Take a Look at the Redesigned National Geographic Magazine

At National Geographic, we’ve helped you explore the world for 130 years. With the launch of the May print issue, we’re embracing our heritage while redefining it in a contemporary way, bringing you the same sense of wonder but with a bolder, more captivating look.

The new National Geographic is one you’ll literally feel before you see it, with upgraded paper stocks that make the experience of holding a magazine in your hands even more of a premium, lean-back delight. We’ve introduced a design that features new visual story forms, timely and important essays, and even more breathtaking photography to explore and illuminate the frontiers of our world—from the depths of the ocean to the front lines of the human journey—with an eye for understanding the people, places, and ideas that shape our planet and for provoking new questions about what’s next.

The biggest changes are right up front, in three reimagined sections, densely packed with accessible information. Proof is a story told through photography. We wanted to start with what this publication does best: visual storytelling. Embark addresses in-the-news topics. It kicks off this month with an essay on sexual harassment in the sciences. Explore illuminates the world’s wonders. New elements include “Atlas,” a story told through maps, and “Through the Lens,” the backstory of a single, memorable photograph.

Deeper in the magazine, we’re mixing it up. Instead of four or five feature stories of roughly the same length in each issue, you’ll find several shorter, visual features rich with illustrations and photos; a couple of traditional-length stories with the deep, global reporting and imagery that are our hallmark; and one major, marquee package, which this month focuses on Muslims in America. This look at the nation’s most misunderstood religious group—part of our year-long series of stories on diversity in America—showcases surprising, moving photos by Lynsey Addario and Wayne Lawrence.

Throughout, you’ll find pages that are easier to navigate. Two new typefaces are adapted from styles that hark back to our past but are updated for a more modern feel. There’s “Earle,” named in honor of legendary oceanographer and National Geographic Society Explorer-In-Residence Sylvia Earle, who was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and “Marden,” based on an archival type that’s been digitally recut for a clean, new look. It pays tribute to Luis Marden, a pioneer in color photography.

We know our readers access our content in 33 languages and across a lot of platforms—social networks, digital, and print. However you choose to engage with us, please know that some things about National Geographic will never change, especially the three principles that underlie all that we do. We are on the side of science, on the side of facts, and on the side of the planet.

Please tell us what you think of your new National Geographic; our email is editor@natgeo.com. And as ever, thank you for reading.