The Big Issue

Three hundred editions means 300 attempts at wooing readers on the streets. Our Art Director, Bretton Bartleet, explores a rich (and sometimes risky) visual history.

Covers! Every magazine has one; some are more effective than others. Sometimes it is only possible to make an informed judgment about a cover’s success or failure after a particular edition has come and gone. It is an inexact science. There is no magic formula. I think of it as a visual house of cards, with you – the reader – being the ultimate arbiter of success.
Over almost 12 years and 300 issues, The Big Issue has established an impressively diverse visual history. Every fortnight, each cover design has to dance the tightrope between addressing vital, sometimes delicate, issues of the day while also ensuring the best ‘saleability’ for our vendors. Above everything else, each new edition has to be noticed on streets all around the country.

As well as dealing with diverse subject matter – from impassioned topic-based features to revelatory celebrity interviews – producing the most effective cover artwork means balancing a range of elements: everything from colours to typefaces. Thankfully, though, in stark contrast to the sterile presentation of many other publications, we aren’t forced to bump-and-grind or scream for the attention of consumers browsing shelves in supermarkets, convenience stores and newsagencies, where hundreds of mastheads squeeze each other for space. Instead we proudly produce a magazine that is unique, in that it is sold within the public realm of community life by our energetic team of vendors. In doing so, we embrace the meaningful exchange between reader and vendor.

But herein lies one of our challenges: because our cover art and vendors have to compete with the hustle-and-bustle of daily street life, we have to be seen. A cover message has to be simple and direct. This is seldom easy, as Big Issue covers invariably address topics that are often neglected, or straight-out ignored by mainstream media outlets.

We are a proud independent publication that confidently asserts its unique position in an increasingly homogenised media environment. And while design and subject matter are important, it is the dedication of The Big Issue staff, and the determination of our vendors to spruik and sell what we produce, that ultimately influence the success of any one cover and the edition it showcases.

When I look back over past covers I can detect a profound, though not always clear, evolution of ideas and themes. I can see challenges faced, lessons learned and risks taken. Our covers are sometimes irreverent, sometimes indignant, sometimes blunt, but one thing is certain: they are never safe.

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