The Big Issue; it’s been a staple of British life for as long as we can remember – or, since 1991 at least. But it’s not often associated with publications like The New York Times. Now, after a much-needed refresh, that might be about to change.
Art director for the project was Mark Neil, who has been described as “The Irn Bru of design. Strong, fizzy, lots of orange…” by the editorial director of Time Out London, Caroline McGinn, supposedly a nod to his Glaswegian roots. And true enough, the new cover features a muted orange, bright and hopeful whilst remaining appropriate to the subject matter of the anniversary cover. The cover features an eye-catching and humane black and white portrait of Paul Logan who is one of the many street vendors who sell the Big Issue, captured by Jack Davison. The bold and chunky typeface which stretches to the edges of the cover is from Klim type foundry, with the word “Big” fittingly bigger than the word “issue” below.
