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  1. JoshJul 3 2009 4:08 PM

    I have heard that, actually, the redesign isn\'t particularly good. The website is certainly a bit of a mess - not bad, to be fair, but bad.

    It\'s a shame. One wants magazines to keep going. But then, one doesn\'t buy said magazines, so what can one expect?

  2. André MoraJul 3 2009 5:19 PM

    I think a redesign coupled with an editorial revamp can certainly help reshape a magazine\'s relevance (and help justify a higher price). But Newsweek\'s redesign feels uninspired to say the least. While it\'s nice to think of a weekly using non-standard typefaces, their combination of Feliciano\'s Flama and H&FJ\'s Archer is about as awkward as one of George Bluth, Sr.\'s tea parties in the attic.*

    Flama has become popular--as seen in recent redesigns for \"Spin,\" \"PC World,\" and \"Men\'s Health\"--probably because of its wealth of weights; so it has room to evolve. But the use of H&FJ\'s Archer is just plain silly. For example, the Take section, with its outdated picture-strip motif, looses the editorial gravitas it needs by setting both the heds and deks in this charming font that still hasn\'t escaped it\'s \"Martha Stewart Living\" ties.

    More attention should be given to the smart redesign of The Atlantic, which harmonizes with its new website. They employ another expansive sans, Font Bureau\'s Titling Gothic, but with restraint. And they haven\'t muddled their issues with a sloppy color palette (see Newsweek\'s feature section). If I shouldn\'t compare a monthly with a weekly (and I\'m not sure why not), then just open an issue of Time (redesigned in \'07). Their content may have less shelf life but almost every page is striking. Because white space alone won\'t save the day, if you don\'t have proper contrast.

    *Arrested Development, Season 2

  3. Gareth HornerJul 4 2009 8:18 AM

    Content is king and always will be. Graphic Design is the icing on the last slice of cake.

  4. ZinniJul 4 2009 12:59 PM

    As a Newsweek subscriber and designer, I have enjoyed the redesign as it is an improvement over the old design. However, I do find it to only be a surface-deep change. For the most part, the magazine \"feels\" exactly the same regardless of the change in editorial approach.

    In a world where a normal person can hyper tune their news to the subjects they are really interested in, Newsweek still reads as a broad publication. I don\'t know if this is a good thing or a bad one, but I do know that I only read about 25% of the magazine every week. However, it does also serve as a quick way for me to remain semi-informed on the subjects I am not too interested in. Whether this carries enough value to sustain the publication in the long-run I am really unsure of.

    I can\'t remember the exact quote, but it was along the line of design speeds up the success of great products, and also speeds the death of bad ones, it seems appropriate here.

  5. LynJul 5 2009 3:29 PM

    Gareth Horner:
    « Content is king and always will be. Graphic Design is the icing on the last slice of cake. »
    But if content is set in Dom Casual, 7/5 pts, -6 kerning, in black...Ain\'t noooobody gonna read ya honey.

  6. AdamJul 5 2009 10:32 PM

    I think a redesign can help a magazine. It can\'t be up-to-the-second with the latest news, but it can be appealing to read and not report the news, but comment on it.

  7. Michael LynchJul 6 2009 10:08 AM

    Is print dead? I\'d like to think it isn\'t and never will be, but hell:

    \"It\'s a shame. One wants magazines to keep going. But then, one doesn\'t buy said magazines, so what can one expect?\"

    The new design is swell but their comeback lies in their execution of employing their new tactic: to use \"intellectual scoops rather than informational ones and pair them with essayistic argument.\"

  8. RobbieJul 6 2009 10:17 AM

    does the kerning between the \"N\" and \"e\" look particularly tight to anyone else?

    Anyway, I think the refresh is step in the right direction. The grid looks pretty fresh to me, and it certainly is a nice update, but it certainly looks a bit too sparse in parts. I will, however, agree with Josh, the site is a hot mess.

  9. BrianJul 6 2009 12:11 PM

    I sure hope magazines do not die. I would rather pick up a publication than read a blog/online archive anyday.....

    On the re-design: I don\'t think it will be enough. A magazine has to change it\'s editing style along with it. I can\'t remember what article I was reading, but it was recent, and it was about how a lot of companies make mistakes because they believe internally they are making a big change, when in reality it is small. What you really have to do is wipe the slate clean. Get new writers, new editors, publishers, etc. Start fresh and different.

  10. Andrew BoardmanJul 6 2009 1:25 PM

    First, Skylar, thank you for the link to my attempt at a redesign. I set out very clear time and resourcing limitations and I think the result says a lot.

    @André Mora: I agree completely with your sentiments. IMHO, Archer cannot work, long-term, for this publication. It was the wrong choice. The Atlantic, redesigned by Pentagram, sets the bar high. Their use of Titling Gothic is consistently wonderful and sometimes surprising.

    @Brian: Print won\'t go anywhere, but I do think we need to set our sights (and our sites) higher, as you imply.

  11. RolandoJul 23 2009 5:35 AM

    I like the redesign, at least what I see here. It\'s a very modern touch for a magazine like that.

  12. sueAug 1 2009 10:03 PM

    i have been reading Newsweek since I could read. I dislike this \"redesign\" - for one reason, because it makes the articles look like the advertisements. So irritating!

  13. Jefta VarwijkOct 3 2009 2:12 PM

    Dear Newsweek. Please become cheaper and i\'ll stop reading online

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