f there exists a magazine that embodies all my interests, Qompendium would be it. For those who care about etymology, Qompendium is derived from Latin compendium. My initial attraction to this German-produced publication was its stunning exhibition of minimalist design, layout, and typography, but I was even more delighted to discover well-curated art and highly-intelligent writing on subjects like philosophy, art, culture, and science. The creative director and editor-in-chief Kimberly Lloyd is of course behind this, the same woman behind the award-winning M-Publication.

The cover is simple yet enticing, made of gray textured board cover. The only colored graphical element displayed is a foil stamped oozing cube (I have quite a thing for cubes myself). By centering the barcode directly beneath the logotype, it’s as if they’ve made the optical representation of data (and commercialism) a natural part of the design. The interior is equally as gorgeous, combining various finishing techniques and paper stocks with single and full color printing methods. I particularly love the cyan ink against the warmth of the pinkish tea-washed pages.

In Volume One, the editorial board celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission and examines the rich diversity of the NASA archives. Even more awesome is the unabridged interviews including one from Nick Sagan, son of late Carl Sagan where he answers questions on science, religion and artificial intelligence. In the realm of fashion, there’s also a brand editorial section comprising of designers such as Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez and many more.

I’d like to render my own closing statement, but the publication already captured it all too well, and I’m afraid I have to borrow their line: “Certainly, Qompendium is a well-curated, timeless, highly collectible book-like read for the disillusioned rational yet aesthetically intrigued fountainhead, who is at all times in search of fertile thinking ground.”

Photos via MagCulture and Qompendium.