As the January 2021 issues of magazine start to hit newsstands, they are something of a light at the end of the long, long tunnel that was 2020. Wired UK has used this opportunity to execute a high impact “rallying cry” to its readers, working with Anthony Burrill to create a cover that uses bold, protest-banner-inspired typography to state “Change Everything”. “Isn't it a time when we really want everything to change?” poses Wired’s group creative director Andrew Diprose. “More than ever, we need change-makers to address issues like human rights, inequality, the environment and yes, the damn virus!”

The issue focuses on people who are working for positive change in the world through technology, activism, science, creativity and more. Wired asked leading names such as human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to each nominate someone who they believe merits greater recognition; for example Clooney nominated Maria Ressa, co-founder of Philippines news site Rappler, and Pichai nominated Ibrahim Ouassari, founder of inclusive tech space Molengeek. These change-makers are profiled, and some feature as the cover stars: Seyi Akiwowo, who is working to end online abuse through her charity Glitch!; Charlotte Summers, an ICU doctor and researcher working at the frontline of the Covid pandemic; and pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong.

“For months I’d been referring to the cover story as ‘Change Everything and it ended up sticking,” Diprose tells It’s Nice That of the project’s beginnings. “I'm a big AB fan, and as soon as I started mocking up the headline, it screamed for Anthony's work – his bold, impactful use of typography perfectly suited this subject matter and that rallying cry.”

Looking to protest banners to convey the powerful spirit of this year’s fights against injustice, Burrill set about making his own. “This project felt especially relevant as we were attempting to sum up a tumultuous year and also point towards an uncertain future using words and images. The phrase ‘Change Everything’ worked well for what we were trying to say. Everything has changed, everything is changing and will continue to change.”

Burrill set the words in letterpress using vintage wood type at Adams of Rye, inked and proofed them on a proofing press, then scanned the printed type and adjusted the kerning before combining it with the elements of the cover. “It was great to be able to layer the type over the masthead and work with tightly cropped photography to produce a bold set of cover designs,” he explains. The graphic designer also screen-printed the design and together with Diprose, made a placard that the latter brought to an XR demonstration. “I felt a little embarrassed rocking up to a demonstration with such a well typeset placard!” laughs Diprose.

The typography frames described by Diprose as “beautiful, honest, no-nonsense portraits” are photographed by Shamil Tanna and An Rong Xu. The January 2021 issue of Wired is out tomorrow, 4 December.

Source: Itsnicethat.com

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