Introducing our latest buffet of all things BYU.
Welcome to Y Magazine. You’ve known us for the last two decades as BYU Magazine—that is, unless you are one of those holdouts who never quite adapted to previous name changes and were still referring to us as BYU Today. No worries—we answer to just about anything.
We’re excited to present to you this first issue of the redesigned magazine, our latest effort to serve up the bounty of Brigham Young University for readers around the world each quarter. It’s been simmering for a while now.
For years we’ve used surveys to gather reader insights on what’s working and what needs fixing (if you’ve participated, thanks!). In the process we’ve discovered a divide among our readers: those age 35 and older, whom we’ve come to call the Brighams, generally read a lot of the magazine and say they like what they’re reading. But for readers under 35—you guessed it, the Youngs—those measures drop off. Some of this is to be expected, as the Youngs tend to find themselves busy with unfolding careers, growing families, and changing addresses.
But it’s more than a time crunch. Recent focus groups revealed that many Youngs are looking for a different kind of reading experience altogether. Raised on sound bites and 140-character missives, these readers have less patience for longer articles, though they do enjoy the occasional deep dive. They want helpful content on the issues they’re facing in their work, service, and family lives. And they want to sample from a full buffet of formats, print and digital.
As we’ve made adjustments, much of the fare that we’re dishing up in Y Magazine will have a familiar taste—that distinctive blend of study and faith, seasoned with sports highlights, student life, inspiring alumni stories, and humor to taste. The magazine will still provide expert insights on timely topics (see, for instance, here and here), spiritual uplift through devotional excerpts, and funny anecdotes—including the inevitable how-we-met stories—in First Person.
But there are differences. Along with an updated design (hat tip to our friends at Pentagram, Austin), you’ll see that the portions are generally smaller. Throughout the publication, we’re cutting to the chase a little quicker (heck, we reduced our first name by two-thirds) and letting the images do more of the talking. Watch for abundant takeaways and tips—even recipes—throughout. And you’ll see new connections to our web content via handy QR codes. (Don’t fear the codes, dear reader—with most phones today accessing online content or sharing an article is as simple as opening up your phone’s camera and aiming it at the page.)
It’s all part of our ongoing effort to keep all our readers—Brighams and Youngs—connected to the life and light and learning of Brigham Young University. And, yes, we sincerely hope that reading the magazine will both nourish and strengthen you. Enjoy!
Peter Gardner is the editor of Y Magazine.
Feedback: Let us know what you think about the changes. Send comments to magazine@byu.edu.
