Building a flexible editorial system for a new Austrian culinary publication
Case
Background
Publishing Systems
Magazine & Editorial Design
Newsletters & Reports
Before the first issue of Gaumen Hoch went to print, the publisher and www.kokode.at were developing the visual direction for the new Austrian culinary magazine. Banedsgn Studio joined during the concept stage, collaborating with www.kokode.at to establish the editorial design system that would define the publication from launch. The goal was not simply to design a first issue, but to create a framework that could support the magazine as its content and design evolved.
Challenge
The client had previously commissioned a designer to develop the magazine’s initial concepts and layouts, but the proposed direction did not meet their expectations. Working with www.kokode.at, we needed to rethink the visual approach and create a system flexible enough for image-led features, interviews, recipes, dense articles, callouts, and multi-page stories without treating every article as a new design problem. Just as importantly, the framework needed enough structure for different designers to produce consistent work across future issues.
Approach
Rather than designing individual spreads in isolation, the Banedsgn team approached the magazine as a modular editorial system. Working with www.kokode.at, we identified the visual issues, reworked the typography, and developed a flexible 12-column grid capable of generating substantially different compositions while maintaining hierarchy and consistency. The system was tested against real editorial content from the beginning, ensuring that the concept could work under the varied demands of an actual publication.
Solution
Banedsgn Studio developed the complete design framework, including the 12-column grid, master pages, typography styles, recurring editorial elements, and the layout logic connecting them. Well-defined masters make everyday pages straightforward to assemble, while the modular grid gives designers freedom to respond creatively to individual stories without losing the publication’s visual structure. The Banedsgn team also applied the system to published articles and continues to step in when more complex content requires additional layout thinking.
Impact
The design system became Gaumen Hoch’s working editorial framework from its first published issue and continues to be used and evolved across subsequent issues. Its modular structure allows designers with different levels of experience to produce strong, consistent pages without depending on the original system designer for routine layouts, while retaining enough flexibility for more ambitious editorial treatments. Banedsgn Studio remains credited and selectively involved when needed—turning an initial concept engagement into a durable system the publication can continue building on.
Tell us what you're building, where you are in the process, and what you need help solving.
Schedule a Discovery Call →*Best suited for projects from $2,500 and ongoing partnerships.
Next case
You'll want to see this
Here's a collection of similar projects
From complex issues to simple solutions
