Industry News

The Big Issue Magazine undergoes complete redesign to mark 30 years of publication

The redesign has been led by Editor, Paul McNamee, and world-famous Graphic Designer, Matt Willey.

Today (Monday, 1st November) the first of The Big Issue’s completely new-look magazines has gone on sale. The magazine has been redesigned throughout, from content to layout, to create a high-impact magazine that is designed to meet the needs of both magazine vendors and readers.

The revamp of the magazine was led by Matt Willey, who recently redesigned the New York Times Magazine, and Paul McNamee, Editor of The Big Issue.

Following the recent relaunch of the website, the redesigned magazine has been crafted to ensure it is high on impact, with the two platforms designed to complement each other for the end user.

The new-look has been carefully created to make sure the publication reflects the changing situation in the country and the changing way readers consume magazines.

Starting with the cover, Matt Willey and Editor Paul McNamee came up with a new aesthetic – one that recalled the boldness and confidence of classic magazines, but also put the name The Big Issue as the key and core part.

The new-approach cover features The Big Issue masthead boldly, to guarantee it can be seen on the street from 50 feet away, creating even more impact.

The front section of the magazine is more immediate and incorporates a greater use of photography and curates the biggest issues of the week, enabling greater access for the reader.

There are more graphics, pull out quotes and summary boxes. The type of easy access points that are valued by all readers and, in particular, The Big Issue’s growing number of subscribers.

The magazine also includes new sections, including a digest of news and views that set out The Big Issue agenda, a weekly news collection of achievements within The Big Issue world and a weekly look at what other street papers, and other changemakers, are doing around the world.

Paul McNamee, Editor of The Big Issue, said: “The 30th anniversary was the perfect time to change the look of The Big Issue and it is an incredibly exciting step forward for us.

“Following the relaunch of site, the new look magazine is high on impact. We started with the cover design, we made it bold and arresting. We wanted to ensure that it can deliberately be seen on the street from 50 feet away. This is vital, as our vendors have always told us, the more noticeable the cover is, the more likely they are to sell it.

“We have re-designed the content of the magazine as well. It now offers a more immediate front section with greater use of photography and curates the biggest issues of the week. We can’t wait for our readers and vendors alike to see our new look publication.”

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