Most newspapers follow a fairly predictable trajectory in the days and weeks following a relaunch. The inevitable minor flaws of the first day’s paper are ironed out under intense collaboration between newspaper staff and the relaunch team. For a few days the resulting paper steers a course close to the designers’ vision. When the design team goes home, however, and the initial enthusiasm for the new approach wanes in the face of the day-to-day scrum of putting together a paper, old habits often creep back. Corners begin to be cut, new procedures fall by the wayside and a steady decline in quality begins.

Which is why the newspapers coming out of the Gulf Times offices two weeks later are so impressive. The staff are still putting together a paper that is vastly more accessible and appealing than in its previous incarnation, due to the following factors:

1.    Pages that are better organised due to a clear hierarchy of stories and a strong focus to each page.
2.    More effective use of pictures to provide visual contrast and interest.
3.    Use of page furniture – drop quotes, break-out boxes, graphics – to create story packages that strengthen the hierarchy and provide multiple entry-points to a page.
4.    Clear section and story labelling that aid in navigation, through the paper and around the page.

Entry Filed under: Design, Media, Newspapers