Scope
Editorial Design
Business
Wired Magazine
Typographic Dystopia
I was tasked to design a magazine spread for an article Wired published by Bill Joy called, Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.
In “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” Bill Joy warns about the potential dangers of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering. He argues that these technologies could surpass human control, leading to unintended and potentially catastrophic consequences. Joy advocates for ethical considerations and caution in developing and using these powerful technologies to safeguard humanity’s future.
Establishing the Architecture
Objective & Direction
After reviewing the project requirements and strategizing the objectives, I researched and moodboarded for concept and direction. I looked into visual and typographic trends in technology, Wired magazine examples, and effective editorial layout design.
Style.Initialize();
Style & Format
I started with the title page to establish the look and feel of the design. I challenged myself to create expressive typography that encapsulated the article. The ‘glitch’ effect effectively narrated the potential problems or malfunctions associated with technological advances. Additionally, I designed the word ‘Us’ fading/blurry to symbolize humanity and its eventual disappearance. I applied this “glitch” effect to the drop caps and side panel titles for continuity and fluidity.
Swiss Style
Swiss Style influenced the layout and overall look of the remaining spreads. Characterized by minimalism, asymmetry, sans-serif typography, grid, and negative space. Not only does it ensure readability, but these characteristics contrast with the glitch visuals. It reinforced themes of technological precision and order, while also creating discomfort and alarm.
Alarming Choices
The features of the 2 remaining spreads; the drop caps, pull quotes, and side panels play with the space and the spread’s primary paragraph type, Adobe Garamond. Adobe Garamond, a serif type represents humanity, within a layout of Swiss Style, represents technology and the future. The design narrates Bill Joy’s warning to humanity.
The goals for this three-page magazine design were to communicate the article visually, create a pleasing and cohesive design, and establish a visual hierarchy. This was done through the expressive typography design and the application of Swiss Design for effective hierarchy, composition, and readability.
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