A season of change

There’s been a lot of change in the last few months: change for the good, change for the worse, inevitable change, transitory change, small change, big change, “Change we can believe in.” We’ve seen change in political leadership here in the United States and elsewhere around the world. We’ve seen vast change in global economic performance and, as a result, we’re likely to see equally significant change in the ways the world’s financial markets are managed. Now, more personally, you are holding in your hands the product of substantial and exciting change in the layout and design of CT.

The change you see here is not simply change for its own sake. Since its inception 13 years ago, CT’s editorial content has evolved. The CT editorial staff consistently and persistently pursued the latest news about new technology, and increased the depth and relevance of its coverage. CT is, according to BPA-audited statistics, one of the two most requested composites industry publications (CT’s sister magazine, High-Performance Composites, is the other).

CT has remained strong and relevant, and is not in need of editorial renovation. The same could not be said, however, for CT’s look. We’ve employed the same basic layout, design and typefaces for many years. So six months ago, the CT staff was presented with a challenge: How to breathe new aesthetic life into a well-known and well-liked magazine? We had to be careful to preserve those elements that contribute to its strengths, yet introduce new elements to make it easier to read and navigate. The overarching idea was to evolve the look and feel of the magazine to carry it one step further in its aesthetic maturation, yet retain those qualities that have made CT so well respected — strong, technically sound writing and timely composites product information — while improving the way the text, graphics and images are displayed. I think you’ll find the result impressive.

Certainly, all of the content you’ve come to know and love is still here — Engineering Insights, Inside Manufacturing, New Products, Applications — each with a fresh facelift. You’ll note that our News section got a fairly significant makeover and a new name, Composites Watch. News articles about composites in particular applications now are identified with icons that instantly alert the reader to their market focus. On top of that, we’ve developed a new, occasional story type called Work in Progress. As its name suggests, WIP will enable us to report on developing but not yet commercialized technologies, designs, products and processes that we think are interesting, applicable and should be on your radar. Look for it in this and future issues of the magazine (this issue’s WIP can be viewed by clicking the link in "Editor's Picks," at right).

We’ve changed the typeface in our articles and headlines, updated our treatment of photos and captions, and have integrated other graphic elements designed to help you better navigate the pages of CT. Our art staff spent many hours developing the new look and I think, as you look through this issue, you’ll agree they’ve done an excellent job. Kudos, in fact, go out to the entire CT team that ushered this redesign along. I hope you like what you find in the following pages, and I welcome any feedback (positive or otherwise) you want to send my way.