As one calendar year comes to an end and another begins, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on several new editorial initiatives underway here at architectural lighting. As an outlet focused on lighting and design, our goal has always been to bring you the most compelling content. Each of our platforms provides a different type of reading experience for you, our audience, and we are always thinking about the particular strengths of each so as to offer you the most engaging and informative content.
Our 2013 Reader Survey confirmed for us many of our hunches about the type of content in which you are interested and the ways in which you engage with the magazine, the website, the newsletter, and our social media outlets, as well as programs such as our AL Light & Architecture Design Awards.
One thing is absolutely clear: You are engaged. The average reader has been reading the magazine for 6.6 years, has read three of the last four issues, and spends at least one hour with each issue. That’s incredible, given the demands on everyone’s time. The most rewarding thing to see was that 78 percent of our readers find al’s editorial coverage superior or above average relative to other industry publications.
But we’re not one to rest on our laurels, and we’re not satisfied unless we are pushing ourselves. That is why I am excited to let you know about a couple of our new initiatives.
First, we are working to bring you a seamless transition between print and online content. We started adding hyperlinks in stories back in 2011 and are going to do so at a greater scale going forward. When you read an article in this issue, you’ll notice, when appropriate, a link to a related article or articles in our online archive. In the digital edition, these links are interactive; by clicking on them you’ll be taken directly to the location. It makes the reading experience that much more dynamic and provides you with a greater awareness of how the articles you are reading connect both to the continuum of the publication’s content and the body of lighting knowledge.
Our Technology story this month takes hyperlinks one step further. In December, we launched a “Resources” section at the end of the Technology articles to provide a snapshot of the latest papers, reference books, and websites related to the topic being discussed. And in the text of the article itself, there is a more detailed use of references to the relevant studies and papers contributing to the research. Our intention isn’t to be a research journal. Instead, we are alerting you to the important body of lighting research that has existed for some time and that makes design work possible.
Second, we are producing more videos. We have just launched a dedicated video page: archlighting.com/videos. Here you will find original video content created by al as well as shared video content from our sister publications. The page is organized into content areas, and for the launch we started with Projects, the AL Light & Architecture Design Awards, and AL 25th Anniversary. Over the next few months we will roll out new sections and continue to build on the library of videos.
What does this all mean for you? Greater resources, and more opportunity for engagement, knowledge, and interaction with al and with the lighting community. I encourage you to take advantage of all of our platforms. While there is continuity of content between them, each offers a slightly different type of presentation and, in that way, a richer reading experience.
As always, I encourage you to reach out to us with your comments, questions, and suggestions. We’re always interested in hearing from you as we bring you the most up-to-date, thought-provoking, factual, and responsible reporting.
Elizabeth Donoff, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
