9 Magazine Websites That Bridge the Gap Between Print and Digital

1. BRUTUS

BRUTUS's website brilliantly bridges the gap between print and digital. The homepage features a series of slideshows showcasing noteworthy content, many of which are original videos. From the latest issue's features to past issues and MOOK-related content, it's clear they place a strong emphasis on video content.

In addition to complementing the magazine with unique video perspectives, we actively produce web-exclusive content. We also offer short videos, designed to be highly compatible with the smartphone generation. "SPECIAL" features a special website linked to the magazine and web-exclusive content.

This site offers high-quality visuals and an easy-to-read layout that evokes the feel of a magazine, while also providing the convenience unique to the web.

2. Linen

Like BRUTUS, Linne is designed with smartphone viewing in mind. The "Flower Calendar" area, which is adorned with seasonal flowers each time you visit, is particularly striking, and this space, which is redecorated weekly, creates a gentle atmosphere throughout the entire site.

On the product details page, the main text and product information are linked. You can easily access the products that interest you, and at the end of the main text, related products and short columns are included, providing a reading and discovery experience similar to that of a magazine.

The hand-drawn style icons perfectly match the site's tone, and the subtle, almost wavering movement of the text throughout the site contributes to a calm and pleasant atmosphere.

3. CLUÉL

If Linne is designed with smartphones in mind, CLUÉL goes even further, fully committed to smartphones. CLUÉL encourages enjoying fashion not as something to aspire to, but as an extension of everyday life. The website is based on a soft pink color scheme and features a vertical, smartphone-sized visual layout that closely resembles social media.

The best thing about this site is that it has an e-commerce function, so you can not only read articles but also actually buy things! The visuals, which boldly display prices and brand names, are combined with handwritten-style accents and lighthearted copy to create an enjoyable shopping experience.

It's a website designed to allow you to choose based on atmosphere rather than information, where reading and buying are naturally connected.

4. Advertisement

In stark contrast to everything else, the website for the magazine "Advertising" stands out. It uses intense colors like neon green, pink, and purple, huge shapes that dominate the screen, and overlapping text. Readability and comfort are deliberately excluded, resulting in an aggressive design that makes the viewer stop and stare.

In contrast to its provocative visuals, the themes it addresses are serious, encompassing labor, institutions, capital, and the public sphere. Its critical edge and the stark contrast between its striking design and serious content are particularly striking.

While other magazine websites prioritize readability, this site deliberately rejects comfort. It's a highly impactful site that embodies the very essence of advertising as a means of expression.

5. PLUG MAGAZINE

While not as extreme as advertisements, PLUG MAGAZINE is another unconventional magazine. Originating in Okayama, it strikes a balance between local and national publications. Its website features a dynamic layout with minimal functionality.

The "Local Life" series features content set in various locations such as Kurashiki, the area around the Seto Ohashi Bridge, and Okayama, with stations and towns serving as the backdrop.

The editor-in-chief stated that "magazines should be 'miscellaneous'," and chose an anarchic composition that mixes Okayama and Tokyo, local companies and global brands. This editorial policy is consistently applied to the website as well.

6. TRANSIT

Another magazine that focuses on local areas is TRANSIT, which has travel as its theme. Rather than simply providing comprehensive tourist information, it is a magazine that delves deeply into the culture and lifestyle of each region. This approach is consistent on its website as well, and the rhythm of the magazine can be felt directly from the layout, which makes good use of large visuals and white space.

On the homepage, articles are organized on the right side like the spines of a book, and the estimated reading time is also displayed. It's designed so you can find articles that interest you, just like choosing a book from a bookshelf.

The site guides you through articles by exploring countries, regions, and themes, using "WHERE TO GO" and "WHAT TO DO" ​​as its central points. It prioritizes exploration over searching, allowing you to encounter fragments of travel by following photos and articles. Rather than efficiently gathering information, it's designed to make you feel the atmosphere of each place as you explore.

7. TARZAN

While focusing on exercise, health, and the body, Tarzan magazine avoids emphasizing "correctness" or "stoicism" too much. Its website categories extend beyond "training" and "running" to include "playing," "eating," and "wearing," covering an entire lifestyle beyond just training.

"at" presents content from Tarzan's unique perspective, capturing scenes of exercise through snapshots centered on time and place. It views physical activity not as an obligation but as an extension of enjoyment, and its clearly defined structure makes it easy for both those with a specific purpose and those just browsing to move around.

8. anan

If Tarzan focuses on the body, anan is a magazine that focuses on the mind and emotions. Since its founding in 1970, it has published features that delve into emotions and ways of life, covering topics such as love, sex, psychology, fortune-telling, health, and entertainment. The website goes beyond simply complementing the magazine, possessing a level of completeness as a web-based media in its own right.

The rankings can be switched between daily, weekly, and monthly views, and the Weekly Keyword lets you quickly catch up on current trends. There are reasons to visit every day, such as horoscopes and calendars, and the site is packed with timely content.

The official panda character is always present at the bottom of the page, and as you scroll, it does somersaults and sometimes even traverses the site. It's a nice touch.

9. POPEYE

Finally, let me introduce POPEYE's website, which is based on the concept of a "fictional city." No matter which page you view, "Today's Schedule Here!" is always displayed on the right side, listing exhibitions, TV programs, movies, events, and more. It has a pleasant clutteredness, like stumbling upon a poster or free paper while walking around town, offering a comprehensive overview without being overly organized.

The layout is also distinctive, with a mix of rounded corners, circular frames, and irregularly shaped frames, and the tones of the photographs are not uniform. It's as if the pages of a magazine have been scattered haphazardly on a desk.

The content is primarily text and podcasts. The weekly contributed column "TOWN TALK" is written by different people from Monday to Sunday, each offering their own unique perspective. There are also plenty of serials and podcasts, developing in a different direction than the magazine. There are also pages where you can see the faces of the staff, making it a site that feels very approachable.

Final thoughts

I've looked at nine different websites, and each one had a distinctly different approach.

Some magazines focus on video and audio, others create a world through their concepts, and still others bring readers closer to the products. They maintain the editorial strength cultivated through print publications while leveraging the immediacy and navigability unique to the web. I felt that magazine websites exist not as an extension of print, but as another point of contact.

We covered nine this time, but there are still many more magazine websites, so maybe we'll do a second installment...?
Please stay tuned! !!