July already, how did that happen?

This month marks a significant publishing milestone, because within the next week the special "handmade" August issue of Wallpaper* magazine featuring readers' own personalised covers should be in the post.

As far as I'm aware, this is the first time a publisher has used personalisation techniques in this manner, whereby users have directly created their own bespoke versions of a major newsstand title, as opposed to the usual push model of personalisation involving "your name written in clouds" or similar tired ideas.

Publisher IPC Media partnered with Kin Design to create a clever interface containing a selection of patterns, textures, wording and motifs for people to select from. So the design elements were restricted and a known known, which is clever. The results are impressive judging by the selection of readers' covers shown in its online gallery, but then I suppose Wallpaper*'s readers are a creative lot. I wish I could say the same for my own effort, sadly it was produced in approximately five minutes while running late for a train, and it shows. Nevertheless I can't wait to see how it turns out.

From a production logistics point-of-view it's an interesting project too, with FE Burman printing the personalised covers, which are then bound to the mag inner at St Ives Plymouth - ironically this is the last issue to be produced by the group before the IPC titles transfer to Wyndeham. I'm wondering how things such as a cover being screwed up on the binding line will be handled? There was probably some small print about that in the T&C.

At the time the project was launched it was anticipated that as many as 24,000 covers could be ordered, am awaiting feedback on how many actually were. Wallpaper* has an ABC of 105k so it would be an impressive take-up. And as the option was open to subscribers and non-subscribers IPC will have picked up a bunch of extra orders, and lots of valuable new customer details for its database.

All in all it's great to see a major publisher embracing the new opportunities created by personalised print in such a clever way, one that's not just about technology for technology's sake.