Gail Bichler

Debbie talks to Gail Bichler about magazine design and the role of the magazine cover in the digital age. “Covers, I think, are mkaing the rounds in social media, often before the magazine even comes. They are like a little piece of art that people pass around.”

You never know quite what you are going to get when you open up the New York Times Magazine, great columns, articles and photos, yes. But the design is what really keeps readers on their toes. In one issue this year, the type was all sideways, so you read it like a scroll. Headlines played daringly with typography, and color. The artwork is striking, and memorable. Even the table of contents can be a visual adventure. Gail Bichler has had a strong hand in all of this. She’s the design director of the magazine.