In November 2011, Pentagram had the privilege of revisiting a favorite project, the redesign of The Atlantic, when the designers were invited to art direct the November issue of the magazine. Pentagram redesigned the iconic general-interest magazine in 2008, creating a smart and striking framework for its wide-ranging editorial voice.
The November issue gave the designers an opportunity to make the most of this framework. The cover story, “All the Single Ladies,” is an investigation by writer Kate Bolick of “the new scarcity” of marriageable men given the current economy and increased opportunities for women, using her own story as a case study for the piece. Bolick was photographed by Chris Buck for the cover—a rarity for the magazine, which does not typically feature an article’s author on the cover—and the portrait matches the bold tone of the piece, which is already creating a healthy amount of buzz. Inside the magazine, the team collaborated with photo editor Ayanna Qunint on a mix of powerful images that set off the strong, simple structure established in the 2008 redesign.
