How the cover gets made

“The cover will be for our second Global Tech issue.”

“What’s going to be in it?”

“A diverse group of stories, ranging from a tech lab in Egypt, to a do-it-all app in China, to a DIY workshop in Australia. One of our biggest stories takes place here in the U.S., where Larry Page is investing more than $100 million of his own money in a company developing a flying car.”

“Wow! I can’t wait to see what this thing looks like. Can we get a photo for the cover?”

“Yes, the writer is calling Larry’s office about it now.”

[One week later] “When can we see the photo?”

“They never returned our call.”

“Typical. Well, I’m sure we can get an artist to make an educated guess.”

[To artist] “Hello, we need to imagine a design for a flying car. One of the most powerful men in technology is backing it, and more than $100 million has been invested. Think of this design as the most realistic and most futuristic vision of the next evolution of personal transportation.”