SPD 50: September 2014 Archives

From the SPD Archives: Publication Design 39 Cover, 2004

From the SPD Archives: Publication Design 39 Cover, 2004

SPD50.jpgOne of our favorite SPD book covers is this jacket from the SPD 39th Publication Design Annual, published in 2004. The cover originated as a photo shoot by Stephen Lewis for design director Debra Bishop at Martha Stewart Kids magazine. It was picked up and altered by Robert Priest, who designed the book with his team from Priest Media. The Pub 39 book features the best publication design from 2003, selected by a distinguished set of judges, and co-chaired by Carla Frank, design director of O, the Oprah Magazine, and Luke Hayman, design director of New York.

On the turn page, Debra Bishop and Robert Priest share their memories of the creation of this book cover.
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From the SPD Archives: Folio covers, 1970s-80s

From the SPD Archives: Folio covers, 1970s-80s

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The May 1979 issue cover (above), which appeared in the SPD15 annual, is just one of the many outstanding Folio covers produced by Steve Phillips during his tenure as art director. Steve started out in advertising, but left Y&R in 1970 to start his own studio. He says, "Leaving was just typical of many people who leave for bigger and better things... and the opportunity to be your own boss. But mainly I wanted to be a graphic designer, not an advertising art director."

He was working with Chuck Tannen while designing some things for YPO (the Young Presidents Organization), when Joe Hansen (Folio's publisher) asked Chuck to be the editor of Folio. Chuck asked Steve to be the art director, and clearly it was the start of a great creative collaboration. Folio's first issue came out in 1972, and Steve stayed on as art director for almost 11 years, designing a series of highly memorable covers along the way.

"Chuck Tannen was a great editor and he also appreciated real creativity." Steve says, "Both of us really enjoyed the sessions we had coming up with ideas, especially for covers. And maybe we felt that Folio, being a voice of the publishing industry should be different and lead the way creatively. Also, thinking differently was part of that era."

After the jump, we've got a brilliant collection of 1970s-80s Folio covers, plus some comments from Steve Phillips on how they were created.

(Above): Folio, May 1979; Art Director, Designer, Photographer: Steve Phillips
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From the SPD Archives: Weekly Newsmagazine Art Directors, Early 1990s

From the SPD Archives: Weekly Newsmagazine Art Directors, Early 1990s

This latest entry from the SPD Archives features a titanic gathering of weekly newsmagazine art directors, from the early 1990s (no one seems quite sure of the exact date). This of course, was back in the day when the three major newsmagazines had many millions of circulation, giant staffs and budgets, and huge influence on creating the national conversation on politics, news, arts, and lifestyle. Featured in this photograph, are from left to right: Rob Covey, design director of U.S. News & World Report; Patricia Bradbury, senior art director of Newsweek; Peter Comitini, cover art director of Newsweek; Rudy Hoglund, art director of Time; Roger Black, art director of Newsweek; and Arthur Hochstein, design director of Time. As with the date, no one is quite sure what event brought this stellar group together, but everyone seems to think it was organized by Roger Black.

All of the people in this photo continued to have notable careers in publication design (and other areas) after this. In fact, they all probably did much better than the magazines they worked for at the time!
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From the SPD Archives: The 15th Call for Entries, 1979

From the SPD Archives: The 15th Call for Entries, 1979

The SPD 15th Call for Entries, published in 1979, is one of the most unusual of its kind. While previous and later calls tended to be large format posters that folded into a mailer, this edition was a fake magazine, called Showtime. The cover and inside pages featured a series of photographs by John Nation of a Louisville, Kentucky-based actor, wearing a wide variety of hats and costumes.

