Challenge

The challenge was to design a New Yorker magazine cover from scratch based on a randomly assigned article, translating an introspective, text-driven narrative into a single, compelling visual while staying true to the magazine’s understated and conceptual cover language.

Insight

The article explored how stargazing creates a sense of calm by placing personal anxieties against the vastness of the universe. I realised that the emotional core of the piece was not about stars themselves, but about stillness, scale, and the quiet reassurance that comes from feeling small.

Idea

I approached the cover as a moment of pause rather than spectacle, using restraint, negative space, and subtle symbolism to convey calm and perspective. The design invites the viewer to slow down, mirroring the article’s message of finding peace through nature and the night sky.