The New yorker
The Challenge:
Illustrate a magazine cover and spread for The New Yorker article "The Extremely Weird Politics of Covid" by Ross Douthat
The Context:
Academic project for GRD 3300: Illustration: Concept Through Images
The Timeline:
Nov 2022
My Role:
Research, Graphic Design, and Illustration
My Toolbox:
Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate
Illustrating the contested struggle between politics and the COVID-19 pandemic
After analyzing The New Yorker's bipartisan opinion piece on COVID-19, I aimed for a vibrant, action-packed, and metaphorical visual approach in my magazine cover and spread illustrations, steering clear of the clichéd Covid vs. Politics political cartoon trope. When doing some research on analyses of the COVID-19 pandemic, I stumbled across a study that interviewed 125 social media users on their opinions of the pandemic and asked them to derive metaphors regarding the concept of COVID-19. Among others, the comparison of COVID-19 to a mosquito captivated me due to its ingenious reasoning:
It can strike anywhere and at any time, but you won't know until you get bitten; while it may never bite you, the severity of symptoms, if it does, remains uncertain.
I used this metaphor as the basis of my illustrations, with the donkey representing Democrats trying to swat the COVID-19 mosquito (signifying their efforts to contain the virus via wearing masks, quarantine, etc.) and the elephant representing Republicans fighting back.
My Takeaways:
In hindsight, I would like to more strongly consider the design systems already established by The New Yorker. In a future redesign, I would revisit my justified type, as I believe it needs some additional finalging to feel more comfortable and cohesive.
TNY Magazine Cover
