The seven key factors of good newspaper design

By Richard Addis
February 26th, 2009 at 03:51pm
Design, Newspapers

Sitting in Tallinn last week with an excellent bunch of art directors and a large pile of papers (all in Estonian), design principles became more abstract. Not understanding the stories served to highlight the visual principles at work. And it reminded everyone just how universal really are the rules of making a good newspaper.

So, with thanks to my fellow judges, here is what emerged from my notes: the seven secrets of news design.

1. Layout — including strong story hierarchy, building the page from the centre outwards, building in proper contrast and vibrancy to the page, thinking in spreads, sticking to a grid and using space to led the whole thing breathe
2. Pictures — including the use of horizontal and vertical contrast, variety of depth, bold cropping and occasional use of a mild tilt to add interest to an otherwise worthy image.
3. Type — including the adherence to a strict hierarchy of weights/sizes and a deliberate contrast between short, shy labels and longer, fuller headlines
4. Colour — including restraint in use of half-tones and tints and careful preparation of a systematic and logical palette
5. Navigation — including a system of colour coding, labelling and cross-referencing and a strong method of building and differentiating story packages on news pages
6. Packages — including a simple set of furniture for building story packages: subsidiary stories, sidebars, pull-quotes, graphics and photos
7. Graphics — including a clear distinction between info-graphics (graphs and charts) and illustration (photo-montages and drawing) but with a recognition that both skills are essential to great newspaper design

If these areas were properly managed, we all agreed,  the proof of the pudding would be in the reading. The result would be a newspaper that was absolutely user-friendly, consistent and (most important of all) interesting.

Entry Filed under: Design, Newspapers