Good Design is Good Design -- Or is it? - Part 2

The new genre of "quick read" or "carpool papers" realize business design is just as important as other section design, especially in keeping a consistent and homogenous look to the product. The Belo entry, the tabloid Quik, (see figure 5), uses a minimalist approach to the page for a striking presentation. A strong grid, tight picture packaging and liberal use of white space make this a page that will stop the business -- and casual -- reader.

Often less is truly more. The minimalist approach allows us to create very powerful pages. In the broadsheet special section of the Lewiston, Maine, Eagle Tribune (circulation 52,000), a spectacular picture, text and white space combine to create a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks page (see figure 6).

Even the impact of the loss of a major business and employer is brought home in a single headline and picture of empty trailers (see figure 7) in the Marion, Ind., Chronicle-Tribune (circulation 18,000).Who says that business pages need to be dull?

This is a situation where size doesn't matter: tabloid, Euro three-quarter, or American broadsheet, designing well in the space available can make or break a section. It either becomes a "must read" or a "ho-hum," turn-the-page section.

The business front of the Lewiston, Maine, Sun Journal tackles a local story with broader implications in "Totally wired," (see figure 8). Using coaxial cable to create the page structure, the paper delivers the story in a way the reader doesn't expect. This is a page designed to create double-takes as the reader is caught up in the design well before he ever gets into the story - and get there he will.

The Washington Post (circulation 730,000) has experimented with design of its business pages. While on a daily basis the pages are pretty average, when they specifically try to highlight a story -- generally in a package format -- they do some incredible stuff. Two pages, one from some time ago, the other from Jan. 15, are examples of what they can do, and what is going to get the reader's attention. The first (see figure 9) was a follow-up story to the great blackout. I have to admire the guts of the designer and the editor who made space for this piece of art. The visual impact is off the charts. A huge black panel with a small candle flame and the words, "Do we finally see the light?" in the context of the event say more than thousands of words could say, and say it in a second.

The other page (see figure 10) uses a strong vertical structure, an interesting image and color to capture the reader's attention. The headline, "Risk-Reward Gamble," while subdued in the green background, has strong verbal impact. Combine this with the visual aspects of the package, and readers will more likely than not get involved with the story.

The overall visual tone of the Washington Post is quiet and conservative, but when it has something it feels is important, the reader is generally in for a visual treat. The paper uses graphics well and often uses a visual metaphor that quickly makes the point. In the Economic forecast (see figure 11), the standard weather icons express the projected state of the economy in various sectors. Clear and clever, it works and works well.

At a point in time when newspapers compete for every set of eyeballs, where the bulk of our readers are older than 50 and aging, and most read small- to mid-circulation newspapers, it behooves us to give them strong visual content as well as strong verbal content.

At least some of you who have made it this far in this article have been thinking, "Yeah, that's fine for those papers with huge staffs and resources, like USA Today, but I can't possibly do it." Well, that just isn't so. Great design starts with reporters and their ability to spot visual potential in a story. It starts with reporters looking for those "nuggets," and quotes and statistics to extract and use in graphic elements. And it starts with a "How can we do that?" attitude.

Happy designing.

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism