The Story Behind 417 Magazine’s New Look

About Carla Frank

Carla Frank is the owner of Carla Frank Creative + Co., an award-winning editorial design and content studio for magazine and media-facing brands. With 20 years of experience specializing in media, Carla is known as a hands-on director, designer, manager, team developer and big-picture thinker. As an example of the pedigree Carla brought to the rebrand process, she was the founding design director of O, The Oprah Magazine.

Not only did Carla bring her experience; she also brought an outsider’s perspective on the Ozarks with her from the East Coast. Taking the time to investigate and immerse herself in the culture, she ensured that the redesign would resonate with our region's character. She poured over all of our audience research and feedback and worked hand-in-hand with our creative team to curate a whole new reader experience. Carla worked closely with the team over the course of a year, especially Publisher Logan Aguirre, Creative Director Sarah Patton and Editorial Director Katie Pollock Estes, to bring the new vision to life.

Clean It Up, Calm It Down

From redesigning the 417 logo to re-imagining the typefaces, section names and layout designs, Carla’s fingerprints are everywhere. Her mantra of “clean it up and calm it down” was applied to every aspect of the magazine design and brand design choices. You’ll now notice fun colloquial words and phrases used throughout the magazine, little winks that say “we know this place, and we know you do, too”

Examples:
We now have a story type in the front of the magazine called "Midwest Nice."
Our corrections section is now just called "Ope!"
The last few pages of each issue are "The Midwest Goodbye."

What the Rebrand Means for Readers

Editorial Director Katie Estes has been at 417 for 19 years. For Katie, it was important that the redesigned magazine remained a place where local stories could shine. Keeping the content top-of-mind through the process was a key factor in the end result: The magazine is now easier to read, with a layout designed to complement the storytelling. We've done our best to make sure we really are here for the Ozarks by keeping our focus on the local content, people and places that make 417-land special.

Bring It to Life

The fun part is now, when we can share it with all of you. We wanted to partner with a local marketing agency who could help us stay on track and strategically announce our new brand. For that, we turned to Revel Advertising. Fun fact, Chris Jarrett, Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner at Revel Advertising, was one of 417’s first art directors, so working together felt like working with family.