Monocle Launches

A new magazine and website have launched: Monocle. Based in London, it is headed by Wallpaper founder Tyler Brûlé. Dan Hill, author of the wonderful City of Sound blog, has left his job at BBC to go into start-up mode with Monocle. The design is fresh and different, in a classic kind of way, both in terms of the print and web versions.

A stand-out on the first “issue” of the web version is an interview by Tyler with the CEO of Lego, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. It’s quite long, about 15 minutes, but a fascinating view/listen, and covers a broad range of topics. Lego is an interesting company with a storied history that has struggled to find its place in a high-tech world. It is heartening to hear Knudstorp talk about his vision and connecting that with the company legacy.

I’m not sure how I feel about the intended audience being “well-heeled, intelligent opinion leaders around the world.” Sounds rather elitest to me, and more concocted for attracting advertisers than actual readers. Still, the content is off to a strong start, and it covers business, design and culture, so of course I’m interested in it!

Comments

[Dan]

Thanks Adam! :)

[Karl]

Seems really stuffy to me, too. I can feel the elitism oozing off the page.