"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close." —Henry David Thoreau

Alan Webber and William Taylor are up to something. Issue #62 of their brainchild, Fast Company, came onto this month's newsstands with a vengeance... not to mention a major facelift, both in the focus of its design and content. Here's what they had to say:


Back in 1995, when we launched Fast Company, our most valuable asset was our originality. Today, nearly seven years later, the conversation about business has changed, which is why we are making some exciting changes. The issue that you hold in your hands represents the most important creative development at the magazine since its debut.


Webber and Taylor went on to explain the full extent of the stuff that changed (new logo, cover strategy, departments and columnists) and the stuff that stayed the same (value system, coverage philosophy, innovation). That's the watered-down, cliffnotes version of what they said. Here's some nominees for best highlights of the September issue:

• Best Department Makeover: Next, the artist formerly known as RFTF (starts page 35)
• Best Photograph: Geof Kern's 9/11/02 (page 59)
• Best Column: husband and wife team Anne Kreamer and Kurt Andersen (page 76)
• Best Advice: #8. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but be sure to fix them faster than you make them (page 116)

Pick up a copy for the full effect, or read the whole thing online.


Contrast moving forward with FC's alter-ego, F***ed Company, the "Onion" of the business world.