• by Michael Shields , December 3, 2004

Why should three tiny, relatively obscure European magazines--PlayMusicMagazine, Encore magazine, and Probe magazine--be considered among the more interesting and even revolutionary titles being published today?

All three are published by a low-profile Norwegian company, MagWerk, which carries the tag line: "No more paper cuts."

That clever characterization refers to the fact that these titles are digital rather than paper-based. But what makes these magazines unique is that they are not simply digital reproductions of existing titles (like, say, a digital download of PC Magazine) or Web sites purporting to be "online magazines" (like, say, Slate).

Rather, these titles are specially designed, high-quality magazines that employ basic flash technology to produce an online simulation of the magazine reading experience, complete with the ability to "flip" through pages by clicking the bottom left-hand corner of each page.

And the pages of MagWerk magazines, while uniform in size, are not static like their print sisters. Pictures expand, graphics change when moused over, and specific pages allow interaction.

MagWerk founder Joakim Nilsen wanted the technology to be simple, requiring no software or downloads, but also dynamic. His first design team told him that wasn't possible.

"I fired them," he said. "Then I hired a new team of whiz kids." When this group succeeded, Nilsen received an infusion of venture capital in October of 2003. By last February, music and lifestyle "book" PlayMusicMagazine was in test mode.

"Readers loved it," he said. "It was also important that the cyber community embraced it."

Soon, the design-focused Encore and the gamer-aimed Probe had been launched, and MagWerk was developing a name for itself among 18- to 30-year-olds in Norway, Sweden, Germany, and elsewhere. Design awards also started pouring in: 20 international awards over the last nine months.

While the MagWerk interface is undoubtedly cool and eye-catching, Nilsen insisted that editorial for an entertainment-focused title is just as crucial for its success. "If the content is not there, it's going to die," he said.

The cumulative audience of these magazines is still minor, as they reach roughly 70,000 readers per month. But Nilsen is exploring a wider promotional effort, including buying keywords on search engines.

His staff is up to 10 at this point, but expansion is part of the plan, as producing TV content, developing online advertising technology, and licensing the MagWerk framework to other magazines have all been discussed.