Design magazines have traditionally treated their content with a quiet respect, not wanting their presentation to overwhelm the design work they contain. When Eye magazine redesigned (see magCulture, pp144-7) it began to play with this unwritten rule, introducing colour and guest typefaces to express a stronger visual personality of its own. The redesign of Graphics International, (and its concurrent reinvention as Grafik) went further, treating examples of design work as items to be played with at will.

This spread is a typical example. A story about the history of the Penrose Annual is illustrated using front covers of the Annual spread randomly across the spread, overlapping each other and being covered by blocks of the text. This apparent lack of respect actually brings the items to life, letting them be seen the way they would appear if loosely laid out on the desk in front of you. They become a part of the magazine rather than a set of mini reproductions lined up for your inspection.