Gold Ozzie for Visi

According to Visi editor Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly, these awards, presented by Folio: Magazine in New York, recognise excellence in magazine editorial and design and this year's competition drew nearly 2000 entries. The panel of more than 100 judges included some of the world's leading editors, publishers, creative directors and webmasters.

English issue

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The Ozzie was awarded for the design of Visi 52, her maiden issue, which heralded a new era for Visi, featuring an A-Z format showcasing key trends for 2012.

Favours minimalism

According to art director, Etienne Hanekom, the overall design language and art direction of this issue favours minimalism and stripped-down aesthetics over graphic gimmicks. "The sans-serif font and the use of a relatively small heading font reinforce this simplicity," he says. "Emphasis is placed firmly on the ABC format through the use of solid blocks of colour around the relevant letter in each case, all in the fifth Pantone colour chosen - a zesty lumo orange. We employed the colour to give the issue a sense of continuity."

Afrikaans issue

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"The cover choice perfectly embodied the A-Z theme with a clear and striking graphic. Two different coloured bookcases were used on the cover to distinguish the English issue from the Afrikaans issue," added Myburgh Chemaly.

This award is the magazine's second Gold Ozzie New York gold for décor title. In 2007, the magazine's Spring collector's issue won the award for the 'Best Cover for Consumer Magazines with a Circulation under 250 000'. The issue broke the mould in magazine design - all 48 pages of the magazine were die-cut to interact through
a series of unique typefaces and ornate, contemporary graphics.

Super Rugby special

The February issue of Sports Illustrated, following its annual tradition, is devoted almost entirely to Super Rugby. There are more than 58 pages dedicated to profiles of 15 teams, analysis and game plans, statistical information and fixtures and interviews with five leading players from the five South African franchises.

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For the first time in its 25-year history, the magazine has published the issue with three different covers, matching the headline cover star to the region in which he plays. The regional distribution sees Bulls captain Pierre Spies front and centre for magazines distributed in Gauteng and the north; Sharks prop 'Beast' Mtawarira for KwaZulu-Natal and the coastal regions; and Stormers lock Andries Bekker for readers in the Western, Southern and Northern Cape.

"We thought the competition deserved more than just one cover. It's also a tip of the hat to some of the best players in the country at the moment, one from each franchise," says editor Ami Kapilevich.