I came on as Design Director of The New Republic—with a new editor, new redesign, and a mandate for fresh, adventurous creative direction to the centuries-old title amidst a shifting political landscape, breathing new life into a legacy beltway magazine.
The New Republic, founded in 1914 and once famously referred to as the "in-flight magazine of Air Force One", was looking to revamp its approach in 2020, bringing on an unconventional editor (by beltway magazine standards) and a battery of up-and-coming writers whose bylines had graced more independent and leftist titles in the past to balance out the traditional liberal voices. To match this new energy, TNR underwent a sweeping and elegant redesign of print and digital by Eddie Opara's team at Pentagram. I was brought in to head the art department and implement the redesign across platforms and maintain the visual standards Opara's team put forth.
The redesign provided a dynamic canvas that emphasized display typography to define each section and vertical, packed in white space, and—perhaps most importantly—quasi-templated features that a slimmed down design staff (of one) could execute quickly under tight deadlines. Working within these parameters, my focus was to maximize the impact of the commissioned work and create eye-catching, contemporary visuals that would bring TNR into a modern era of magazine design. Simple by necessity, bold, and impactful. My aim was for less reliance on the overused, photorealist "political illustration" look in favor of more unorthodox artists and photographers, a variety of styles, and high artistic value to complement the high caliber writing and breadth of voices. I was proud to push the editorial staff for a more open-minded and less ham-fisted art direction. TNR readers are sophisticated, and deserve a sophisticated product over a conventional one.
And the results spoke for themselves. The redesign was a success; subscriptions and page views increased, the new editor and new direction received critical support and accolades across the industry, and a storied brand successfully reinvented itself for a new era.
The redesign provided a dynamic canvas that emphasized display typography to define each section and vertical, packed in white space, and—perhaps most importantly—quasi-templated features that a slimmed down design staff (of one) could execute quickly under tight deadlines. Working within these parameters, my focus was to maximize the impact of the commissioned work and create eye-catching, contemporary visuals that would bring TNR into a modern era of magazine design. Simple by necessity, bold, and impactful. My aim was for less reliance on the overused, photorealist "political illustration" look in favor of more unorthodox artists and photographers, a variety of styles, and high artistic value to complement the high caliber writing and breadth of voices. I was proud to push the editorial staff for a more open-minded and less ham-fisted art direction. TNR readers are sophisticated, and deserve a sophisticated product over a conventional one.
And the results spoke for themselves. The redesign was a success; subscriptions and page views increased, the new editor and new direction received critical support and accolades across the industry, and a storied brand successfully reinvented itself for a new era.
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