content + presentation = Content & storytelling Contrast Typography Content is still more important Play off your dominant visual Less is more. Use a serif and than packaging, but strong visuals with a much smaller, differing shape. a sans serif for headlines, and use The are essential. Don’t let secondary visuals compete a serif for text. Play your best card — photos large and with the dominant photo in size. Use a display font for graphics small, text short and long, illustrations, Vary text shapes in shape and length, headlines. Then use a readable complete and graphics. but keep them rectangular. sans serif for graphics text. Avoid design furniture that will fade. Watch for adjacent headlines. Be conservative with type. Stick to the Use graphics as reader services. Adjust the size, shape and margins baseline, and watch for awkward wraps package of these tombstones for clarity. around art. Remember, special effects are noise you probably don’t need. 1. Advocate for readers. News judgment Keep text type at optimum size, Simplicity Use design prominence — from 9-10.5 points. And stick to serif. 2. Understand how visuals devote size and shape to the most Don’t overdesign. Keep it simple. Avoid wide line lengths for text. introduce stories. important news for this readership. Optimum is 14-18 picas. 3. Appreciate brevity, depth and Give dominance to the correct visual. Balance Keep text blocks rectangular. Don’t be storytelling in all forms. compelled to break them with logos, Use headline size to prioritize Don’t worry about anchoring the information by news value. infographics or pull quotes. Put those 4. Tap the elegance of corners of the page with design outside text blocks. simplicity, in both form and Use secondary elements to share elements, but do avoid top- or Don’t let headline type overpower function. secondary news. bottom-heavy pages. other type. Try fonts labeled Leave unimportant information And don’t worry about large chunks “condensed” or “display.” 5. Value packaging, white space, off the page. of gray text — if the content is worthy. alignment and grids. If it isn’t, edit it down. Be consistent with headline type, but let subheads contrast with main heads. 6. Know news judgment — Lead package Avoid type on art. It ruins both. and when to break the mold. On spacious pages, offer a large lead Color Stay consistent with flags and page 7. Show off the good stuff. package — a centerpiece — with Color has power. Devote it to strong folios. Don’t let their size and color your lead information in a dominant four-color photojournalism. overpower the content on the page. rectangle with wide outer margins. Spot color can’t substitute for four color. Use spot color only as Infographics Dominance punctuation. Avoid screens of color behind text — Certain types of information are best Use the power of your lead photo. unless you’re printed on crisp, white reported in infographics. Go twice as large as any other element, paper with superb reproduction. Encourage reporters to collect but not square. Know your repro. What works for you? information for your graphics.
Packaging: related & rectangular White space Designers are reader advocates. Serve readers with all related content It empowers adjacent elements, so use You can’t create something Ron Johnson in the same location. it to frame your lead package. from nothing. Be part of the planning communications director Don’t present unrelated information for big presentations. National Scholastic Press Association Develop and maintain consistent Associated Collegiate Press as related. space between elements. editor | editions 24-29 Avoid L-shaped packages, odd text Tight gutters and margins hurt The Best of Newspaper Design wraps and unnatural text jumps. Society for News Design readability. [email protected] @ronjohn77 ronjohnson77.tumblr.com NEWS DESIGN 10 quick improvements
1. CONTENT Show off the content with silent, simple design.
2. PACKAGING Dominant centerpieces that vary shape and position. Package related content. Restrain story count.
3. PHOTOS Dominance. Contrast. Fresh angles. Tight crops.
4. SPACE Grids for consistency and simplicity. Spacious, consistent internal margins.
5. TEXT TYPE Font/s. Indentions. Hyphenations. Optimum width.
6. DISPLAY TYPE Display and condensed fonts. Consistency, with options: not too heavy, not too light. Match tone to story.
7. COLOR Strong color photos. Restrained secondary color/s.
8. NAVIGATION A simple flag that can work as a logo. Soft, common-sense folios inside.
9. ALIGNMENT Simple margins. Rectangular text. Unity.
10. GRAPHICS Consistent type specs and grids. Adaptable furniture. Never as fillers.
Ron Johnson • [email protected] • @ronjohn77 • ronjohnson77.tumblr.com