Carleton University’s industrial design magazine, Outlines, is approaching things differently this year as they rewrite and redesign the lines defining their publication.
Traditionally an industrial design magazine, Outlines is now aiming to broaden its audience beyond the Carleton community after three years of existence.
Co-editor-in-chief and co-chief of operations Bronwen Feeney-Svab said Outlines uplifts and advocates for the study and awareness of industrial design.
“We aim to highlight the culture of industrial design students at Carleton,” she said. “We want to talk about relevant topics surrounding design and increase design literacy.”
The publication’s name speaks to industrial design students’ “out of the box” thinking applied to their work.
“To be innovative, you have to be thinking just outside of the box, but not too far away that you’re not close to the issue,” Feeney-Svab said. “The whole thing is that you have to be just on the outline of the box, not out of it or in it.”
Outlines’ publications include student-written pieces featuring interviews from industrial design professionals, as well as contemporary design elements.
The issue is published annually during graduation season. This year, the team plans to expand beyond the yearly issue through events and public conversations.
Oscar Nikolic, the magazine’s second co-editor-in-chief and co-chief of operations, said Outlines is making industrial design more public-facing by hosting events and talking to high school students.
This year Outlines plans to display the magazine at high schools to get them interested in Carleton’s industrial design program, as well as at events such as the Concept Carleton conference and the Colour, Material, Finish show, Feeney-Svab said.
She said that although industrial design is an everyday part of life, it’s often categorized under design or construction disciplines like architecture or engineering.
“A lot of people may be interested in art, architecture, engineering, but none of those fully satisfy what they want to do,” Feeney-Svab said. “They don’t know that industrial design is the perfect blend of those three things.”
Nikolic said people are missing out on the excitement of industrial design.
“One of the things we talk about is how good design is invisible — you don’t notice it,” he said. “Outlines is here to [amplify] what some cool people are doing in the world to make it a better place.”
In previous years, Outlines thrived within Carleton’s industrial design community. Last year Feeney-Svab said they ordered 200 magazines and sold out completely, with a magazine costing $18 each.
Now, in its third year of operation, Outlines is expanding by introducing industrial design to a broader audience, while still keeping the Carleton student flair to the magazine through the student life section.
“In further magazines, we’d like to broaden our horizons and explore more of industrial design in different places,” said Kennedy Chan, Outlines’ head of content. “We want to entice interest in non-industrial design audiences.”
“We’re trying to make it a product that people outside of the program would be interested in reading, not just students,” Feeney-Svab added.
Nikolic said that they want to make Outlines feel like a commodity that people want to buy and “move away from the previous yearbook feel.”
“We’re moving the yearbook-y elements into a separate insert for the magazine that showcases students’ life and industrial design culture,” Feeney-Svab said.
Outlines is currently working on a new issue with a publication date of April 2025.
Featured image provided by Outlines.
