While reading through New York Mag, the only consistent design element that I noticed from issue-to-issue was the use of lines. Within the table of contents, thin lines are used to separate different department sections. I think that these lines work within the table of contents specifically because they are not distracting at all, in fact, the weight of the stroke seems to match the weight of the cross strokes within the body typography. This guides the reader’s eye.
As I previously mentioned, the lines are not just used within the table of contents but throughout the entire publication. They are most commonly used to border each page. Occasionally, the borders can be found on the section front page; however, they are always on the pages that consist primarily of body copy.
The name of the “Intelligencer” and the “Culture Pages” can be found on the top left page fo the articles within that department. They help maintain order and clear understanding amongst the readers because they can clearly see which section they are in. The typeface matches the typeface used within the table of contents to divide the departments: an uppercase, serif with a short x-value. The “Strategist” does not incorporate this design element into its pages.
I noticed that the section front of the “Strategist” generally features a large image against a simple background. The image generally covers up part of the text in the “Strategist” nameplate. There is a line of text that runs below the nameplate, offering a summary of what stories will appear in the section; however, most of the text is covered up by the photograph, leaving it unreadable. I think this is interesting because the reader cannot assume what this says, as it changes for every issue. Clearly, the New York Mag does not think that this text is a priority for readers to digest.
