Transworld Snowboarding+ Hits the iPad with Links and Video

The third U.S. magazine using the Mag+ platform for the iPad has arrived: Transworld Snowboarding+. Bonnier Corporation's action title was released at Apple's App Store on Oct. 6. "The reception has been outstanding," says Annie Fast, editor-in-chief for the magazine. "From within our industry there's been a lot of enthusiasm for the app and we're just starting to hear from our readers, but we do have a four star rating on iTunes." And new for Mag+, Transworld Snowboarding+ is the first to include links and video.

We asked digital producer Amie Hrabak to talk about her experiences in creating Transworld Snowboarding+ alongside art director Dustin Koop.

How was it working on the design of the app using Mag+?

It took some time to get used to the tools and features that are available for Mag+, but once we got that down, deciding how to present different types of content became a really interesting challenge that we had fun testing and eventually deciding upon. Because readers interact with these issues in a totally new way, it required that we think about magazines in a totally new way. It allowed us to be creative and try a lot of different things.

What was the biggest challenge?

Since this is such a new medium, disorientation is something we tried hard to combat - especially since our platform uses both horizontal and vertical space. We wanted to be sure that the magazine was as easy to navigate as possible without having to use too many obvious directional cues, such as arrows. It's a fine line to walk, but I think that as more people become accustomed to reading magazines on tablet devices and as the Mag+ platform evolves, navigation will become more and more second nature to the reader.

How is the Mag+ app different from working with other apps?

The Mag+ platform incorporates multiple layers that work both in conjunction with and separately from each other. This is what allows for the scrolling text tower, the disappearing top layer, etc. These layers account for much of the interactivity of the issues and will continue to play a big role as more features are added to the platform.

Also, the platform functions in such a way that it doesn't require a lot of coding on the content creation end. This allows the art director and designers to play the main role in the look and feel of the final product, as opposed to developers.

What were you happiest with?

TransWorld Snowboarding features amazing photography and the images really shine on the iPad. We knew they should look good due to the technical specs of the screen, but actually seeing them on the device got all of us pretty excited.

What are your hopes for the app and will you be further developing it?

Digital magazines are still in their infancy and there are sure to be a lot of developments over the next few years. As new features are added to the Mag+ platform and as new consumer research is made available, we plan to consider everything as it pertains to our readers and adjust our product accordingly.