Metro Guide Publishing’s East Coast Living magazine has won the inaugural Magazine Makeover contest, presented by Toronto-based design and communication studio K9 Design.



K9 Design managing partner and principle Jennifer Neal says East Coast Living was one of several entries from coast to coast, but was chosen by the judging panel for its editorial and ability to use the Grand Prize best. “We have the feeling that their team is large enough to take the design and run with it,” says Neal. “We felt with their great content, some design, circulation and print help will boost them to the next level.”

East Coast Living’s Grand Prize includes a holistic analysis of the winner’s publication in addition to providing the following services: strategic direction and redesign on new cover and interior layouts from K9 Design, circulation consultation from Circ3, digital publishing from Dawson Communications NXT Book Media, printing services from Ironstone Media, core promotional printed product from Annex Printing, and stock photography from iStockphoto.


Neal says initial plans for the redesign should be completed by the end of June and feels the contest was a great success. “The reason we launched the contest was to celebrate design and print,” she says. “The publishing industry is having a very tough time, not sure where it’s going to fall. We’re excited to celebrate the printed product.”