Good design is about coaxing readers into the publication, making them visually interested and then wanting to invest time in looking at the pictures and reading the copy.

Creating a well-designed page isn’t easy. If it were easy, there would be a lot fewer bad designs. It takes more than knowledge of Adobe InDesign to create good designs. It takes more than a good eye. And it takes more than knowledge of a few fonts and design concepts like the use of white space.

Every paper has its own “look and feel.” Readers of the Technician should be able to tell that they’re reading the Technician without looking at the nameplate on the front page. To accomplish this, a level of consistency must be maintained in every caption, byline, headline and block of copy.

With templates and style sheets to ensure consistency, however, design is also about contrast. Contrast in size (big, small), color (color, black-and-white), tint (solid, screened), font (serif, sans serif), length (long, short) and weight (light, bold) all help to stimulate the viewer and help them move throughout the page.

Balance

Simply put, the two types of balance are formal and informal. Formal balance is illustrated with a vertical line drawn through the exact center of the page or module would cause the elements on each side to form a mirror image of the opposite side. Even though formal balance yields a sense of dignity and orderliness, it can become stale and ultimately boring.

Contrast

A well-designed page relieves the monotony for the reader by providing variety, thus allowing emphasis to be placed on a portion of the page—external contrast. The use of larger type or bolder typefaces calls attention to a particular story. The use of color, boxes, rule lines, large photographs, graphics, illustrations or screens are all tools for achieving contrast.

Contrast throughout the pages in a publication, however, can be achieved with the use of primary and secondary headlines. The primary headline should be in a bigger and bolder type than the secondary headline, which is usually a small (one-half the size of the primaryheadline or smaller), lighter-face type. Italics can also add variety to the headline type. Finally, captions should not be overlooked as a typographical element for achieving contrast.

Contrast comes in various forms: large/small, vertical/horizontal, dark/light, colorful/gray, etc. Use these forms of contrast to entice the reader into the page.

Rhythm

Rhythm is the element that leads the reader’s eye in the desired direction of any spread. By planning the position and size of layout elements, a designer has control over what the reader sees first, where his eyes go from there, and so on until he leaves the page. To simplify the concept, a dominant illustration, photo or headline will get the reader’s eye first, then vertical positioning suggests left, right or angular movement. Since the direction of the action in photographs determines where the reader’s eye moves, this action should never be moving off the page. Instead, plan photos so they will move the reader into a another element on the page.

Proportion

Every design consists of three parts: black space (photos, art, headlines, display type, rule lines, color), which is the most overpowering and grabs the reader’s attention first; gray space (body or text type) which, if used in massive amounts, can become monotonous; and white space (internal and external margins and any area that is not covered by black or gray space) which can give the publication a clean, open look.

To achieve a sense of proportion, the designer must control the elements to achieve a pleasing balance. On each spread, for example, one photo or illustration must dominate. Large areas of text type should be interrupted with boldface subheads, initial letters, or with illustrations, display quotes around which the type forms and “L” or “U” shape.

Unity

Unity is perhaps the most important principle of design—internal consistency. It is the quality that holds the entire publication together as a single unit, and is achieved by regulating the number of typefaces used, maintaining consistent internal and external margins, and using similarly shaped element areas.

Where to start

Just like writing a story, it’s hard to know where to start. But the answer to that is generally obvious: with the center of visual interest. The reporters, editors, designers and photographers should agree on what the center of visual interest is for each page. It may be a photo (probably), or type (maybe a headline) or a piece of art. But every page needs to have a dominant element that pulls the reader in.

From there, the designer places items on the page in order of importance from top to bottom, left to right, biggest to smallest, establishing a path for the reader’s eye to follow.

Headlines

Remember the point of a headline – to draw a reader in. Bigger is better. The paper’s most vibrant pages have headlines that shout. Too often designers reduce the headline type to fit the design. Instead, the content should dictate the design. When the content needs a larger headline, design the page to make room for the larger headline. A good general rule is that headlines should be no smaller than 18 point on news briefs, and no smaller than 24 point on full-length stories or columns. Then for every column wider the story is, add 10 points. For example, a three-column story would have a minimum headline size of (24 + 10+ 10) about 44 points, but realistically, anywhere between 36 and 48 point would work.

Another problem with headlines is achieving a hierarchy amongst one another. The main story should have the biggest headline. As stories reduce in importance, so should the size of the headline.

Designers will need to think ahead when composing pages. Start off big enough so that the lesser headlines don’t “whisper” to the readers. It’s perfectly fine having stories with the same headline size, as long a hierarchy among main and lesser stories exist.

All Technician headlines are left justified. Do not center headlines except in rare instances on feature packages. If it appears that a centered headline fits the design better, try increasing the size of the type to fill width of page segment allocated for the story. It’s quite jarring to have changing justifications on a page for headlines.

Butting headlines

Designers should try not to butt two headlines together. When headlines must run into each other, make sure that they are of different lengths (one-line vs. three-line), sizes (24 pt. vs. 48 pt.), styles (bold vs. italic) and maybe fonts (Myriad vs. Minion) to ensure that the reader can tell which headline goes with which story. Try to box one of the stories to further ensure that the reader can separate the items.

Page 1

As the showcase of the publication, the importance of page one can never be underestimated. It should be simple yet it must have flair. It displays the personality (or sadly, lack of it) of the publication and makes the reader decide whether he wants to take a closer look.

In short, page one is the publication. It not only gives the newspaper a recognition factor, but it displays the best the issue has to offer.

