"The Look of Return to Ravnica" and "The Art of Gatecrash"

I recently found two very useful articles on the style of two recent magic sets, Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash. They deal with the very relevant struggle of reimagining the aesthetics of a previous set. "Return to Ravnica" is a modernization of "Ravnica: City of Guilds" which was released back in 2006. Armed with more experienced artists and a greater set vision, the team reaffirmed the roles of each guild in a more relevant light, citing the shortfalls they faced in the previous incarnation.

The first article of the two, "The Look of Return to Ravnica" can be found here:

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/214a

While the second, "The Art of Gatecrash" can be found here:
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/231b

The new guides address the issues faced by the old team, with the narrator having been on both. The narrator has with them however this time a want for a more relevant style for each guild and a stronger focus on their place within the world around them. Ravnica is a world covered by one massive city, so architecture and clothing are new points to address in assuring the success visually of the set. It's a great insight into developing culture in a fictional world.