General tips on writing for INNOVATION
- Write with a broad reach: Readers of INNOVATION range from seasoned design professionals to those just entering the field, students, academicians, and related professionals with a variety of specialties and experience. Avoid jargon and explain your ideas and processes in a way that is accessible to many different readers. Your article should be written with the mindset to inspire and inform our readers with key learnings and takeaways.
- Use 2–3 paragraph headers: Headers help with flow and pacing, keeping readers oriented to your ideas.
- Craft an engaging title: A successful title speaks to your ideas and entices people to read your article.
- Pay extra attention to your beginning and ending: These are frequently the weakest areas of the articles we receive. Draw the readers in with your first paragraph: point to the main ideas in your article in an engaging and inviting way. End your article on a strong note beyond a summary, such as an inspiring takeaway, a call to action, or a vision for the future.
- Avoid footnotes: If you need to credit the author of an idea or uncommon fact, incorporate the author’s name and source into the body of the article.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff, have fun, tell your authentic story: Our copy editor will review your article for grammar, flow, and clarity and work with you to achieve the best possible presentation of your ideas.
- Original content: You attest that the content being provided is original to you, not forged from unnamed sources, and that attribution citations to reference materials / sources of content are included when applicable.
- No self-promoting or advertisements, please: Care should be taken not to have your article read as an overt (even if unintentional) advertisement for yourself, the organization you work for, or a particular product / service / program. The magazine is meant to be professional, informational, entertaining, and educational with other designers and design educators as your audience in mind. The editors of INNOVATION reserve the authority and sole descretion to require changes to submitted content if it is deemed to violate this guideline.
Graphics and images
- Images and illustrations: INNOVATION has a highly visual readership. Compelling visuals and descriptive captions can help illustrate your ideas and bring your article to life. Photos, sketches, renderings, info-graphics, charts, data visualizations are all suitable graphics for INNOVATION. In some cases, and with illustrations or data visualizations in particular, the editors and designers of INNOVATION may decide to alter provided content so that it can be more easily read and/or match the established visual style of INNOVATION.
- Specs: provide images in a high-resolution (300 dpi) or vector format.
- Usage rights: By providing images with your article, you are confirming that you have rights to publish those assets and are transfering those rights to the publishers of INNOVATION magazine without restriction.
- Stock photography: On some occasions we may use stock photography from the Adobe Stock Collection. “Real” images from your work, project, or process are always preferred over stock images when possible.
- Image selection: INNOVATION follows a graphic-forward style with images running often on a third or more of the page, typically one to three images per article. The designers and editors of INNOVATION will make the final image selection during the layout stages of the production. We will do our best to accommodate your image preferences while keeping within our editorial focus.
- Layout: IDSA’s graphic designer will compose your copy and images using INNOVATION’s established visual layout system.
Editorial and production process
- Submissions: Writing an article for print in INNOVATION, is a volunteer (unpaid) opportunity. Please submit your article as an editable Word document at the deadline communicated to you by uploading your files to this DropBox. Failure to submit your draft by the agreed upon deadline may result our inability to include your article in the intended issue.
- Revisions: The copy editor will make necessary changes for grammar, clarity, and INNOVATION’s style guidelines. You will have the chance to review the copy editor’s edits. Please review your article thoroughly and make your final changes. We will not be able to accommodate revisions submitted after this stage.
- Proofing: You will be sent a PDF proof of your article in layout form as it will appear in print. Some adjustments may be accommodated at this time however, we cannot guarantee we able to make significant changes to your article beyond correcting type / copy errors.
- Final layout and design: The editors of INNOVATION make the final choice on what gets printed. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences and requests however we cannot always make every request happen.
Distribution and sharing
- Print release: The printed magazine is automatically mailed to current IDSA professional, young professional, and affiliate members in North America. Additional copies are sent to individuals and organizations with annual subscriptions. Additional print copies can be purchased from IDSA directly.
- Digital release: Each issue of of INNOVATION is published digitally on ISSUU.com It is initially available to IDSA members only, with access open to the public 6-12 months after the publication date.
- Complimentary copy: Contributing authors may request to be sent one complementary copy of the printed issue which includes your article. Additional print copies can be purchased from IDSA directly.
- Sharing: You are encouraged to share your article online and via social media platforms only after it has been printed and released into distribution. Many authors do this on LinkedIn or Instagram, for example. Proper accreditation to INNOVATION magazine and IDSA is expected as the original publisher of the content. Please do not share the magazine (digitally) in its entirety.