more and more uses
Readymag was devised to be a “printing press for the digital era”—a tool for publishers making webzines. However, it turned out that people wanted to use Readymag for a bigger range of applications: from landing pages and portfolios, to small sites, presentations, and longreads. Our team listened to users and worked to expand Readymag’s functionality, making it a better fit for all needs. Since then, our basic workflow remains unchanged. Users begin with a blank page, then add text, images, shapes, slideshows, maps, or video, arranging these elements using the grid. In Readymag, these building elements are called widgets.
20 Most important Inventions of All Time project created with Readymag. © Anton Repponen.
The Block #1 ABC project created with Readymag. © Ilyaskin.
Lubalin 100 digital project created with Readymag. © Lubalin Center.
animations not only bring a page to life, they empower the viewer, allowing visitors to explore at their own pace, according to their own curiosity. it changes them from passive onlookers into active participants, making their viewing experience memorable. —stas aki, product designer at readymag
Promo image for Instagram announcing Readymag’s Sandbox tutorial. © Readymag.
bringing stories to life
Animation is one of Readymag’s core features, supporting truly dynamic content and helping users create engaging visual narratives without third-party tools. That lures both independent designers and larger media companies: The Huffington Post, Esquire, Conde Nast and Forbes have all used Readymag to share big content projects and news stories. “Being from a newspaper and editorial background, I’m really into multimedia. When I checked out Readymag, I was like: ‘This is it. This is what we need to wow the audience with something visual’,” tells Scottish journalist Fraser Morton, who runs an independent magazine A Life Electric.
A Life Electric digital magazine created with Readymag. © Frazer Morton.
we don’t have a brand-guide summing up our style or spelling out its core features. and we probably never will have one—our style is very dynamic and fluid, so largely unwritten. —stas aki, product designer at readymag
celebrating the power
of design
Readymag aims to spark creativity for its users in many ways. “When working with the Readymag interface, I keep in mind that it should be functional and visually pleasing, so that it inspires users to make good designs,” Stas Aki says. Readymag also looks back at each year’s most beautiful creations through our Projects of the Year contest. In 2019, public voting chose four winners: Peter Lindbergh (editorial), Here and Now (event), Studio Cronica (portfolio), and BlkBlkLtr (landing).