Mars has deadly radiation, extreme temperatures, and only 38% of Earth's gravity. Mars Space Tourism imagines it anyway as a holiday destination at the end of the 22nd century, and builds the trip on real science.
The 10-page feature reads as a travelogue. It takes readers along an 850-day Earth-Mars-Earth trajectory based on a NASA example mission, and through a timeline of Mars exploration plans, from robotic cargo flights to permanent settlement.
The design had to hold two moods at once: the ease of a travel brochure and the precision of a mission plan. Orbit diagrams, timelines, and illustrations share one visual language, so the data reads as part of the story.
In 2026, the Society for News Design gave the feature an Award of Excellence in the Magazine: Story Page category, in a competition that drew nearly 4,200 entries. Other publications recognized in the same category include The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Sunday Times, and Science News.
CREDITS: Copy and research: Goran Koprenica · Graphic elements and icons: Josip Dujmović · Content director: Colin Eldridge · Copy editor: Jacob Roundy
Details
Project Type
Magazine feature
Client
Graphonaut
Year
2025
My Role
Creative direction, layout, illustrations and infographics
About the project
Gallery
Click an image to enlarge.
Data storytelling.
Infographics.
Design.
Copyright: © 2026 BORIS BENKO