OPEN Magazine

OPEN Magazine started with a vision to create a city magazine for the Fargo, N.D. and Moorhead, Minn. metropolitan area. Sure there were other publications in the market, however our team felt that they really did not capture a youthful, artistic and culturally diverse community we had come to know.

After 6 months of development OPEN hit the scenes as the largest magazine launch in the metro’s history. Having never produced a magazine (even small by comparison) this was needless to say quite the undertaking. Everything from market research, pricing strategy, design approach and delivery strategy were all fully engaged to bring about a product that would be attractive to advertisers and awe inspiring by readers.

The project around OPEN magazine challenged my skills from numerous levels. Managing and coordinating an office team of 5 and contractor team of almost 70 resulted in very strict and well developed processes and procedures. We developed a very simple yet effective customer relationship management system to track advertisers and readers. We also created a system very similar to a CRM system to track the hundreds of story ideas that flooded into our office on a regular basis.

Over the 2 1/2 years that OPEN was published it became the largest print publication in the market, won numerous awards and honors and forever changed the cultural landscape of Fargo/Moorhead. In the fall of 2009 the parent company was divested and the next adventure took me to Minneapolis.

Here are the 10 issues of OPEN Magazine that we published. You will see the amazing transformation that the magazine took in such a short time. I’m sure you will also see how OPEN made the significant impact that it did.

If you have difficulty viewing the issues below feel free to go to the repository site at http://www.issuu.com/openmagazine/

OPEN Magazine: Issue 10 // Fall 2009
The last and final unpublished issue of OPEN Magazine.

OPEN Magazine: Issue 9 // Summer 2009
Commemorating the flood that put Fargo in the center of national media attention.

OPEN Magazine: Issue 8 // Spring 2009

OPEN Magazine: Issue 7 // Winter 2008

OPEN Magazine: Issue 6 // Fall 2008
This issue broke ground as the first time a person of color graced the cover of a magazine in the Fargo/Moorhead community. Fowzia is a remarkable women, not just in stunning beauty as seen in her cover shot, but in her amazing heart that has helped many Somali immigrants in the region.

OPEN Magazine: Issue 5 // Summer 2008

OPEN Magazine: Issue 4 // Spring 2008

OPEN Magazine: Issue 3 // Winter 2007
This issue featured our first fashion spread which would become a Winter/Summer tradition. Our most ambitious shoot with three locations in one day.

OPEN Magazine: Issue 2 // Fall 2007

OPEN Magazine: Issue 1 // Summer 2007