Building a flexible editorial system for a quarterly real estate publication
Case
Background
Publishing Systems
Magazine & Editorial Design
Winning Ways was a quarterly 32-page publication created for real-estate training and performance consultancy Pittard, later rebranded as Smartre. Combining long-form sales advice, training content, interviews, motivational features and high-performer profiles, the magazine was designed to keep real-estate professionals engaged with ideas that could strengthen their performance. Banedsgn Studio was commissioned to redesign the publication and produced four quarterly issues—three under Pittard and the fourth following the transition to Smartre.
Challenge
The existing magazine felt dated and repetitive, with limited visual hierarchy across typography, imagery, colour and page composition. Very different types of content were being treated with similar layout logic, making it difficult to give important ideas emphasis or sustain engagement across a full issue. Smartre needed a more professional editorial identity that could communicate practical business content while still carrying the energy and motivation behind Winning Ways.
Approach
Banedsgn Studio began with an audit of the existing magazine, then developed several directions to establish a more contemporary editorial language. At the centre of the redesign was a five-column modular grid—structured enough to create consistency across the publication, but flexible enough for each article to develop its own visual character. This allowed photography, typography, pull quotes and supporting content to shift in scale and emphasis according to the story rather than forcing every feature into the same template.
Solution
Across four quarterly issues, the system accommodated long-form articles, sales advice, interviews, training content, statistics and High Performer profiles through varied combinations of typography, photography, columns and graphic elements. Image-led features could be expansive while information-heavy articles remained structured and readable, all within the same underlying system. Each 32-page issue was delivered for both print and digital use, with the established direction requiring progressively less client oversight.
Impact
Smartre praised the more professional direction and individual spreads, and commissioned Banedsgn Studio to produce all four quarterly issues with increasing creative freedom, lighter revisions and minimal client input. The relationship continued for 4 years and expanded into a library of around 15 reusable brochure formats for Smartre’s real estate clients. Those templates went on to support approximately 250 individual rebranding orders, extending the relationship well beyond the original magazine commission.
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