interview by Anna Gamboa
Sumptuously conceived and crafted, every issue of Hong Kong-based Design Anthology (d/a) quietly champions good taste and design, from its creamy and thick textured matte cover, heavy book paper for the inside pages, the premium ads occupying spreads. And, of course, their thoughtfully laid-out photos and articles entice readers to while away hours just admiring images and reveling in words as well as creative possibilities.
d/a’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Suzy Annetta, gamely allowed adobo to interview her about the magazine’s print/digital integration, the challenge of providing fresh and relevant content in print, and the long walks she likes to take to recharge her creative spirit.
Was d/a conceived as a complementary digital/print experience?
Actually, to be honest, it wasn’t. Our first and foremost priority is always the print edition. It was the original format that the magazine was conceived as, and because of the quality and tactile nature of the paper we use, it’s our favorite platform to read it, and is for the majority of our readers. Having said that though, we would be stupid to ignore the importance of having a digital presence. Our website has some excerpts of stories from each issue, and sometimes feature additional or different images from the print version. The magazine is available on zinio and magzter, which allows readers interconnectivity with some of the features and our partners. And of course social media. We love Instagram for how quick and satisfying it is, and it has become an invaluable tool for us to connect with our readers. Facebook is also a great way for us to publicize upcoming events. So I’d have to say that even though digital was an afterthought, it is still an important part of us reaching out to the Design Anthology community around the region.
Your magazines are so well planned for a quarterly, but how do you keep the experience fresh/current, especially when you need to put it in print?
We’re a small team, but we are all design lovers, we’re passionate about what we do, and we read. I think the last point is particularly important. We are committed to providing a reading experience that we ourselves want to enjoy. And we do that by staying informed of what’s happening around the region, avoiding overexposed press releases, and not writing stories that are particularly time-sensitive. We tend to dig up stories that we want to read, not what is necessarily pitched to everyone in the media.
How do you (and your team) evaluate the “worthiness” of a home or interior for featuring online or in print—and then determine when it gets featured?
We look for homes that are unique, individual, well designed (of course), don’t look like they were delivered straight from the same department store. There is a sense of timelessness to them that defies the style―so they run the gamut from quite classical to ultra modern. But they aren’t faddish or trendy.
The Studio Annetta blog initially chronicled your love for good design/aesthetics. What do you feel is still consistent from those early days to d/a’s current incarnation? And what did you have to let go?
I think the blog was the early incarnation of the magazine, but it was really more of an online journal for me to record the things I enjoyed looking at so, of course, it reflects my aesthetic―which is actually quite eclectic. I had no audience in mind, it was very much a pleasure project. Flash forward to the launch of Design Anthology ― I realized that no one was really curating good design in Asia for the Asian market. There is a lot of great creative talent in this part of the world so I wanted to champion that and publish it in a format that suited my aesthetic, which as you can tell is pretty clean and refined. I don’t really have any time for the blog anymore, but I am loving what I’m doing right now, and it’s an honor to be in this position.
You once said that you go hiking when you need inspiration or when you’re stuck on a problem. What are your favorite spots in Hong Kong (or away from it)?
The mountains of HK island are pretty amazing. The d/a office is on the south side, and there are several trails that lead from nearby to several reservoirs, temples, the peak or all along what we call the “Dragon’s Back”. I love that from there you either don’t see the city at all, or you have the most spectacular views of the harbor. It reminds me why I still live in HK. I haven’t hiked a lot of other places yet, but I’m working on it. I did a little in Indonesia on a recent trip, and am planning on doing some more in Taiwan when the team visits in late September to launch our next issue.
