Logical, useful help from Control Engineering

Think Again: Control Engineering redesigned its print and digital edition for October, presenting trusted information in a fresh, yet familiar, format to help those with interests in automation, controls, and instrumentation do their jobs better.

By Mark T. Hoske October 16, 2017

As part of CFE Media (CFE stands for Content for Engineers), Control Engineering uses trusted methods to improve every issue, and in October, augmented those incremental improvements with a publication redesign based on research, input, experiences, and applications to guide those changes. Control Engineering (the publication since 1954 and profession since before that) is about optimization, and, just like implementations of the control loop, improvements can be incremental or large. Control Engineering digital editions, including the October 2017 redesign, are available online at www.controleng.com/magazine.

Redesigning a valued, useful, and trusted product isn’t something those involved in automation, controls, and instrumentation take lightly. Why? Creating, implementing, integrating, operating, maintaining, and updating functional designs involving sensors, logic, and actuators-using hardware, software, networks, devices, and systems-is what Control Engineering subscribers do. With those discerning eyes, our subscribers likely have purchased or used a product or service with the thought: "Did the person who designed this even consider the customer?"

Even with our innovation in digital offerings, research shows subscribers appreciate and value our print editions. Therefore, CFE Media invested in this redesign to enhance the information and the platform that’s also used to deliver relevant advertising (which subscribers say they appreciate about as much as the targeted editorial content). Key changes, with subscribers in mind, follow.

The redesign groups content more logically into three sections, color-coded with a corner tab, each with a table of contents to quickly guide readers to:

Insights: original Control Engineering CFE Media research, updates on technologies, applications, integration projects, markets, careers, news, and international coverage from Control Engineering Europe, Control Engineering Russia, Control Engineering Poland, Control Engineering Czech Republic, and Control Engineering China, as well as the Think Again column that challenges subscribers to reconsider their perspectives.

Answers: Feature articles covering trends, issues, and implementation of editorial calendar topics, including topical special sections and supplements, and exclusive digital content linked as a bonus for digital edition readers.

Innovations: New Products for Engineers (NP4E) from the NP4E Database online, Engineers’ Choice Award finalists and winners, and product-related help (consistently among the most-valued parts of our coverage), delivered around fractional advertising, completed by the always popular Back to Basics tutorial.

Also in the redesign: 

  • Each table of contents will include related information and links to related resources online.
  • Additional callouts and information help experienced engineers review concepts, acronyms, standards, and other information, and help those newer to the field to get up to speed more quickly.
  • The cover will continue to feature the most visually compelling, editorially important topic(s) in the issue.
  • The digital edition includes exclusive articles; links to longer articles online, often with added photos, diagrams, videos, and related content and learning; digital reports; and topical supplements.

Feedback is welcomed in every issue, in every item posted online, and through our interactive software, for those offering and seeking products and integration services related to controls, automation, and instrumentation. 

Thanks for helping Control Engineering think again about augmenting its relevance and usefulness to you and your teams in your careers.

Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994, is available at mhoske@cfemedia.com.

ONLINE extras

www.controleng.com/ce-research has summaries of Control Engineering research and access to the full report.

www.controleng.com/international shows key coverage from Control Engineering international affiliates along with other international coverage.

www.cfemedia.com has other engineering and technology resources.

www.controleng.com/mediainfo links to advertising, marketing, and editorial resources and topics.


Author Bio: Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.