The Atlantic’s Features Page

In November of last year, The Atlantic magazine and its corresponding website were redesigned. Michael Bierut, one of two designers responsible for the new look, has written about the redesign in the magazine; it’s documented even more thoroughly in Pentagram’s online portfolio, so I’m not going to rehash that information here.

As an avid reader of The Atlantic, I love the redesign and the typography in particular. Though I can’t say I’m terribly fond of their use of Titling Gothic for headings, I love the use of Bodoni for the logo and Mercury for the body type.

One of the best places to see this typography at work is the Features page, which marks the beginning of the featured stories section of the magazine. Every time I come to this page in an issue, I linger, admiring the page’s striking design and the loveliness of Mercury’s letterforms. I figured I’d share in the typographic joy, so I’ve scanned in the Features page from the November 2008, December 2008, and January/February 2009 issues.

Obviously, if you have a chance, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the magazine to see the Features page and the rest of the redesign in person, but hopefully the scans will convey some semblance of its simplicity and beauty.