The Seventeen logo has stayed the same, but almost everything else about the design has changed. There was a time when the cover was delightfully simple. Then things just got more and more cluttered.

The magazine cover’s job is to sell the magazine — it has to stand out in a rack full of other magazines. So the design starts to get louder and louder.

When doing research for this article, I kept getting headaches whenever I looked at Seventeen covers for too long. Google image search “Seventeen Magazine” and you’ll see what I mean:

Ow. My eyes.

Vogue

These are our new role models.

Ah, the Kardashians. Whether you love them, or love to hate them — there’s no disputing they’re wicked talented at monetizing their fame.