PROJECT

23 MAGAZINE

TOOLS USED

Adobe Creative Suite

ROLE

DESIGNER // RESEARCHER

23 Magazine is a speculative design project that explores an alternative method for spreading anti-capitalist narratives.

The title references 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang, a book that unpacks 23 myths and misconceptions about capitalism in an effort to expose its underlying illusions.

Scaffolded by a Marxist theoretical framework, this project investigates how design can challenge dominant ideologies by confronting what is often accepted as natural, normal, or inevitable.

In considering how ideas are popularly communicated, I was drawn to the sensational tabloid magazines stacked near grocery store checkout aisles — untrustworthy, over-the-top, yet almost impossible to ignore. This led me to imagine an alternate reality where critiques of capitalism are delivered through sensationalized stories and juicy goss.

REFERENCES

Chang, Ha-Joon. 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism. Bloomsbury Press, 2010.

Star Magazine. American Media Inc.

OK! Magazine. Northern & Shell / a360media.

Adobe Stock. Various images licensed for design reference and compositing. https://stock.adobe.com.