From the Nominator

"HEY! magazine, which targets students and young alumni as a print and augmented reality (AR) magazine, is a standout among university magazines for incorporating AR. Ever eager to surprise readers, we created a memorable dual-cover issue that was distributed at the University Convocation and Freshmen Welcome.  

With convocation being a season of photo taking for that album of cherished memories, our cover story offered tips for taking graduation photos on campus. We hit on the idea of making the piece relevant and inspiring to first-year students. To directly address both graduating students and first-year students, we paired a punning cover line, “Grad to be here,” which could also be read as "Glad to be here," with two different cover images representing each audience. On campus stands, the paired covers stood out for their refreshing approach to storytelling.  

We chose a fresh-faced graduating student for the dual cover to embody the intertwining cover themes. On one cover, she is in her graduation gown at NTU’s most iconic building to convey the graduation and beautiful campus themes. On the other cover, she is inside an electric bus, which we designed as a visual metaphor for first-year journeys and to tease the arrival of NTU’s new campus electric shuttle service. The cover photos were taken with a smartphone.  

Our zero-budget dual cover succeeded in speaking directly to the target groups, as well as other students; it creatively and impactfully marked the milestone of graduation as it evoked in first-year students the promise of a path toward that aspiration."

From the Judges

The HEY! augmented reality magazine double cover from Nanyang Technological University is an innovative and exciting concept that merges the physical and digital worlds. By using AR technology, readers are able to interact with the magazine cover in a way that was previously impossible. The double cover design, which features both a traditional print cover and an augmented reality cover, adds an extra layer of engagement and immersion for the reader. This cutting-edge technology is not only entertaining, but it also opens up new possibilities for the future of magazine design and advertising. Overall, the HEY! AR magazine cover is a great example of how technology can be used to enhance and transform traditional media.