Thoroughly Modern ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT.

Ta-dahl Here's the sharper, sleeker, more flattering ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT as promised by our ad in the April issue. It's the culmination of months of work by magazine staff and our partner in this endeavor, The Magazine Group, Washington, D.C.

Not too long ago, we began observing that the look of the magazine sometimes obscured or detracted from the vibrant content. It reminded me of that fidgety feeling one experiences wearing a truly handsome suit that, unfortunately, doesn't quite fit anymore. The nice thing about redesigning a magazine is that readers and content drive design, which means that much of our redesign effort actually focused on affirming the magazine's purpose. We agreed we wanted a look that said, "Here's a unique source of knowledge for members, here's where you can connect with your colleagues, here's where integrity and credibility are highly valued."

And we wanted the new design to make everything easy to access and navigate. For instance, you'll see that we've renamed some columns, repositioned some, and combined three departments ("How to Communicate Electronically With ASAE," "ASAE Calendar," and "Re:Sourcers") into one called "ASAE Resources." We also wanted the new design to add value to the content through elegant typography, complementing colors, and great graphics. We wanted it to entice readers into stories through design unity and flow. And oh, yes, we wanted the new design to be invisible in the sense of not getting in your way, but visible in the sense of providing an aura of professionalism and friendliness.

Can design really do all that? I think it can when it suits its content and readers. But to talk of design out of that context is akin to framing a blank canvas. In other words, I can't devote this entire column to a discussion of design when this issue's lineup is so powerful, so packed with interesting, useful, and mind-stretching articles. I'll let the portals and branding articles and futurist Graham T. T. Molitor "speak for themselves" while I mention just a couple of others: First is the package of certification articles. Members told us they suspect there are many opportunities to pursue certification, but they don't know how to assess the feasibility; they want to see how others have created programs; and they'd like an honest take on all that's involved, including the hazards. The trio of articles in this issue is a must read if this area is on your radar screen.

Langley Spurlock's "You Retire. Then What?" isn't only for retirees. Using his own experience as the yardstick, Spurlock advises us all to form a strategic plan and to do some solid exploration--while still gainfully employed--of possible activities to engage in once retired. In "Six Strategies for Better Boards," Richard Chait, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, says something I wouldn't want you to miss: "Most boards that micromanage have been denied the opportunity to macrogovern."

I'd love to know what you think about any articles in this issue that provoke you to see an old problem in a new way or come to understand a new challenge. In the near future we'll be surveying a sampling of members about the redesigned magazine, but if you're not one of those formally queried, please know that I welcome your feedback anytime. In the meantime, I hope this issue is the first of many enjoyable reads in the newly outfitted pages of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT.

Ann I. Mahoney

Editor in Chief