Exciting new changes are afoot. Next year will mark Texas Architect’s 75th year of production. To celebrate this significant milestone, we will be launching a new magazine design, one that continues to document the outstanding architectural work and creative thought being done in our state.
This new iteration of Texas Architect has been a long time in the making. Discussions of a new design began among the TxA Publications Committee four years ago as the current publication branding neared its 10-year mark—the typical lifespan for a periodical design. The pandemic brought about many changes in the way we work and think about whom architecture serves and how. This naturally underscored the need for a similar rethinking of the expression of the magazine’s purpose and identity, while honoring the 75-year legacy of our revered publication.
In 2023, the Publications Committee began to develop and document this identity through the creation of a mission statement and guiding principles for the magazine—the first in TA’s history—and to brainstorm the new look and feel of our publication. This same year, our new art director, Ian Searcy, joined the ranks. Ian spent a year working with TA’s current branding, becoming intimately familiar with the magazine’s content and developing insights into the strengths and limitations of its design.
Our team began the magazine redesign process in earnest in early 2024. The Publications Committee established a special subcommittee to meet twice per month, and Ian assembled a team of designers and brand strategists to lead us through the redesign for both our magazine and its website. Together, we talked at length about how to better differentiate each section of the magazine, emphasize the theme of each issue, and create more spacious layouts for articles. As we head into the fall, we’ll finalize design details and begin production of the first issue of 2025.
To accommodate more bespoke layouts within the magazine and higher print quality, the Publications Committee recommended to reduce publication frequency to five issues per year. This will allow for more focused attention on the development and graphic design of each issue. With these changes, what was previously the Design Awards Issue will become the Awards Issue, a holistic compendium of the people and projects recognized that year through not only the Design Awards program but also the Studio Awards and Honor Awards programs. This is the issue before you now. We look forward to joining you again in the new year as we usher in this next phase of Texas Architect. Until next time.