In its September 2023 issue, Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine debuted a new look from cover to cover. We wanted to create an elevated feel that reflects the sensibilities of both our readers and the content within. Dean Usher, head of design for a collection of lifestyle and photography magazines published by our parent company, Future, spearheaded the redesign, and Kiplinger art director Will Tims and art editor Steve Mumby carried the vision through to each page.
On our refreshed cover, illustrator Lisa Sheehan created compelling art to capture the lead feature for September, on investing in the artificial-intelligence boom. And the cover features a subtle modification to the beginning of our title: We’ve switched from the possessive Kiplinger’s to simply Kiplinger, so you can refer to us as Kiplinger Personal Finance from here on out. The publication launched in 1947 as the Kiplinger Magazine, so the adjustment moves us a little closer to our roots.
Throughout the magazine’s pages, we’ve incorporated a more refined color palette and some extra white space, breathing a bit of air into the pages. But we aren’t making big sacrifices on the amount of text in our articles, ensuring that we fit in all the key information you need to make smart financial decisions.
We also used the redesign as an opportunity to address reader requests. Some readers said that the text was difficult to read in certain areas, so we’ve altered a few of our fonts and are mindful of the backgrounds on which we place text, ensuring enough contrast that you can read every word.
We also received feedback on the line-drawing columnist portraits that we introduced earlier this year. Many readers were not keen on them and wrote to us with convincing reasons to reconsider. Says reader Danielle Greco, “In the era of ChatGPT, it’s nice to know your columns are written by humans. Seeing their photos makes me feel more connected to them in a way drawings do not.” We took the reader letters to heart and have put in new photographs of our columnists.
What Isn’t Changing
We may have updated our look, but our talented staff will continue delivering the astute analysis and advice that you expect. In the office building that Kiplinger once occupied, a placard hung on the wall that read, “We are guided by the expectation that our readers will act on what we write about and benefit from doing so.” We still uphold that mission.
And we’re keeping the lines of communication open. Please let us know what you think of the redesign—or share any other thoughts or questions you may have for us—at feedback@kiplinger.com.
To subscribe to Kiplinger Personal Finance or any of our other publications, visit https://store.kiplinger.com/.
