Uncommon Creative Studio Redesigns Port Magazine’s A/W23 Issue

Port’s A/W23 issue features Taika Waititi, Franz Rogowski, Jasmine Jobson, Teo Yoo and art by Cai Guo-Quiang, as well as writing from Annie Ernaux, Lauren Oyler, Elizabeth Goodspeed, Chris Ware and Zadie Smith.

This new issue comes with an ambitious redesign from Uncommon, including the photographed cover stars hand-writing their own title on their respective covers. See below a capture of the new design.

Port has always been a publication centred around telling people’s stories. Uncommon wanted to add individuality to each of their split run cover — asking each cover star to draw their own version of the Port logo in their own style with no prompts. Uncommon wanted to ensure each cover design felt unique and reflective of the person’s character.

MORE ABOUT THE COVER DESIGNS

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Passages star, Franz Rogowski’s logo is unusual and awkward — the letters are both blowout and falling within themselves. He talks about the paradox of being a performer and also hiding in real life. Taika Waititi is the opposite, the letters are playful and energetic — he is interviewed about his unpredictable body of work.

Teo Yeo, around the release of Past Lives, talks about finally finding a place for himself, both at home and in his work. Discussing the complexities of his German, American and South Korean identity. His Port logo is influenced by both Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and a Latin-script, but it’s beautifully neither.

Jasmine Jobson, star of Top Boy and Surge, wrote her masthead on the set of her photoshoot, coffee in hand — it feels honest, unfussy and down to earth.

The final cover is an art cover, part of a portfolio by artist Cai Guo-Quiang, alongside a written reflection on his work. His logo is reflective of his artists style — using a large brush mark to create an explosive font.

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MORE ABOUT THE REDESIGN

Throughout the magazine, Uncommon approached the design with a more graphic and clean look and feel. Alongside a magazine structure reshuffle — including a new 76 page design section titled ‘The Port Review of Design’ — Uncommon added a fluro orange, half page cover slap and cut the pages short to give it its own identity.

This magazine also includes a 14 page still life chair shoot — shot by Uncommon using a mix of printing and projection to create a layered effect on the imagery. For Port’s Commentary section, Uncommon commissioned Alec Doherty, to illustrate the features — using Doherty’s free flowing black ink drawings.

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Within each feature for the cover stars — Uncommon also reflected the character of the person within the layout design of their interview. For example, to reflect Teo Yoo’s feelings on displacement throughout his life, the typography nods to this drifting of the grid. Franz Rogowski, on wanting to hide and feeling awkward, the typography and photography is crushed in on itself.

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MORE ABOUT THE TYPOGRAPHY

The typography changes throughout the issue — choosing two serif fonts, Triptych from the Pyte Foundry which is unsentimental, stubborn, robust and hard-working. The second Affairs from SM, slightly more aesthetically pleasing. Bringing two reduced typefaces together creates an awkward and interesting tension throughout the redesign.

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The issue also includes an extended wide type to contrast with the serifs — creating a type where a single number sits across a spread — called UNCle. As well as another sans called serial D from DumDum studio.

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Purchase Issue 33 here: https://port-magazine.newsstand.co.uk/