“In an age of distraction, a beautifully designed print magazine is a thing unto itself, a physical artifact that leans into a mandate of beauty and knowledge; ours will deliver current affairs and insight, long-form journalism and dispatches from Canada’s best writers on a range of topics from politics and public affairs to trends in technology, the arts, design and pop culture,” said editor Alison Uncles in her editorial.

            The process to redesign began a year ago, and included consultations with editors from The Atlantic, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Maclean editors asked the question: what makes a compelling current affairs magazine today?

The new look led by designer Una Janicijevic and executive editor Stephen Gregory, together with Anna Minzhulina and Lauren Cattermole, emphasises gorgeous photography and design while remaining true to the title’s reputation as a readers’ magazine, said Uncles.

            The Bearings and Ideas sections survey the country’s happenings with analysis and reportage, while longer features in the middle of the book deliver different genres of stories, including profiles and explanatory journalism, deep dives into advances in science, forensic studies of legal cases and inspiring accounts of human trial and triumph.