Graphic Design That Works

Magazines that survive the ages become staples of our culture:

Life, Harper’s,

and

Time

among them. These titles

are as familiar to us as great film classics and works of literature because they shaped how entire generations have

seen the world.

GQ

can easily be esteemed as one of the great magazines to weather the turbulent decades. After more than 70

years in circulation, the magazine’s title has become synonymous with fashionable, as in, “You look so

GQ

.”

The magazine’s design has progressed over the decades to mirror the changing image of the stylish, affluent man.

In the era of 20-something millionaires and 30-something retirees, design expresses quality and confidence with a

cool, yet reserved, edge.

WHY IT WORKS:

With few frills,

GQ

is straightforward in its attempt to be a timeless publication, giving a nod to its history while

firmly maintaining its stylish reputation. Richly colored photographs and striking type treatment boldly accentuate

clean, classic page layout—offering variety but staying grounded with a proud sense of the magazine’s identity.

GQ

Fashion for the New Affluent Man

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far left Strong, bold cover lines outline a straight-on

portrait of Kevin Spacey on the front of the October

2000 issue—an example of the magazine’s

assertive,confident covers.

left A stunning lineup of stars grace the cover of

GQ

's coveted "Men of the Year" issue.

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Still,

GQ

hasn’t avoided becoming “a lot hipper” over

the last several years, mainly to appeal to younger au-

diences who have grown up rather quickly, says design

director Arem Duplessis.

“With the economy as good as it’s been, we have a

more sophisticated audience who’s increasingly con-

cerned with overall style,” he says. “He dresses for the

job he wants, not the job he has.”

The New Gentleman

left

GQ

excels in cover-

ing a wide variety of sub-

jects, reflecting the tone

and message of each ar-

ticle through its design,

while maintaining con-

sistency. This playful se-

ries of layouts for the

September 1999 football

issue uses the subdued

palette and plenty of

white space, but inserts

fun images and type to

play off the energy and

excitement of the fea-

tured game.

above A variation on

the football theme for the

same September issue is

a spread of loud colors

and patterns, introducing

the sport in Samoa.

left Tightly cropped

photos act as a colorful

banner across this silver-

coated page introducing

GQ

’s coveted “Men of the

Year” awards—an exam-

ple of how accented color

touches up ordinarily

subdued pages.

Average readers range from recent college grads to

around 40 years old, generally hold advanced de-

grees, and make between $35,000 and $100,000 a

year. Such an age gap may be difficult for other mag-

azines to straddle, but Duplessis says the

GQ

reader

responds less to generational messages and more to

a prevailing attitude.

“Our readers already know who they are,” he says.

“We avoid anything over the top and stick to a classic

aesthetic, one that has no time period.”

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