Zembla Magazine Issue No. 9 Design
Published five times a year, Zembla combines 'literary culture interests with the innovation and flair of a style magazine'. The magazine's editor, Dan Crowe, and publisher, Simon Finch, approached Frost to design and art direct it. The concept was based on the need for a cool literary magazine that targeted a younger audience, but would also attract high-end advertisers such as Paul Smith and Gucci. The brief was short: 'Do whatever you want. Be expressive. Have fun with words'. The confidence of Zembla's design lies largely in its refusal to adhere to the traditional 'rules' of magazine design. The letter Z forms the masthead and identity for the magazine, which spans the entire front cover while flexible type sizes and characters and a grid that appears 'only when we need it', characterise the design within. Zembla is very much about ideas-based design and its strapline, 'Fun with Words', applies equally to both content and form.