NAHB Best in American Living Digital Magazine

NAHB wanted to redefine the expectation of its members and the experience they have with Best in American Living. They also wanted to reach readers in the mobile space through engaging, interactive content. In 2014, we were brought on to develop a digital flipbook edition of the magazine and in 2019 we designed and built a web-based digital magazine.

A digital magazine offered NAHB the opportunity to further entertain their readers with interactive features unavailable in print, such as video, audio, animations, and hyperlinks. The added benefit was that the digital edition saved money traditionally spent on print and distribution. We elevated the design and strategic vision of the publication to compete with high-end building and architecture magazines. The compelling cover ignited curiosity and excitement. Interior pages featured energetic colors, illustrations, imagery, and typography.

A flipbook worked very well for a few years and even racked up numerous design awards. However, technology changed and the drawback to the flipbook was that it wasn’t responsive—a cardinal sin in the developing digital landscape. Our research guided us to create a WordPress website that is as vibrant and attractive as the award-winning flipbook. We developed new ways to present more engaging stories by incorporating custom art and further interactivity.

The grid layout we created is flexible enough to accommodate all content types.  This helped when the project scope expanded to combine two more websites with the magazine. The first was an exisiting blog that was seamlessly incorporated into the magazine website. The second, an awards winner gallery, was restructured from the ground up with custom coding to allow the NAHB team to easily create a beautiful showcase. We provided user training, content population, and general support to NAHB staff for this content. We continue to provide fresh design for the magazine’s feature stories each month.