Anatomy Of A Cover

C&EN’s cover highlights the most important story of each issue. We select or design cover art and text both for visual impact and clarity of message. The goal is to create an image that will make someone holding the magazine want to open the pages and read the cover story. We usually succeed, but sometimes our efforts backfire. Certain stories are easier to represent on the cover than others. A recent example is the Oct. 21 profile of the celebrated chemist, author, and playwright Carl Djerassi. We knew way ahead of publication that a photograph of Djerassi would grace that cover, obviously. The only question was, which one? C&EN Creative Director Rob Bryson says he chose the one that in his mind captured Djerassi’s persona as revealed in the profile. Leaping out of a black background, Djerassi’s striking mien juxtaposed with the words “Longing to belong” signals a surprising disquiet ...