Communication Arts
Communication Arts is a subscription-based creative industry publication founded in 1959, serving designers, art directors, illustrators, photographers, and agencies with curated editorial content, annual competitions, and a job board across six creative disciplines.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersMenlo Park, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Communication Arts does
Communication Arts is a privately held, subscription-supported trade publication serving the global visual-communications industry. Founded in 1959 and operated by Coyne & Blanchard, Inc. out of Palo Alto/Menlo Park, California, the company curates and publishes professional work across six disciplines — Advertising, Design, Illustration, Photography, Interactive, and Typography — through its print and digital magazine, online galleries, competitions, and editorial features. The platform is built on a web-based content management system that organizes content by discipline, hosts curated award-winner portfolios, manages digital and print subscriptions (including student and gift tiers), and accepts competition submissions from creatives worldwide.
The product surface extends beyond the magazine to a hub-and-spoke set of sections: Gallery (award-winning work archive), Exhibit (interactive project showcases), Webpicks (curated website selections by category), Features (artist profiles), Columns (industry commentary), Fresh (emerging talent), Book Reviews, Timeline (historical archive), Favorites, and the co-branded Creative Hotlist job board. Revenue is generated from three streams: annual and multi-year magazine subscriptions (standard, student, and gift tiers), competition entry fees from global creative professionals, and advertising placements aimed at agencies, studios, and brand marketers. Distribution combines print subscriptions, the commarts.com digital platform, email newsletter, and partner promotion via Creative Hotlist. The company has 11-50 employees and does not disclose revenue. While it covers AI as a topic in its editorial content, Communication Arts itself does not build AI products, offer APIs, or maintain disclosed proprietary models.
Communication Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Communication Arts
- Legal name
- Coyne & Blanchard, Inc.
- Website
- https://commarts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Communication Arts is a subscription-based creative industry publication founded in 1959, serving designers, art directors, illustrators, photographers, and agencies with curated editorial content, annual competitions, and a job board across six creative disciplines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Communication Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Industry Publication
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD), Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles) (MPAJAKAE)
Keywords
Where Communication Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Menlo Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Communication Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year subscriptions for the print and digital magazine providing access to curated creative work, features, columns, and industry insights across design disciplines.
- Competition Entry Fees: Revenue generated from creative professionals entering annual competitions across various disciplines, with submissions judged by industry experts.
- Advertising: Sponsored content and advertising placements reaching creative industry professionals, agencies, and studios.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Individual Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Communication Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Communication Arts is a subscription-based creative industry publication established in 1959 that curates and showcases exceptional work across advertising, design, illustration, photography, interactive, and typography disciplines. The platform operates a print and digital magazine, annual judged competitions, curated online galleries and exhibits, editorial columns and features, book reviews, and a creative industry job board (Creative Hotlist) for creative professionals worldwide.
Product overview
Communication Arts is a professional creative industry publication and platform established in 1959, published by Coyne & Blanchard, Inc. The core offering is the Communication Arts Magazine, a subscription-based publication featuring exceptional work across six creative disciplines: Advertising, Design, Illustration, Photography, Interactive, and Typography. The platform operates on a hub-and-spoke model where the magazine content connects to multiple complementary offerings including the Gallery (award-winning work archive), Competitions (annual industry awards), Exhibit (interactive project showcases), Features (artist profiles), Columns (industry insights), Webpicks (website curation), Book Reviews, Fresh (talent spotlights), Timeline (historical archive), and the Creative Hotlist job board. Additional revenue streams include subscription services (standard, student, and gift tiers) and advertising opportunities. The platform serves creative professionals, designers, photographers, illustrators, and advertising practitioners seeking industry inspiration and professional development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Creative Hotlist: A resource for Jobs & creative professionals in Design, Illustration, Advertising, Typography, Interactive & Photography
Products and services
- Communication Arts Magazine A subscription-based professional publication featuring curated work, articles, interviews, and showcases of creative excellence across advertising, design, illustration, photography, interactive, and typography disciplines. Available in print and digital editions with individual, student, and gift subscription tiers.
- Annual Creative Competitions
Companies that use Communication Arts
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Communication Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Communication Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Creative HotlistcoreIntegrated job board and candidate search service for creative professionals. Communication Arts provides promotional placement for Creative Hotlist services while Creative Hotlist extends the platform's utility for the creative community by providing employment resources.
- Coyne & Blanchard, Inc.coreParent company and publisher of Communication Arts since 1959, overseeing the creative industry publication's operations, content strategy, and business development.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Communication Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Print Magazine: Long-running print and digital design magazine covering visual design, branding, and culture. Closely comparable as a similar trade publication serving creative professionals with curated content and competitions across overlapping disciplines.
- It's Nice That: UK-based creative publication featuring design, illustration, and creative work across disciplines. Directly comparable as a curated editorial platform targeting creative professionals with featured projects, profiles, and a job board (The Unit).
- Dezeen: One of the world's most popular architecture, interior, and design magazines with global reach. Comparable as a multi-discipline creative publication with curated content, featured projects, and a jobs platform (Dezeen Jobs) targeting creative professionals.
- Eye Magazine: Quarterly print and digital review of graphic design and visual culture. Direct peer as a design-focused trade publication with curated content, reviews, and global creative professional audience overlap.
- Creative Review: Advertising and creative industries publication covering campaigns, design, and creative leadership. Comparable as a B2B creative trade magazine with awards programs (Creative Review Annual) and content spanning overlapping disciplines.
- HOW Magazine: Design magazine and community serving graphic designers with articles, competitions (HOW Awards, In-House Design Awards), and educational content. Direct peer with similar target audience, awards business, and magazine-plus-digital model.
- AIGA Eye on Design: AIGA's online design publication covering graphic design, branding, and visual culture with editorial content and community features. Direct peer in the curated creative editorial space targeting designers and creative professionals.
Broad incumbents
- Wallpaper: Global design, architecture, fashion, and lifestyle magazine. Broader incumbent covering design adjacent to Communication Arts but extending into consumer lifestyle, fashion, and luxury rather than strictly trade/professional creative.
Emerging players
- Behance: Adobe-owned online platform for creative professionals to showcase and discover creative work. Emerging/digital-first player competing for the same audience's attention through free, UGC-driven portfolio hosting and discovery.
Others
- The One Club for Creativity: Non-profit organization running The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, and creative industry programming. Comparable as an industry awards and recognition body serving overlapping creative disciplines, with potential partnership or competitive overlap in the competitions segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Communication Arts social profiles
Digital presenceCommunication Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Communication Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Communication Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Communication Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Communication Arts
What does Communication Arts do?
Communication Arts is a subscription-based creative industry publication established in 1959 that curates and showcases exceptional work across advertising, design, illustration, photography, interactive, and typography disciplines. The platform operates a print and digital magazine, annual judged competitions, curated online galleries and exhibits, editorial columns and features, book reviews, and a creative industry job board (Creative Hotlist) for creative professionals worldwide.
Is Communication Arts a public or private company?
Communication Arts is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Communication Arts founded?
Communication Arts was founded in 1959. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Communication Arts based?
Communication Arts is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Communication Arts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are competition Entry Fees and advertising.
Who are Communication Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Print Magazine, It's Nice That, Dezeen, Eye Magazine, Creative Review, HOW Magazine and AIGA Eye on Design. Wallpaper is listed as a broad incumbent. Behance is listed as an emerging player. The One Club for Creativity is listed as an others.
Does Communication Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Communication Arts.
What industry is Communication Arts in?
Communication Arts's product category is Creative Industry Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAMAD, Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership). Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2721.