NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Redesign of the largest and most important medical journal in the world. Lasting over 18 months, the project was technically challenging because of scientific content, worldwide printing, and advertising versus scholarship issues. The new Journal launched in January 2003. Project done in collaboration with Michael Bierut/Pentagram.

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AWARDS & ARTICLES

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Best of Show, BoNE 2003 (AIGA)

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New Look — Form Follows Function
Kent Anderson
Publisher, The New England Journal of Medicine

The new NEJM cover will feature a redesigned nameplate, a centered seal and a revised table of contents.
      In January 2003, the New England Journal of Medicine will unveil the redesign of its cover and inside pages. These changes will make the Journal easier to navigate, introducing visual and organizational elements to improve usability for the reader.
      This updated design will also showcase a series of improvements that have occurred over the past few years:
-The introduction of "This Week in the Journal"
-Biweekly Clinical Practice articles
-New "Perspective" essays
-A Weekly CME Program
      The new look, NEJM's first in more than six years, represents the culmination of more than 18 months of work by consultant designers, the editor-in-chief, executive editor, publishing director, managing editor, graphics director and many others at the Journal.
      During the redesign process, the team focused on more clearly and effectively communicating important findings and information to the readers. While aesthetics played a role, the design maxim "form follows function" became the mantra.

The Design's Attributes
The cover will now feature a new nameplate, a brighter red, a centered seal and a revised table of contents. This layout better differentiates research and review articles from other popular features, such as Perspective, Editorials, Images in Clinical Medicine and Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital, making it easier for readers to find a favorite section or feature each week.
      Inside, readers will find less crowded pages, set on a more intricate underlying structure that emphasizes readability and provides more layout options in presenting complex charts and figures. Additionally, the NEJM team chose a new text face, a Dutch newspaper font, Quadraat, to increase reading speed. Other changes include shaded tables, making it easier to read data across multiple columns. Figures and illustrations are more visually distinct, to make browsing an issue more appealing and to underscore the important role of fine medical illustration in the Journal's presentation.
      Some changes reflect shifts in attitude. Most journals print the "Methods" section in smaller type than the rest of the article, but the redesigned Journal breaks this tradition, using full-size type to convey the critical nature of methodology within research. Additionally, article abstracts are presented as a sole item on the opening page of the article, making them more prominent and readable.
      While NEJM remains committed to the highest quality research and reliable, unbiased reviews, it continues to evolve, responding to the needs of its readership and authors. Now, through the redesign, audiences should be able to glean the value of these high standards more quickly and easily.