The project was the brainchild of Stephen Hall, who at the time had a studio in Louisville and was consulting for a variety of publications, including Louisville magazine. Hall went on to a very successful career as an art director, publication executive, and fine artist. He's still hard at work, both as an art director and a painter, and is based in the Washington, DC area. Stephen talked with SPD about creating the 15th Call for Entries and much more. We also have a slideshow of Stephen's work.
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From the SPD Archives: Time Magazine Covers, 1977

From the SPD Archives: Time Magazine Covers, 1977

Time, July 4, 1977 
Art Director: Walter Bernard; Designer: Seymour Chwast; Illustrator: Seymour Chwast

-1.jpgTime was redesigned by Walter Bernard in 1977. Eight covers from that year appear in the SPD13 annual, including the July 4, 1977 issue (pictured above) which debuted the new logo designed by Walter. He was kind enough to share some insights and memories about the making of these covers and his time at Time.

Prior to Time, Walter had been at New York magazine for nine years; he left in January 1977 when it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch. Shortly thereafter, Time contacted Walter and offered him the position of Art Director. Walter says, "I told them no, because I didn't like the way the magazine looked." Time wasn't the kind of place to take no for an answer! Walter explains, "In February, I started a secret redesign that was to be presented in April or May. If they accepted it, I would become Art Director. If they didn't accept it, no one would ever know about it." 

Needless to say, Time accepted. However, Walter did not become Art Director until July. "That first cover was done before I actually started, and it had to be done quickly, even by Time standards." Walter had been working with Seymour Chwast at the time and hired him to do the illustration. The redesign of interior pages was implemented in August, and Walter stayed on as Art Director for three years.  
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From the SPD Archives: The SPD Gala 22, 1987

From the SPD Archives: The SPD Gala 22, 1987

-1.jpgFor our second trip through the SPD Archives, we have this photograph of snazzy looking dudes at the SPD Gala 22 in 1987, when it was still being held at the main branch of the New York City Library on 42nd Street in Manhattan. Pictured from left are Don Morris, who was design director of Metropolitan Home, Josh Gosfield, art director of New York magazine, Robert Best, design director of New York, and William Nabers, Metropolitan Home photography editor. Gala 22 was hosted by co-chairs Amy Bogert, art director of Ms., and Nancy Butkus of Nancy Butkus Design.

All of the folks in this photo have continued to have vibrant and very diverse careers in the years since. Don Morris has directed the design and redesigns of countless magazines, digital platforms, and books via his Don Morris Design studio. Josh Gosfield has had great success as an illustrator, window designer, artist, and author (his most recent book is The Art of Doing, co-written with Camille Sweeney). Robert Best was the longtime design director at New York, followed by an equally stellar stint as design director of Conde Nast Traveler. He is currently consulting through his Best & Co. Design studio and is the creative director of The Nation. William Nabers worked for many years as a photo editor at Fortune, eventually becoming photography director in 2004. William continues to work as a photo editor and teaches at SVA.

Josh Gosfield, Don Morris, and Robert Best shared some memories of the photograph and the times with SPD.
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From the SPD Archives: Publication Design 12

From the SPD Archives: Publication Design 12

-1.jpgWelcome to From the SPD Archives, a weekly look back at graphics, publications, people, photographs, and more from deep in the Society of Publications Designers history. We'll be publishing one or two of these a week for the coming year to celebrate SPD's 50th anniversary. If you've got pictures or visual remembrances of your own that relate to SPD and magazine making history, please send them to us at mail@spd.org.

Our first archival delight is the cover of Publication Design 12, the very first SPD hardbound design annual, published in 1978. The cover is an illustration by Bill Nelson, art directed by Steve Phillips, who was the art director at New Times magazine. It's a reproduction of the 1977 SPD Call for Entries, a poster that was folded and mailed to members. Editing and design of the inside pages is credited to Liz Wilbur, from American Heritage magazine.

Inside, the book was printed entirely in black and white, except for 12 pages of color reproductions of the top awards, including the Best of Show Jerome Snyder Award, given to Stuart Silver and Alvin Grossman for American Ephemera, the publication of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As was common at the time, the credits for winning entries included information on the typesetter, color separator, printer, and paper manufacturer.

(Scroll down to the bottom of this story to click on a larger-size version of this cover.)
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