Media Spotlight: Disegno

Johanna Agerman Ross recently launched Disegno, a London based website, bi-annual magazine and salon dedicated to architecture, design and fashion. Johanna has previously worked on monthly architecture and design magazine Icon and says “monthly magazines face a lot of competition from online publications and don’t necessarily have enough time to make stories that are more investigative than online publications due to time and budget constraints.” With the website as their “daily window to the world”, the magazine represents “a more precious product” for which more time is spent on research and commissioning features and photography.

Disegno launched its online edition first, with the inaugural issue of the magazine due out in Autumn 2011.  In doing so, Disegno not only aims to build awareness and interest in the concept of the magazine, but also account for more practical issues, “I have never built a web magazine from scratch before so this was a new experience and one I wanted to master before doing the printed magazine as I have a lot of previous knowledge of print.” The magazine and website are supported by a Facebook page and Twitter account,

Disegno’s website will be updated several times a week and will focus on current news and debates. Each day will be dedicated to themes such as the ‘Opinion’, a review of a new building, product, book, film or exhibition; the ‘Lesson’, highlighting a building, movement or piece of furniture that either is timeless or has a specific meaning right now; the ‘News Digest’, a news round-up of what has happened in architecture, design and fashion in the past week; and the ‘Diary’, a look at the week ahead, including talks, exhibitions and sales.

When asked about Disegno’s target audience, Johanna explains while it is aimed at the general public interested in design, “it is intelligent and well-researched enough to also interest a more professional audience of designers and architects. It is informative and inspirational in equal parts”.

In future, Disegno will focus on a programme of monthly salons, get-togethers where ideas published in the magazine and online are discussed face to face with their readers. “This will take the shape of studio visits, exhibition tours or debates. Each salon is hosted by someone from the design world and we work out the content and location of the salon with them.”

Making the Pitch: Tips and Advice for Pitching to Disegno:

As a magazine, Disegno likes to receive information on upcoming events and launches and possibilities for meetings/interviews. Disegno doesn’t usually consider feature pitches from PRs as it works with a stable of international contributors to work out content which is entirely unique for the magazine.

Disegno magazine can be contacted by:

Post at Disegno, 80 Scotney House, Mead Place, London, E9 6SW, United Kingdom

Telephone on +44 (0)20 8986 9687

Email via http://disegnomagazine.com/contact

Editorial information on Disegno, along with thousands of other European websites, can be found in our CisionPoint media database.

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