From the Nominator

In 2020, we made the difficult decision to stop printing our alumni magazine, Purdue Alumnus, to save on printing and mailing costs.  For many years, Purdue University had produced a digital edition, which was a PDF flipbook that mirrored the print edition. In 2021, we continued to produce the digital version, but we knew we needed to reexamine the entire magazine. Our readers wanted more than a PDF, and we wanted to create a digital magazine that we were excited about and could be proud of. We spent months brainstorming, researching options, and asking readers about their interests. Ultimately, we found a great option with a company called Shorthand, and we’ve published five editions using its visual storytelling platform. We are fortunate to have amazing designers on our magazine team, and they’ve been able to use Shorthand’s tools to produce beautiful and compelling stories that really draw readers in. Our magazine mission is to inform, inspire, and entertain readers through stories about the university, its initiatives, alumni, students, faculty, and staff. We try to capture the innovative Boilermaker spirit in the stories we tell: highlighting new ways to approach problems, showcasing the importance of community and connections, and emphasizing a commitment to excellence. We’ve received great feedback from alumni who love the digital look, and the number of views per issue has increased significantly. Our final PDF version had 5,600 views, and we’ve had more than 10,000 page views of our winter issue.

From the Judges

Purdue's entry stood head and shoulders above a strong field and was notable for its design, use of technology, and strong content. We especially loved how this goes beyond "a print magazine online" to a true digital product that taps the strength of its platform. Well done, team!