From January 2011 to July 2014 I worked as the Digital Producer at Object: Australian Design Centre. In this role, I produced three issues of Object magazine as individual apps for iPad (with three issues also available for web and two for Android tablet.)

For these, I acted in the capacity equivalent to the editor of a print magazine (devising content in collaboration with other staff, commissioning, editing and creating content), but the digital platform allowed this to happen with words, images, video and interaction. For the latter particularly I collaborated with Canvas Group on the design and development of the issues.

The three issues I worked on saw a progression. I was interested in exploring the possibilities of a magazine when you aren't limited by turning pages in a linear order. Issue 61, my first issue, followed this paradigm more closely as the framework had been fairly well developed and I took over later in the game. 

With Issue 62 (the functionality of which isn't great on tablets due to technology changes and a lack of funds to update to suit) we implemented a narrative guide at the end of each article, offering alternate ways of navigating by themes. You could elect to read it chronologically, page after page, but if you were reading about, say, an architecture firm, you could also choose to continue with architects, or other stories we thought might be of interest.

Issue 63 took this further, with a breathing contents page that grouped like articles together. Cells moved and were attracted by touch. Then, within the app, there were other mini sections, each with compartments and chapters. Notably, the profile on Janet Laurence consisted of a major commissioned video, an animated timeline of her work over her active years, an in-depth gallery of images covering her history (complete with soundtrack) and a number of audio pieces complete with transcription. The Fab Lab article was in reality over half a dozen articles packaged together with sub-articles and interesting extra information. It was a seemingly simple package with remarkably complex workings.

We also technologically pushed the magazine. We had all this technology (literally) at our fingertips, and wanted to use it. One of my favourite moments after the launch of issue 63 was showing the Swept Away article (on an exhibition featuring ephemeral media such as dust and ash) to other developers. There is initially an overlay of 'dust' on the screen, and you have to actually blow it away to read the story. The developer gasped and accused me of black magic. You should totally check it out.

These magazine garnered plenty of awards, but the real behemoth in this respect was issue 63. It nabbed Official Honoree status with the Webby Awards, a Pixel nomination and People's Champ crown, FWA Mobile of the Day honours, an AIMIA nomination, Interactive category winner at the Create Awards, and a MAPDA win.

This was the last issue of the magazine due to issues with the publisher. I won't go into it. But the awards were particularly sweet in light of it.