Geez 27 (the stereotype issue) cover

The cover of the new Geez magazine, the stereotype issue, is shown above (click to enlarge). My original design is shown below; I liked the less literal take on stereotype, with the framework caging the young woman, and the pink paint representing stereotypes that are splattered indiscriminately on people. But we went with the less ambiguous paint-by-number treatment; not sure if I like it more visually, but I think it conveys more about the subject.

I really liked the stock photo of the woman: young, pretty, but not the typical cover girl, with her heavy eyebrows. The editors questioned the use of a stock photo, thought maybe we should use an image where we knew the subject, or at least the photographer. We put the discussion in the magazine:  
We had a heck of a time deciding on an image for the cover. In the end, we chose a stock photo of a young woman whose ethnic identity is ambiguous. We’d like to know more about this woman: what’s her name, where does she live, what are some of her struggles? We could have used a photo our friend Colin Vandenberg took when he was in West Africa a few years ago (see option at left). While the woman depicted would not be anonymous, it felt like we would pick her image simply for the colour of her skin, which seemed too objectifying. 

A third option was to use a photo of a person already depicted in the magazine, Michelle Klippenstein (below right). But how would she like to see a photo of herself on newsstands, cut up with the “paint by number” treatment? We would have to check with with her. But we were running of out time, so we went with the stock image and decided to share our misgivings with you.