Switch Magazine
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Book/Editorial
Print/Brand Communications
Designer(s)
Josh Gaspar
Duration
13 Weeks
Recognitions
A Fresh Perspective on Skateboarding
Switch Magazine is a skateboarding publication that centres the queer and D.I.Y. sides of the skateboarding world. Switch, to the very core of it’s brand, is a subversion of the idea that skateboarding finds it's only expression in competition and judged performance. It’s content focuses on self-expression, community building and the politics of acceptance: Essentially, skateboarding as a communal activity.
Skateboarding as a Vehicle for Community & Self Expression
The magazine finds it's inspiration in the dissonant realities of popular skateboarding media and the communities of people actually skating. On one hand, there are the mainstream professional publications full of masculine aesthetics, presenting skateboarding solely in terms of a professional competition for sponsorships. On the other, there are organically forming online communities of skateboarders, many of them a part of the LGBTQ+ community, who pursue skateboarding as a vehicle for self expression and connection with their peers. Switch aims to represent and amplify the voices of this latter group.
Imperfect Illustration for an Imperfect World
The three pillars of this publication are politics, community and D.I.Y ethics, all tied together by the central theme of skateboarding. The hand drawn elements are essential to communicating these values. Though the style and application of the hand drawn look went through rigorous iteration, it was the core element of the brand from the beginning. The brand is a statement that no one needs to be the perfect skateboarder or perfect person: imperfections in ourselves, our passions and our communities can be a source of beauty.
