FURNITURE
NAMEPLATE
Definition: A line of type on the front of a publication providing its name
Condé Nast Traveler has a signature nameplate that changed when they went through a redesign three years ago. It is so important to talk about because it alone has a way of embodying the brand, informing much of what is on the inside of the publication. The typeface is a serif font with high contrast and low ascenders. It is fun and adventurous, yet elegant and modern. Being able to pack so much in a nameplate must have been a difficult task, and those elements are seen throughout the publication. That is only for the word “traveler”.
Above that is a thick rule and CONDÉ NAST written in all CAPS. I feel they used a bold variation of the typeface used for “traveler”, so though the type is thick and a little clunky, the contrast is even higher in each individual letter. Overall, there is a lot of contrast, and the nameplate manages to be elegant and adventurous at the same time, perfect for the branding of the publication inside.
BYLINES
Definition: A byline is printed text, giving credit to the author of a story
Condé Nast Traveler has a very unique way of doing bylines. Rather than give credit to the writers and photographers of a story under the headline or subheadline of a story, which is customary, they write it at the end of a story in all CAPS, using a different typeface than the body copy. The typeface is a serif. Each character has the same width in each individual line, differing greatly from the nameplate typeface. It does maintain the elegant aspect of the nameplate, however. The choice to put it in an unconventional place is in itself adventurous, and reminds me of the real editorial focus the publication has.
DEPARTMENT/SECTION FLAGS
Definition: The sections by which a publication is organized, and the ways in which the publication denotes this to the reader throughout the inside of it
The top left or right corners of a publication are often used as prime retail telling the reader what section or department they are in. Again, Condé Nast Traveler takes the unconventional route. This space is used on each page to tell the reader what location is being focused on, in all CAPS and bold. This is one of the few places in which a sans serif font is used, and the kerning on it is very high. It is also a very large size, much larger than the body copy.
Either this typeface is naturally very thick and bold, or it is a variant bold font. A lot is done to emphasize this. CN Traveler has an impeccable way of highlighting many different elements on a page without the pages looking too busy. Somehow everything manages to fit the very clean and elegant aesthetic, and I feel that can be attributed to the very large amount of whitespace.
