The New York Times Magazine unveils first major redesign in nearly a decade, adapting to multi-platform storytelling

The New York Times Magazine has launched its first comprehensive redesign since 2015, led by creative director Gail Bichler and design director Ben Grandgenett. This overhaul responds to a transformed media landscape where stories now move across print, web, audio, and video formats simultaneously. The redesign introduces new visual columns like "The Way We Live Now," which explores emerging lifestyles through imagery-driven narratives. A custom typeface system was developed in collaboration with Henrik Kubel of A2-Type, retaining the distinctive slab serif from the previous design while introducing updated versions of Cheltenham and Franklin Gothic. The magazine's seven-column grid remains largely unchanged, but page furniture has been repositioned to create more spacious layouts. A new print-only section called Culture Digest curates monthly cultural coverage from across The New York Times into a browsable format. The redesign emphasizes closer integration with the broader Times institution while maintaining the magazine's distinct visual identity. Bichler notes the challenge of delivering satisfying experiences across different mediums, where print offers luxurious photography and covers that establish hierarchy, while digital formats enable more experimental storytelling. The columns team now develops repeatable formats that can exist both online and in print, with designers playing more integrated roles in shaping narrative pacing and visual-text relationships.