Our friends at Folio magazine have just launched their 2008 Folio 40, a list of important media-types. Among them, the one from the design world, is none other than Esquire's design director, David Curcurito ("the man for whom one 'cur' was simply not enough"). Why was he selected? It was Folio's feeling that his work at Esquire, having signed on to the magazine in 2006, was so influential that now nearly everything glossy being published is outright copying many of his ideas. He's also helped launch a batch of other more interesting design projects within the magazine, helping to move Esquire into less familiar publishing terrain. Here's a bit:

The cover isn't the only fresh idea. A few years ago, Esquire redesigned front-of-the-book and the editor's letter page to include user-generated content. Design elements began creeping into what is normally white space in October of last year, an entire novella ran in the margins.

Curcurito says he doesn't look around much at what other designers are doing, preferring to follow his gut. "But the ideas don't come from a dark corner of my brain," he says. "They come from social interaction with smart and fun people. I surround myself with great people who are as good as me if not better."