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AMA: Elliot Jay Stocks, co-founder of Lagom magazine, founder of 8 Faces magazine, former Creative Director of Adobe Typekit

over 7 years ago from Elliot Jay Stocks, Co-founder of Lagom magazine, founder of 8 Faces magazine

  • Elliot Jay Stocks, over 7 years ago

    Hi Luke! I’m glad you asked.

    Coming up with a new brand is so hard and we went through so many names that just didn’t work. Words come with so many pre-existing connotations, we wanted something that would be easier to remember and write, but act as a bit more of a blank canvas. At the same time, we knew we’d be having a strong focus on a positive work-life balance in our stories and that there’d be a recurring theme of living well but in moderation, so ‘lagom’ — the idea of having not too much, not too little — fitted perfectly.

    We talk about the name in the magazine a bit (especially in the first issue) so when the connection is made it all makes total sense, but even if that meaning isn’t at first apparent when people discover us, that’s okay: the word itself gives us the almost-blank canvas we were after.

    1 point
    • Luke Starbuck, over 7 years ago

      Thanks Elliot! That makes a lot of sense. I'm just-fanatical-enough about the concept of Lagom, and living well with this kind of moderation in mind (I much prefer it to the idea of all-or-nothing, amazing-or-broken that comes along with a lot of common consumerism and Western culture). I really respect your approach for the magazine, and also appreciate your explanation of how you thought about balancing the editorial direction, with the needs of the brand you were creating. Great insight! Thankyou.

      0 points