“The only perspective I have on the cover is it has got to work on the newsstand,” says Penny Garrett, c0-head of graphics at The Economist in the March issue of Folio.  ” We do them as mini posters to stand out in the crowd, but occasionally we do go for quite a complicated one.”

More often than not, however, The Economist covers tend to rely on a single, dramatic cover image that’s simple in presentation, but carries the full meaning of the cover story it represents, reports Folio.

“We don’t want to be too cryptic but if you lead people by the hand too much it tends to become predictable,” says Garrett.

The above cover is a perfect example of The Economist’s strategy.  The rip down the middle is visually dramatic and represents the turmoil on Wall Street.

This approach is often used successfully in the celebrity weekly category when a couple breaks up or is in trouble and it’s interesting to see The Economist utlitize this visual technique.  

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