blinkplan blog

Blinkplan is a cool new web application on which to create flatplans for magazines and booklets. It’s easy, intuitive, fast and inexpensive, and fulfils a long-standing need in the industry.

Blinkplan was launched on 15 September 2008 by leading South African web-application designer Joerg Diekmann and South African magazine professional Kerry Rogers. Since then,

Blinkplan has seen an enormous response, with signups throughout South Africa, Europe and Asia. It’s had a great deal of positive feedback, most along the following lines:

“You’ve certainly nailed a basic industry need that was surprisingly hard to find on the web. Building these things in Excel or Word is not impossible, but not nearly as simple as you make it.”

Kerry Rogers has eight years’ experience in consumer and contract magazines in South Africa, involved in both editorial and production. She is now a freelance production consultant, writer, editor and subeditor.

Most recently, she was managing editor at Cosmopolitan South Africa for four years. Prior to that, she was assistant editor of Top Billing magazine and chief copy editor of Marie Claire South Africa. She has also worked on GQ South Africa and Style, and at Picasso Headline, which at the time published about 20 custom titles.

Kerry has spent much of her publishing career improving efficiency and quality within teams and processes. In between that, she has written extensively for many titles, had her first book published, and interviewed some crazy celebrities (including her childhood crush Patrick Swayze). She has battled with unsuitable software for creating flatplans for many years, which is why it made sense to her to get involved in Blinkplan. 

Kerry has a BA in with distinctions in majors English and philosophy, as well as a first-class BMus Honours in dance musicology, both attained at the University of Cape Town. She lives in Cape Town with her husband and young son and spends more time than necessary writing on her tiny computer.

Kerry Rogers

Joerg Diekmann is one of the leading web-application developers in South Africa. His take is that just like writers, art exhibitions and even a DJ’s playlist need editing, so too does software. Less is more.

Joerg holds a computer science and economic science degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He lived in London for five years where he developed an interest in art and design, which led him to create the leading online art photography magazine at the time called AK47.tv. There he also worked on major sports websites for Manchester United, The Rugby World Cup, and America’s Cup. Before returning to South Africa, he worked at the Lawn Tennis Association which allowed him to play tennis every day on the finest courts in England, and make the contacts to co-write the Tennis Tournament Manager software used at all ATP/WTA tournaments around the world.

Since then he has concentrated on writing easy-to-use subscription-based software in his spare time for freelancers and smaller businesses, starting with the popular invoicing software called Fluttervoice. During the day, his freelance work has allowed him to write a video sharing site for 8mm footage, and a pension fund administration system.

Joerg also DJs alt.country and country music, does off-road motorbike touring, tries to eat healthily and is fanatical about film.

Joerg Diekmann