A message to the incoming board of directors of the Society of Publication Designers from Joe Zeff as he concludes his three years on the board today.
This organization is as relevant as you make it.
The publishing industry is in transition, as are the lives of its members. As magazines continue to vanish from newsstands and mailboxes, the Society of Publication Designers exists to remind the world why magazines were invented in the first place, to deliver serendipitous delight through indulgent but purposeful rhythms of words and images, delivered with impact and emotion to provide help and hope to anyone who experiences them. Survey any newsstand and immediately understand who we are as a civilization and what we aspire to be. Websites and apps are very different. They deliver here and now without regard for yesterday or tomorrow.
As SPD moves into its 50th year, its role becomes clearer than ever: to celebrate the past, confront the present and shape what has the potential to be an incredible future.
Thank you for the privilege of serving the Society of Publication Designers.
Joe Zeff