From its Person of the Year to the TIME 100, few publications have been able to shape the global conversation like TIME Magazine.
For over 25 years, D.W. Pine has served as the creative force behind the magazine’s visual identity, shaping the way millions of readers understood the world, one cover at a time.
As TIME’s Creative Director, Pine led the design of more than 1,000 covers, fusing art, journalism and cultural critique in ways that have sparked global conversation, debate, and sometimes outrage.
Whether illustrating political turmoil, social movements, or existential questions, Pine’s work has become a vital part of TIME’s storytelling legacy.
D.W. Pine
“I don’t typically like to choose my favourite covers,” Pine admitted to Mediaweek. “They all have their own stories to tell.”
In fact, only one hangs in his home: a 1950 TIME illustration by Boris Artzybasheff, his favourite artist, depicting a Coca-Cola sign serving the world a Coke.
“Artzybasheff produced more than 200 covers between the 1940s and 1960s,” Pine says. “And I’m from Atlanta, the home of Coca-Cola, so that one means a lot.”
That said, Pine has selected ten TIME covers that he finds particularly impactful, each with a story, a creative challenge, or a cultural flashpoint that made it stand out in a career spanning 25 years.
Read on as he shares the covers and the thinking behind them in this Mediaweek exclusive.
Nothing to See Here | February 27, 2017
“The image that launched a series of five covers capturing President Trump in various levels of turmoil with the Oval Office. Illustrated by longtime TIME collaborator Tim O’Brien, who has produced more TIME covers than anyone in the past 30 years.”
Elon Behind Desk | February 24, 2025
“Sometimes the most powerful covers don’t need a single word. This stark, minimalist image of Elon Musk seated behind the Resolute Desk sent shockwaves worldwide. At a time when Musk’s influence over the U.S. government was a mounting concern, this cover distilled public unease into a single, provocative visual. In one image the magazine captured the emotional gravity of the moment, and the world took notice”.
The Drone Age | June 1, 2018
“I’ve spent my career staring at the 8 x 10.5 inch TIME cover template on my computer screen, but, of course, never 400 feet in the air with 958 drones forming the iconic red border. Definitely a special moment for me.”
Finding Hope | April 27, 2020
Set against the eerie quiet of pandemic-stricken Paris, this cover emerged as a global beacon of resilience. French artist and photographer JR, known for his large-scale public installations, worked overnight with his team to stage the powerful image, an act of creative defiance in a time of fear and isolation.
“In the midst of the global COVID pandemic,” Pine explaines “this cover offered a glimpse of hope when the world desperately needed it.”
The emotional weight of the moment, paired with JR’s signature visual style, turned the issue into more than a magazine, it was a message.
Christine Blasey Ford | October 15, 2018
“Working tirelessly overnight, artist John Mavroudis was able to capture a powerful portrait of Christine Blasey-Ford following her testimony about Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. Her powerful words rendered an impactful image of her testifying.”
Aisha | August 9, 2010
“Aisha, an 18-year old woman from Afghanistan, had her nose and ears caught off by the Taliban. It’s an extremely difficult image to look at, prompting then-editor Rick Stengel to consult with child psychologists to help him decide whether or not to publish it. The decision was incredibly important to give our readers a sense of what was happening on the ground in Afghanistan.”
Meltdown | August 22, 2016
“Inspired by the words of a TIME political reporter (“the campaign seems to be in a meltdown”), I enlisted artist Edel Rodriguez to visualise it. Rodriguez created a globally recognised graphic representation of the president with two simple colours.”
Julia Louis Dreyfuss | March 11, 2019
“What I loved about this cover is it shows we can have a little fun too. It was not planned that Dreyfuss was going to remove the “T”, but once the photos came in, with her laughing, it seemed to fit perfectly in her hand and seemed like something her characters would do.”
American Reality | November 16, 2020
“The visual simplicity of a nation torn apart by the divisive nature of wearing masks is captured with this simple image during the height of the pandemic.”
How to Protect Your Privacy Online | July 2, 2001
“This was the first cover I ever designed during the early years of the world wide web. I reached out to digital artist Joe Zeff to create a computer monitor in the shape of a padlock. Zeff was a former TIME Deputy Art Director who discovered me at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was instrumental in hiring me at TIME.”
World & Friend | May 15, 1950
“This iconic May 15, 1950 cover of TIME was painted by artist Boris Arzybasheff, who was part of the golden age of TIME illustrated covers in the 1940s, 50 and 60s. Called the ABCs, Artzybasheff, Ernest Hamlin Baker and Boris Chaliapin, the trio produced 900 TIME covers and created a style that gave the publication character, strength and personality.
“Artzybasheff painted more than 200 covers from 1941 until his death in 1965, including “World & Friend” which served to illustrate a 4,000-word cover story on the rising influence of Coca-Cola around the world. As TIME wrote: “people almost everywhere are buying it as if it were the biggest glass of ambrosia in the world for a nickel. Actually, according to the official and modest definition of its makers, it is only “a soft drink . . . best described as “delicious and refreshing.” Its name, of course, is Coca-Cola.”
“The magazine appearance solidified Atlanta’s own Coca-Cola as a global brand and made the bottle’s design ubiquitous. In 1950, TIME magazine approached Coca-Cola CEO Robert Woodruff to ask if he would appear on the cover. Woodruff declined, insisting that the bottle itself be the star. It was the first commercial product to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine. Having lived and worked in Atlanta (the home of Coca-Cola) for nearly 20 years, it’s my favorite TIME cover and the only one I have hanging in my house.”
Where Do Ideas Come From? Creativity Inside TIME’s Cover is a keynote lecture by D.W. Pine that will delve into the creative process behind his 25 years as TIME’s Creative Director.
The event will take place at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday 29 May.
To learn more visit Vivid Sydney