Ive done a search on magazines, but iveo nly found several lists of no doubt wonderful magazines…
I have found a very cheap offering for a subscription to Icaon magazine, but what i want to know is… is it good? is it worth getting a subscription to?
and (fundamentally), what exactly is it about? design as a whole, interior design, product design?
I have just started a product design course - will this be useful (indirectly perhaps, and in broadening my mind - these are good enough for me. but will it?)
I think Icon is a great magazine. Although it’s only a year old, it is quickly rivalling that of Blueprint in my opinion.
I assume this cheap offering to subscribe to the magazine is the one to celebrate their launch of the “Icon Design Trail” I couldn’t believe my eyes myself when I saw that they were giving a years free subscription. I jumped at the chance!
Icon focuses on design as a whole. The usual stuff on architecture, product, interior, but the main thing that I like about Icon is that it is not afraid to speak it’s mind. If they don’t like something, they say it…unlike most magazines who write unbiased reviews. I think stuff like this is extremely important to someone who is still on the learning curve. You need stuff like this so that you can develop your own critical awareness in order to stop bringing crap design into this world.
Icon is ok, but to be honest, “broadening your mind” will mostly come from experiencing design through exhibitions and so on. In my opinion, magazines and popular media give you too much choice to disregard other stuff (i.e. search engines=the results you’ve searched for). Keep an eye on exhibitions and so on, and get out there… Design Museum, V&A, Geffrye Museum… get ‘Time Out’ regularly.
And in terms of jobs and so on, Design Week is probably better than Icon and Blueprint (go to Design Week website and click the ‘jobs’ section).
