Q&A: Creative Director of The New York Times Kids Debra Bishop

A deep passion for typography & bold design choices

Who:

Debra Bishop, Design Director, New York Times for Kids

Why:

Debra is, without question, one of the most talented graphic designers of our era. We’re taking a look back at her iconic run as The New York Times for Kids magazine comes to a close. She carries a deep passion for typography and a strong commitment to mentoring rising talent. Read how she embraced bold creative choices — from designing the front page like a poster to messing with an iconic word-mark.

Thank you, Debra — welcome to my first ever Substack! So excited to chat with you on this. Your work has inspired so many of us — not just through the magazine, but through the incredible talent you’ve nurtured and the bold creative choices you’ve made. I’d love to hear your take on creativity, working with talent, and what’s coming next.

What’s the NYT Kids cover you’re most proud of?

Ohh! So hard to pick. The Mark Ryden Halloween covers. I know it's cliché, but I cherish them all — it's like picking your favorite child...

After 100 issues, what NYT Kids cover is YOU — yes, YOU as a person?

Hmmm. Probably the dog on the Dogs and Cats issue. Though some people would argue the cat :)

Which creative choices or risks turned out to be the most defining, and why?

I think there are quite a few:

1. Possibly the decision to design the cover more like a poster or magazine and less like a typical newspaper.

2. Also, the irreverence of messing with The New York Times' storied wordmark.

3. The way we communicated through anthropomorphizing animals rather than always illustrating kids.

4. It was a risk to add as much humor as we did, considering the seriousness of The Times’ mission and, of course, given what is going on in the world. I worried about it, but felt that a little levity in the midst of all the bad news was maybe not a bad thing???

   

If young creatives could take away just one principle from your body of work, what would you want it to be — and what should they unlearn?