Mario Garcia, a design “guru” who has coordinated the re-design of such papers as the Wall Street Journal, the Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said, “Editors are always a bit shocked when I say that I would like to put some systematic chaos on page one. Chaos has a negative connotation. But, like a pinch of pepper in soup, chaos, in small doses and carefully controlled, ads energy and zest to a publication. The front page is a mirror of what happened the past 24 hours. Chances are it was not an orderly fare of events. A front page that is dormant does not reflect this reality.”

The design of the front page should reflect the content on the page. Content dictates design. If the lead package is a feature story, use a feature approach with, perhaps, more liberal use of white space, type and photo treatments. If it’s hard news, use more conservative design, letting the reader know “this is serious stuff.”

Inside pages

Inside pages too require judicious attention to every element from the hierarchy of the headlines to the placement of the captions to the length of the stories. Generally inside pages follow modular design rules with the headline, story, art/caption making up a rectangular module.

• keep the white space to the outside
• the top-left portion of the story should touch the headline
• copy should wrap around photos in an L or U shape
• vertical modules have the photo at top, with the caption below it, followed by the headline then the story.

Another challenge with inside pages is the placement of the ads, placement which is determined by the business staff. Never move ads. Never change the order of the pages once the ads are placed. Advertisers may pay for placement or the business staff may be sensitive to placing ads from competiting businesses next to one another. Or there may be color requirements.

The editorial page

The lead item on the editorial page is always the editorial—the staff’s opinion on an item in the news. While a cartoon or other graphic may pull the reader into the page, the reader’s eye should never be pulled away from the editorial.

To that end, the overall page design reflects the importance of the editorial and how the content of the editorial can change the very direction of the University. The editorial is set in a larger font size (Minion regular, 12/13 pt.) and aligned to the left to remind the reader that it’s opinionated content, not objective coverage. The editorial never carries a byline. It is the opinion of the staff, not of an individual.

All other copy on the editorial page is set 10/11 pt. Minion regular, similar to body copy, except letters to the editor which are set in 8/9 pt. Minion to provide some contrast on the page.

All columns have standard column heads to identify them and set them off from objective content.

White space

White space is a design element. Let the design breathe a little and bring in air. Often the grid “forces” the designer to squeeze out white space. Yet filling every square inch of the page with copy or art often detracts viewers rather than interests them.

“White space is important. Like punctuation in a sentence, it allows thoughts to flow without running into each other,” aptly puts Garcia.

At the Technician, the designer controls the white spacing by using the six-column layout or 12-column grid. All copy/heads/art falls strictly within the columns. Keep a consistent internal margin of 1-pica between elements. However, don’t be afraid to use an empty vertical grid to draw attention to an article. Just be sure the use of white space is consistent within the module.

Adding Visuals

Almost all stories warrant some kind of alternative copy, even if it’s nothing more than a box that gives the reader details about where to go for more information. Things like ticket prices, Web addresses, upcoming events and the like can add visual contrast to the page when pulled out of the story and put in an information box.

Visuals also help writers tell complex stories and provide a sense of urgency and excitement to readers. A nice presentation or graphic tells readers which stories are special or important. In short, they are a more effective way of presenting data for human processing.

But visuals don’t create themselves, the writer, editor and designer must work togethr to plan the visuals.

• How would I tell this story if I were only allowed to use images and data?
• Contrast and compare… contrast and compare… contrast and compare…
• Quantify, quantify, quantify. Don’t rely solely on anecdotal evidence.
• Do not duplicate facts in the story. Decide if the facts are better portrayed in prose or in a graphic.

The reporters should be thinking about visuals when brainstorming the story idea along with the editor. Graphics generally mean the story will be read by more people and given more prominent display.

“Our reporters know that thinking graphics is one way to make the front page,” said Randy Stano, design director at the Miami Herald.

And graphics require advanced planning. Work with the section editor to figure out the best way to convey the information. Reporters should also never hesitate to propose ideas. Sketch it out. Pull out the copy that would make for good alternative copy and work with the designer directly. Complex graphics or ones that will require cartoons or art, require days or weeks of advanced planning. Don’t walk in the last minute with a great idea that could have been implemented with a little more notice.

It’s also useful to think through the main point of the story to determine what type of alternative copy might be useful.

Focus Alternative copy

Who Bio box

What Breakout of the provisions

When Time line or a schedule

Where Map

Why Pro-and-con breakout

How Table, diagram or chart

Design tips

When it comes right down to it, design is subjective. Sure, the content should dictate how a page is designed. Sure, all pages should have a center of visual interest. Sure there should be consistency throughout the paper and from issue to issue. Sure the page should have contast and be visually stimulating. But all that too is subjective.

As the page is progressing, or as designers are making quick sketches before beginning work on the computer, here are some tips to encourage the designer to step back and take a look at the big picture.

• Look at the last couple days worth of papers, and then don’t do that.
• Modular design is great for inside pages, but it can get monotonous.
• Try to place a variety of stories, with hard news or features on the same page. Like Garcia said, design should reflect reality; life has its ups and downs.
• Vertical columns, too many vertical columns create a drab page, mix it up. Think Tetris.
• Use a variety of headline weights.
• Avoid creating too much symmetry.
• Make sure every page has a center of visual interest.
• Break up long blocks of text with entry points (subheads, initial letters, initial quotes) or alternative copy.

Conclusion

Publications sometimes forget that they are published to serve the readers and the design of the publication serves to encourage the reader to purchase the publication and to make it easier for them to read it.

Having good coverage and content is essential to good publications. Without good coverage, people will not have any reason to read the publication. Without good writing and photography, they won’t want to read it. Use good design and graphics to draw them into the publication, not to keep them there.