Welcome to Open Press Studio.
We provide design and technical services for journals publishing on Open Journal Systems (OJS). We work with editors to create modern journal identities, build polished and user-friendly interfaces, and provide seamless platform upgrades so you can get the best from OJS. We’re glad you found us.

How we help journalsWe specialise in bringing independent scholarly journals up to modern university-press standards without replacing OJS or disrupting your editorial workflow. As a small developer-designer team we bring full web agency skills to academic publishing but with a modest price tag. Creative servicesOur expertise covers identity design and branding, and publication design, helping you to build a distinctive presence and visibility for your journal. 

Website designWe believe good design is not just how something looks but also how it works. Our practice draws on modern standards for UX and UI. We keep the end user in mind to ensure a frictionless experience for your site’s visitors. 

Platform managementWith 25 years building complex information systems, we bring problem-solving and technical authority to the OJS environment. We also have deep, hands-on experience of OJS, so we can offer platform management with a high degree of safety and reliability. We simplify the technicalities, acting as a collaborative partner who speaks the same language as your editorial team.

TrainingFor journal teams who need practical, workflow-focused training, we can tailor demonstrations and Q&A sessions to help you get the most out of the OJS dashboard.
HostingWe offer hosting and handle new installations for journals starting fresh or wanting one less thing to manage. Enquire about our hosting plans and pricing.

SupportWe're not ones to love you and leave you. When your website is launched, we’re there to support you as long as you need us.

Want to chat?Not sure what your journal needs? A quick call is the easiest way to find out. Book a 30-minute call, or email us if you'd rather start with a question.
Talk to us about your journalTell us about your journal and explore what's possible.Book a 30-minute consultation
Prefer to start with a question? Email us instead.
Our servicesWeb services
  • Hosting
  • New OJS installations
  • Content migration
  • OJS upgrades
  • WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
Design and Production
  • Identity design and branding
  • Brand guidelines
  • Text design and page layout
  • Typesetting and galleys production
  • Journal covers design
  • High fidelity UI designs
  • OJS theme customisations
  • Multimedia integration
  • Design for social media
Workflow
  • Workflow configuration
  • Email signatures
  • Dashboard training
    Our approach

    Good projects begin with clear expectations. 
     Our structured, four-step process removes technical risk and unpredictable costs upfront, ensuring a safe, seamless transition to your upgraded journal platform.

    Step 1: Discovery and Planning. We review your current OJS setup, diagnose workflow pain points, and gather your requirements. During this phase, we map out the project scope across three areas:

    • Infrastructure & Compatibility: We evaluate your database health, server specs, and system code compatibility (PHP), to ensure a safe core upgrade path.
    • Plugin & Integration Mapping: We catalog your active tools (like Crossref DOIs or ORCID) and confirm how they will carry across to the new version.
    • Visual Scope & Compliance: We define your journal’s visual strategy, whether you want to preserve your existing look, adapt a standard OJS theme, or completely refresh your editorial identity. We also review your site against WCAG accessibility standards and identify what needs fixing

    We translate these findings into a fixed-cost proposal with a clear breakdown of deliverables and milestones.

    Step 2: Design & Development. We design your site and then build it on a staging environment (a private copy of your live site), so your live journal runs without interruption. You review everything on the test site before it goes live.

    Step 3: Deployment. We handle the end-to-end technical upgrade of the live site. We take full backups, migrate your database and files, then verify that articles, issues, user accounts and DOIs have carried across correctly. We keep a tested rollback path in case anything needs to be restored, and schedule the switchover for minimal downtime.

    Step 4: Support. You receive dedicated "hypercare" support (close monitoring and priority fixes in the weeks after launch) plus optional ongoing platform support.

    Looking just to upgrade to the latest OJS version? If you only need to move to the latest OJS version, we start with a technical review and deployment plan, then give you a fixed-cost proposal and timeline. We schedule the upgrade around your editorial calendar to keep disruption to a minimum.


    Ready to transform your journal?Let‘s scope your project.Book a 30-minute consultation
    Prefer to start with a question? Email us instead.
    About usOpen Press Studio operates as a technical and design partner to academic journals publishing on the Open Journal System platform. We offer services to help scholarly journals expand their reach, add credibility to their digital presence, and improve the experience of readers, authors and editors on the OJS platform. 

    We believe success is achieved through teamwork and collaboration. That’s why we foster relationships based on honesty, respect, and trust. We are an approachable, flexible and dependable team and like you, we are committed to excellence.

    Based in Australia, Open Press Studio has successfully collaborated with clients in Europe and beyond.

    MZData and Systems Consultant
    Milos Zikic, grew up in the former Yugoslavia, an early adopter of technology and self-taught coder (aged 14). Studied Information Technology at the DeVry Institute in Ohio, USA. An IT consultant in New Zealand, Australia and Germany. Clients include major banks, government and infrastructure companies.
    Email: [email protected]
    Tel: +61 431 696 620

    DJGraphic Designer
    Deborah Johnson, grew up in Aotearoa, New Zealand. A graduate of the design programme at Swinburne University, Melbourne. Publications designer for Oxford University Press, NGO and education clients.
    Email: [email protected]
    Tel: +61 434 964 181