Duck and Cover

Last week, the magazine employees went on a daylong retreat. The staff and lovely interns worked through a variety of different exercises all addressing different issues. What’s the magazine’s identity, who do we want to be? How do we get there? And more of those types of things. The most interesting part of the day was a discussion about the magazine’s design issues, more specifically, its problems with the cover. A critique of the magazine is that its covers aren’t cohesive. There’s no way of seeing an issue from a distance and knowing, without a doubt, that is the newest issue of Charlotte Magazine. Unlike fashion magazines, regional magazines don’t always have a celebrity or model on the cover so they’re left with forming a cohesive look between a variety of different images, a stack of pancakes, a doctor, or school children for an example.

The conversation got me thinking. What makes a good magazine cover? And which of fashion and women's magazines have a cover that is brand defining?

Hands down the most recognizable covers are Cosmopolitan and Elle. Cosmopolitan always has a woman, with a hand on her hip and the other arm dangling. The cover features a bright background with bright fonts. The women cover the same part of the Cosmopolitan header and even the bubble header is in the same place month after month.

Elle on the other hand, switches up the poses but earns its consistency by always showcasing the cover subject on a white background. This design choice certainly allows for more creativity on the cover because even by just catching a glimpse of the mag, we all knows it’s the latest edition of Elle.

To my surprise, many magazines don't have a truly distinctive look. I think it's really important for magazines to establish a consistent and recognizable look (beyond using the same logo for years) to ensure readers keep grabbing for the magazines they've come to know and love. Sure, the big dogs don't have to worry about this as much, but for regional or emerging fashion magazines having a set background, colorful aesthetic or woman's pose seems to me to be absolutely necessary.