As I learned in my graphic design classes during college, there are always rules that must be followed for editorial purposes.
I learned early in my professional career when designing advertisements for local businesses while on staff at my first newspaper job. In that case, the “rules” centered around company logos and the dimensions of the purchased advertisement.
Most of those advertisers had a general sense of “their” style: a logo in a certain place, a catchphrase featured in a certain typeface, or placement in a certain part of the newspaper.
When thinking of iconic editorial designs, one that comes to mind is the cover of TIME magazine.
A red border. The placement of the magazine’s name. The single, bold image.
Within those constraints, one man has been behind every magazine cover since 2001: creative director D.W. Pine.
“The Man Behind 1,000 TIME Covers” takes a look at the impact this one man has had on American culture over the years.
Once you get beyond the writer’s overview of Pine’s career at TIME, stories from three of Pine’s colleagues provide insight into the creative process and the presentation of a myriad of social topics.
Having worked in smaller newsrooms, I can relate to the pressures of deadlines and the challenge of figuring out the best way to tell a story visually in a single image.
Believe me, that isn’t always an easy process. Yes, there are times when a concept comes to mind quickly, as if divinely inspired. But more often than not, it takes blood, sweat, and tears to bring it into existence.
PHOTO CREDIT: TIME photo illustration.
