what truly sets Storyware apart is that they come to the table as full partners. They are available; they communicate with clarity; they bring good ideas; and as professional project managers, they have consistently delivered our projects on time and within budget. Plus, they’re just plain nice to work with.

Maureen Pacino
Executive Director of Creative and Production, LMU

What We Built

  • Magazine Website
View Fall 2024 Digital Issue
World Education Services