Il Timone chooses GMDE for its new digital ecosystem

Il Timone was founded in 1999 as an independent monthly magazine, without sponsors and with a very limited print run. Over the years, it has rapidly evolved, increasing both circulation and distribution. Today, it boasts over 10,000 subscribers and distributes thousands of copies across hundreds of parishes and bookshops, as well as being available at newsstands in Rome and Milan (up to Monza). Such significant growth made it essential to adopt a more robust, modern, and high-performing digital ecosystem, capable of supporting daily news publication, e-commerce operations, digital newsstand management, and an ever-increasing number of online readers.

The publisher’s previous e-commerce website – based on one of the most well-known CMS platforms on the market – required a complete graphic and performance overhaul, as pages suffered from very long loading times, slowing down editorial workflows and negatively impacting the user experience.
In a publishing landscape that is changing at great speed, Il Timone needed a modern, responsive, and easy-to-manage website, and, above all, a unified and coherent environment where subscriptions, editorial products, daily news, digital magazines, and restricted content could coexist seamlessly.
The goal was clear: to build a digital ecosystem capable of capturing the magazine’s entire identity, improving editorial operations, and offering readers a smoother and more intuitive experience.

The journey with GMDE started with a direct conversation with the editorial team, who were facing new demands: more content, more traffic, and more daily tasks to handle.
This reflection led to a comprehensive redesign project that reshaped the magazine’s digital experience in every respect.
Thanks to the implementation of the VCMS (Virtual CMS) platform, the new website enhances daily news and offers an environment that is more welcoming, easy to explore, and fully aligned with the magazine’s voice. Editorial management has been simplified, enabling the team to work more efficiently and publish content more quickly.
The section dedicated to the magazine presents all published editions with covers and summaries, with the option to purchase individual issues. The book catalogue has also been completely reorganised, making titles and topics easier to browse and discover.

One of the most appreciated improvements is the possibility for each reader to access the website, read restricted content, and consult the digital newsstand using the same login credentials. This significantly improves the continuity of the experience and allows users to move across different areas of the site without additional steps.
The subscription purchase process has also been fully redesigned. The interface is clearer, data entry is faster, and all available subscription plans are collected in a single section, making it easier to choose. Readers can complete their purchase effortlessly—even from a smartphone—using their preferred payment method.

The GMDE-designed project was developed step by step through a structured process of analysis, design, development, training, and ongoing consultation with the editorial team. The new website was released in two phases: firs,t the news and homepage sections, and then the entire e-commerce area — the custom shop — launched just a few days ago, completing the new digital ecosystem.
Today, Il Timone can rely on a modern, reliable platform designed to support the magazine’s continued growth. Navigation is smoother, content publication is faster, and managing the digital newsstand and subscriptions is more streamlined. It is an important step that strengthens the magazine’s digital presence and prepares it to face the challenges and opportunities of the years to come.