Designing Editors: Complex
Joyce Rutter Kaye, editor-in-chief of Print, the bimonthly magazine about graphic design and visual culture, takes a look at the new look of Complex:
The self-billed “original buyer’s guide for men” founded in 2002 by Marc Ecko, Complex introduced a redesign in its April/May issue to coincide with its fourth anniversary. It was propitious timing for the bimonthly to strut a new look, given the late-March demise of Cargo, its main competitor. While Cargo failed to define its demographics clearly enough-Gay or straight? Upscale or mid-market?-Complex had always spoken consistently to young, style-conscious hetero men with a penchant for sneakers, babes, rap, gadgets, and video games.
But, rather than flaunt its longevity via cheesed-up graphics, Complex’s revamp gives the magazine a nice shower and shave, with a pared-down font and color palette, a more considered editorial hierarchy, and cleaner layouts overall. (Think Entourage’s Turtle in Spago-lunch mode.) Overseen by art director Sean Bumgarner (formerly of Entertainment Weekly), the new design dramatically improves navigation throughout Complex, vital for a magazine that presents itself as a two-fer.
More critique here.
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