Frieze Magazine
Frieze Magazine
Magazine
frieze magazine was founded in 1991 by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover (who would go on to found the Frieze Art Fair) with artist Tom Gidley. It rapidly became a respected voice in the contemporary art world.
As we redesigned the magazine, we set out to create a flexible system – a “bag of tools” – that would allow to create multi-faceted options. For instance, we selected two contrasting typefaces available in a variety of weights that would allow us to create distinct voices. Both typefaces could be used for headlines depending on the needs of the story. This system was both recognisable but allowed for enough breathing space that it would never feel repetitive. We also introduced guest (or cameo) typefaces, which were usually characterful, vernacular or hand-drawn fonts that would make an appearance for just an issue.
We also set out to make the editorial concept clearer for readers. To do so, we split the magazine in three graphically distinct sections – simply called front, middle and back – in order to reflect the way it was approached editorially. The front section was composed of short articles, such as opinion pieces and book reviews, of one to two pages. We used a four-column grid to create a distinct voice . The middle section was composed of longer articles and full-page images. Accordingly, the typesetting had to be confident and play with white space. To enhance the navigation, we created a system of “badges”, round shapes calling out the name of a section or focus. Finally, the last section, which included reviews, was printed on an uncoated paper to separate it from the rest of the publication.
2012
