DYSPROSIUM #2
Mexico City, Mexico
2024
Dysprosium is a printed magazine published once a year. Created in Mexico with a global perspective, it seeks to serve as a platform for freely expressing critical reflections on design disciplines.
The second issue of Dysprosium revolves around the concept of “Publics”, allowing contributors to explore and approach this idea from diverse perspectives, and the design was no exception. The editorial design invites reflection on the boundaries between the public and the private: the private becomes public by exposing something usually accessible to only a few, while the public becomes private when something typically available to everyone is shown to only a select audience. Following this premise, the magazine includes a transparent insert that contains the grid used in the design, allowing readers to place it over any page to see how the graphic elements align perfectly. This didactic insert reflects the idea of making public what is usually private for designers, revealing part of the creation process.
Another unique feature is that, instead of traditional captions, the magazine uses the original file names of the images, including their extensions, such as JPG, PNG, or TIFF, along with the file size. This approach aligns both conceptually and aesthetically with the digital and public archives that inspire the publication.
The cover is made with silver foil, creating a mirror effect that reflects different publics depending on who looks at it. This element is not only an aesthetic signature but also symbolizes the plurality of perspectives Dysprosium aims to represent. The color palette includes vibrant tones such as pink, evoking the visual folklore of Mexican streets: signs, flyers printed using a single ink color, and fluorescent poster boards.
The magazine uses three different types of paper, creating varied textures and rhythms as the pages turn. Additionally, titles and page numbers are printed in a direct vibrant blue ink, reminiscent of early Internet HTML indexes. This visual nod connects the magazine’s design with the digital aesthetics of that era, integrating technological references into a publication that, although printed, constantly engages with the digital.