Refreshing
Notice anything different? We hope so.
We have spent the past several months thinking about how we can make your award-winning magazine even better. With this issue we are revealing the outcome of that process, which includes your input.
We have refreshed the magazine, taking into consideration the views you shared in our readership survey as well as Wheaton’s evolving brand framework (read more about branding on page 9).
Last fall we emailed a survey to more than 14,000 of you for whom we have email addresses, including alumnae/i, friends, parents, staff and faculty, asking how often you read the magazine, what holds your attention and how we might improve upon what we are doing. A little more than 8 percent of you responded, for which we are grateful, considering how busy everyone is and how much we know the average person loves to (not) answer surveys.
You provided great feedback that helped guide us: 82 percent of you love to read the magazine in print form; 68 percent read every issue; and 48 percent read most of the magazine. Your top three favorite sections are Class Notes, Around the Dimple and the cover story. You are most interested in alum profiles, academic programs, Alumnae/i Association events, faculty and student scholarship, and community service and social entrepreneurship.
Overall, your answers and encouraging comments indicate that the magazine is accomplishing its mission to inform, entertain and keep you connected as it shares the story of Wheaton. (Eighty-one percent of you agree that the magazine strengthens your connection to Wheaton, so we are happy about that.)
So, what’s different?
- The cover now notes our geographic location to distinguish us from the other institution elsewhere.
- There is more space to make stories easier to read and photos are larger to show off the imagery you said you enjoy.
- The table of contents has been revamped to make it more concise.
- This editor’s page has been reorganized to spotlight our magazine team, to include a contact phone number and to accommodate comments from various sources, including from social media.
- There are some new section labels. Field Report is now Lyons Pride, emphasizing the focus on celebrating our student-athletes and alums. Panorama is now Conversation and is more succinct and less formal, which allows more space for us to brag about the publications and honors of our faculty and graduates. Snap Shots is now called Campus Scene (See what we did there? Seen/scene? We like to think we are clever.) The End Page is now Perspective.
- And, last, but never least, the Class Notes section has a more dramatic opening with a series of photos.
There are other little changes that you will start seeing as we move forward. Please tell us what you think. We welcome your feedback, as always.