Challenge / Question
What needed to be solved.
How can a magazine develop a distinctive identity while still having the freedom to change and reinvent itself from one issue to the next?
Graphic Design / Project
Unique Magazine Editorial Identity & Art Direction.
An editorial identity for Unique Magazine, developed from the simple idea of a smile into a flexible visual system designed to evolve across every issue.
Project Story
Unique Magazine began with a simple idea: a smile. The curve was gradually reduced and refined until it became the “U” at the heart of the Unique identity. From that starting point, I developed a flexible editorial system that could change in character from issue to issue while retaining a clear and recognisable visual identity. The result was a magazine that could continually reinvent itself without losing the idea at its core.
Concept
The idea behind the system.
The identity grew from the universal gesture of a smile. By reducing its form to its simplest curve, the smile gradually became the “U” of Unique, creating a visual idea that could remain constant while the magazine continually changed around it.
Approach & Process
How the idea became a system.
I began by exploring the smile as a simple, universal visual gesture. Through a process of reduction, the surrounding forms gradually disappeared, leaving the curve that became the “U” of Unique. This core element was developed into the wordmark and then extended across the magazine, creating a system flexible enough to respond to different themes, imagery and stories while maintaining a consistent identity from issue to issue.
Outcome
The complete visual system.
The result was a recognisable yet adaptable editorial identity, one that gave each issue its own character while keeping Unique visually connected as a publication. The simple “U” became the constant thread, allowing the magazine to evolve without losing its identity.