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“Cassandra Voices aspires to be a nexus for wide-ranging expertise. We provoke out of compassion, and kindness animates us. Contributors share deep knowledge and passion for their subjects, but generally operate on the fringes. We are unafraid of erudition, but avoid pretension.”

Cassandra Voices is an online and print publication drawing opinion and articles on a wide range of subject matter and current affairs from contributors across the Irish media landscape. The publication sets out to provide an alternative and much-needed point of view with regard to the challenges faced by Irish society today. Following in the footsteps of previous progressive political publications, Cassandra Voices offers in-depth challenges and opposing views to modern mainstream political, cultural and social discourse. Its first printed edition, published in 2018, was to be a collection of its writings to date. To this end the studio was asked to create an appropriate design and visual communications approach to this publication.

The primary brief of the studio was to design the inaugural publication, and in doing so begin to lay a design foundation for future editions. Our role was to create a style and approach for how the publication is both designed and produced, assessing and advising on the use of content, both textual and visual. From this process, a coherent identity for Cassandra Voices emerged, including typographic styles, a suite of icons and a logo.

The studio worked directly with the project commissioner and photographer to establish this visual response. Exploiting existing photography, as well as recommending the best approaches for its use and implementation in the publication, a photographic treatment and editorial strategy was developed.

The studio created a design approach that is both visually strong and appropriate to the content that Cassandra Voices publishes. We developed both a graphic and typographic approach to the production of the annual while advising on the best use of visual and written content in a design editorial capacity. We worked closely with the commissioner to create a design solution that is relevant and impactful while avoiding cliché and pretence.

We believe that Cassandra Voices offers a much-needed perspective on current affairs; however, in our opinion publications such as this have suffered from a lack of consideration toward their design approaches. The application of a rational and highly considered visual communications approach to a publication such as this reinforces and supports its content, helping to bolster the opinions expressed and present the issues and ideas in a visually engaging and complementary style.

256 pp, soft cover book printed on 100gsm cyclus offset using 2 spot PMS colours. Cover printed on 300gsm cyclus offset using 2 spot PMS colours front and 1 reverse. PUR Bound in 32 pp sections.