Southwest Review

IDENTITY
PUBLICATION DESIGN

Founded in 1915 and housed on the campus of Southern Methodist University, Southwest Review is the third-longest-running literary quarterly in the United States. The roll call of heavyweights who’ve appeared in its pages stands up to any American magazine, large or small, of the past 100 years. 

508 Creative crafted a new identity system bringing the entire organization into the 21st century with a fresh aesthetic and flexible tools to meet its goals. We also redesigned its print edition for the first time in more than 20 years in order to keep the publication visually relevant and to compete with other magazines vying for the modern readers' attention.

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Three key elements define the new identity: the western-style monogram, the southwest-pointing triangle and the horseman. 

Design elements from past print editions (1927, 1943, 1961 and 2017) provided inspiration for the new monogram, horseman icon and prominent use of color. 

Cover concept features a subtle directional in the form of a triangle always in the southwest corner.

Redesign launch issue cover art by Minta Maria.

Each issue features a unique slate of illustration and photography chosen by 508 Creative to pair with specific stories and poems. Art shown here by Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo, Ryan Young, Calum Heath and Henn Kim.

A solid version of the horseman icon is used as an end mark in print and online.

Corporate and personal stationery showcases the southwest corner triangle theme and modern color palette.   

Pattern created from southwest corner triangle theme.

Volume 103.1 cover art above by Andrea Galvani. Interior art (left) by Allison V. Smith, Calum Heath, Rob Wilson and Christopher Delorenzo. 

Volume 103.2 cover art above by Maciek Jasik. Interior art (right) by Jeffrey Decoster, Calum Heath, Nick Stout and Henn Kim.

Volume 103.3 cover art above by LeAnn Mueller. Interior art (left) by Prashant Gurung, Amy Friend, Rolfo, Ingrid Maillard and Calum Heath. 

Volume 103.4 cover art above by Filip Bojovik. Interior art (right) by Kevin O'Meara, Moshtari Hilal, Calum Heath, Damien Venditti and Robert Wagoner.

Volume 104.1 cover art above by Brooke Didonato. Interior art (left) by Ania Boniecka, Scott Newton, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Ryan Matthew Smith, Allison V. Smith and Drue Wagner.

Volume 104.2 cover art above by Bailey Dale. Interior art (right) by Delaney Allen, Ellen Cantor, Calum Heath, Erin Schwinn, and Alfredo Garofano.

Volume 104.3 cover art above by Sinziana Velicescu. Interior art (left) by Guillaume Simoneau, Julie Savasky and Erin Schwinn.

Volume 104.4 cover art above by Aaron Canipe. Interior art (right) by Jason Latour, Julie Savasky and LeAnn Meuller. 

Volume 105.1 cover art above by Sinziana Velicescu. Interior art (left) by Javier Narvaez Estrada, Tiffanie Turner, Shaun Roberts, Calum Heath, Kristine Cinate and John Gall.

Volume 105.2 cover art above by Terry Allen (Just Like Moby Dick, 2019). Interior art (right) by Ginette Callaway, Chrissy Dollar, Carlynn Whitt, Sam Stenson and Terry Allen. 

Volume 105.3 was a special 2020 Halloween-themed issue guest edited by Gabino Iglesias. Cover art, above and below, by Victor Castillo included a bonus gate fold with a creepy "mask."

Interior art (left) by Matt Rota, Nick Stout, J. Hoyt, Jaya Nicely, Mike Reddy and Erin Schwinn.