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30 iconic front pages - classic design, always with a twist

From the first edition in 1986, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday won awards for their design, and the ‘fronts’ have always been an important statement of where we stand. The first edition of 7 October 1986 set the tone. It was clear and fresh, and gave the classic “broadsheet” look a fresh twist, though back then it was more conventional in the news it reported – 30 years ago, uncannily, it was events at the Conservative Conference and the plunging value of the pound that caught the first headline. There followed a number of revolutions: a compact format in 2003, full colour in 2008, and even the red sans-serif masthead of 2011. Something of the original style was recaptured two years later, the twist this time being the vertical masthead, which allowed designers to make best use of the space for photography – an innovation preserved today in The Independent Daily Edition app.

So much more than a thousand words: how our cartoonists saw the world

Britain has a glorious tradition of irreverent, bawdy, even scandalous satirical cartoons, and the international reputation of the title’s artists is well earned – 30 reasons for that are offered here. Our longest-standing is Dave Brown, who of course continues to produce his works of art for the Daily Edition. His and the others’ cartoons are not only works of superb draughtsmanship – they also make a point, and serve as eloquently as any written article as commentary on the world’s news agenda. 

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