Wired (2013)
Didones are usually associated with fashion magazines, so it is somewhat surprising to see Ambroise replace the rugged, mechanical type we’re used to seeing in Wired. Claudia de Almeida, who is responsible for the redesign, agrees that the choice is unexpected. I am all for the unexpected, and don’t want to fuel stereotypes, but when I look at these pages I can’t help but think they belong in the lifestyle, fashion, and women’s sections of the newsstand. I wonder: Is Wired trying to broaden its readership? Does this represent an even more fundamental shift in the brand? Or is this simply a standard magazine refresh?
On the other hand, some treatments have a news mag vibe. And the combination of Ambroise with the machined squareness of Tungsten and FF Oxide do keep things from getting too frilly for the subject matter. Perhaps the unexpected is exactly the right choice after all.
De Almeida doesn’t skimp on typefaces. I count five in this column alone. Not sure what the bulbous thing is for “Mat Honan”.
The text face is Exchange, originally designed for the Wall Street Journal by H&FJ and not part of their standard retail library.
6 Comments on “Wired (2013)”
I’m pretty sure that this Mat Honan font is an Apex Rounded Ultra, isn’t it?
As for me, I really like this redesign, but let’s see how well it works on the audience.
That looks like a match, thank you! I’ve added it.
Text face is Exchange by H&FJ
Right you are, CC! Thanks for correcting my error. I have fixed the caption and typeface tag. Looks like Periódico had a short run, (maybe from 2011–2012).
I loathe the redesign, but I welcome the return of Tungsten to the American mag’s regular usage. It has been in regular rotation in the UK edition as far I am aware.
As soon as Dadich returned as editor-in-chief, so did many of the geometric flourishes that were a stable of the '08 design treatment (when he was CD).
I was a big fan of the Periódico + Calibre look. I thought it was cleaner. This new one’s growing on me, although at times it seems overwrought. I could immediately tell that Dadich was back at the helm (now as Editor in Chief) when they started rolling out changes last year. The man (and anyone working under him) likes a typeface or twenty. ;)