Redesigning an American icon: Commentary Magazine
Commentary has been America’s premier monthly magazine of opinion and a pivotal voice in American intellectual life since 1945. It introduced and published essays from writers such as George Orwell, James Baldwin, Susan Sontag and Norman Mailer. Consultant Roger Black and I redesigned the complete magazine, introducing new fonts, new sections, and a new cover design and masthead to reflect a recalibration of its editorial content. Tasked with rejuvenating the brand and developing its online presence, we produced a crisp, sophisticated, elegant aesthetic that pays homage to both the written word and the publication’s classic American heritage.
Consumer Newsstand
Redesign (Brand Creation)
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Design
General Interest
Magazine
Covers
Social Media
The authoritative visual approach of the magazine extends to the design of the of the publication’s very successful monthly iPad app, which sold over 2,000 subscriptions alone in it’s first year in the iTunes store. Using Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, I designed and produced the app interface and custom assets that provide a richer exploration into the magazine’s content via rich media, interactive features, infographics, audio and video. I successfully redesigned the magazine’s online website and increased monthly page views by triple.
Tasked with rejuvenating the brand and developing its online presence, we produced a crisp, sophisticated, elegant aesthetic that pays homage to both the written word and the publication’s classic American heritage.
'Carol was hired for her 360 degree approach to art direction—from the printed pages of the magazine to the digital pages of our mobile applications and online site'. —John Podhoretz, Editor in Chief
As creative director and designer, I’ve updated the typographic only covers to include arresting photography.
'Carol’s hard work and critical role of Art Director and Publisher has resulted in the continued success and distinguished reputation of our publication.' —John Podhoretz, Editor in Chief
