Your September Mt. Lebanon Magazine has had a little zhuzh. I realize you may not be familiar with that perfect one-word term that roughly means to invigorate. I don’t think any other word really fits. Let’s rewind.

In 2023, Mt. Lebanon completely overhauled its municipal website. The public information office worked in tandem with our information technology office and consultants from Krakoff Communications to create a website that was more accessible, easier to use and easier to search. At the same time, the municipality was in the midst of a Comprehensive Plan, with a side goal of creating a new branding statement. After speaking with nearly 6,000 residents, the verdict was: This is Home. Meaning: We want everyone to feel at home here.

Now that we had the visual branding from the website and the slogan to communicate our community culture, we added the feedback we’ve received over the last few years and put it all together. Assistant Public Information Officer and Senior Editor Rachel Windsor got to work with our art department and Krakoff Communications on a refresh of the lebomag.com magazine website. Read her story on the project.

Then we put Graphic Design Team Lead Amy Robinson on the case of making the print magazine align with both websites and reflect some changes in the way our readers scan and devour each issue.

We made it easier to read, using fonts that were more soothing, and we added more white space to give tired eyes a break. Managing Editor Merle Jantz changed the names of some features. For example, “Down in Front” received its name decades ago because we were putting its events “down in front” of the print issue ­— bonus that it’s also a stage reference. But that moniker didn’t work online, where we have no front, or back, for that matter. Now we call it, simply, our events calendar. Groundbreaking, I know!

We also added more municipal branding elements, like our logo, to be sure it’s clear to the public that Mt. Lebanon Magazine is the official magazine of Mt. Lebanon municipality. That makes it the print and online publication of record for everything you need to know.

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the changes. To me, they are substantial. To you, they may look subtle. Either way, I want to hear what you think. This is your magazine. This is your town. This is home!