Website blogs and magazine layouts are very popular amongst CMS users. WordPress in particular has drawn a niche for building magazines online. This is a key tipping point for publishers who may be interested in launching their own magazine, but without the overhead costs of publishing and distribution.
I want to use this collection as an example of inspiring magazines on the web. Design inspiration can be found everywhere, but magazine layouts are not as easy to pick up. There are so many moving pieces that it requires a good sense of what your readers will be looking for in a typical layout. Dig through my showcase and see if you can pinpoint recurring themes in these general magazine-style website layouts. These design examples are very inspiring and perfect for applied critical thinking in regards to your own online magazine.
Vanity Fair
Ecoki
WorldNetDaily
koikoikoi
Pitchfork
Pousta
UGSMag
Back Page Football
Cassius
Dwell
Chowhound
Engadget
Den of Geek
Relevant Magazine
Hellow
RDB
DIY Mag
Dazed Digital
Vulture
Paulette Magazine
SOS International
UX Magazine
Cinema Blend
SmartShanghai
Hai Online
GOOD
BlackBook Magazine
VentureBeat
ScreenCrush
Digital Spy
Hyphen Magazine
The Boston Globe
Brief Mag
Beware Magazine
TIME
Frieze
The New Yorker
The Cut
Newsweek
The Verge
Glamour
Brides
The Atlantic
Creative Review
W Magazine
First published in February 2013; updated September 2021