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Design thread

Discussion in 'Design Discussion' started by carrie, Oct 3, 2005.

  1. greedo

    greedo Guest

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    Solid piece of work that hits you in all the right places.
     
  2. carrie

    carrie Active Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I know the screen on the skybox is probably style, but I just don't know ...
    And the columns are too wide, in my opinion. I don't like to go wider than 12 or 13P.
    At least nothing that you would notice is wider than a normal column.
     
  3. imjustagirl2

    imjustagirl2 New Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I like it a lot. I like all the different elements, I like the column of numbers between the McKeon shot and the Red Sox story. I like the bottom portion, I like the cutout in the promos.

    Good to me.

    P.S. Carrie, on your point, we go wide sometimes. I don't mind it. But it can be overdone, I agree.
     
  4. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    Hate those tiny 8- to 9-line subheds. Hate em hate em. Give the reader credit that he'll be able to get the gist in less display type, and the hedline writer credit that he can make it catchy with less to have to do. I bet the hed writers there run out of breath before finishing some of those heds.

    But a clean design, nice breakouts. I don't like the font on the McKeon hammerhed, looks too suburban paper-like. And the day being in such a thin font in the flag suggests a living section, not a robust sports section.
     
  5. fever_dog

    fever_dog Active Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    too bottom-heavy. the nascar photo, while excellent, is too big. it takes away from the centerpiece. i noticed it before i noticed mckeon. the page just doesn't seem balanced to me.
     
  6. reportero

    reportero Guest

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I dig both pages, especially The Miami Herald one because there are four sports mentioned — baseball, auto racing, basketball and hockey.

    Only problem was the “GREAT RUN” headline because I don’t think winning one World Series under Jack McKeon is a great run, neither is McKeon’s career as a manager.
     
  7. Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I don't think the NASCAR photo is played too big at all. If the centerpiece was smaller, maybe, but there is no doubt what the centerpiece is and between the large vertical photo, and the air in the factbox to it's left, it stands loud and proud. The Nascar photo does a nice job of anchoring the page IMO, especially with the factboxes in that story. Overall, very nice effort..
     
  8. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    Too much grid is a trademark of bad design. More importantly, every reader I've talked to has told me that they hate narrow columns of small letters.

    The subheads are definitely too small. Having the day name in thinner type lets people know, "Hey! Two words here!"

    Love the breakout of the vital stats left of the main art.

    Biggest change I would make is to move the NASCAR pic left of the story, cutt left side, with the top 5 finishers and points leaders on the right side -- essentially, a reversal of what they originally did.

    And why so big on the section letter? Most readers don't think of the sports section as "section D" (or whatever), but as "the sports section."
     
  9. greedo

    greedo Guest

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I was trained that the subhed should be half the point size of the headline, but I prefer less proportionality than that. Not one-third, but in that vicinity. (72 => 26-30). If it's a one-column subhed, bigger, if the subhed is stripped across the top of a three column body, a titch smaller.

    The column size was obviously expanded to fit in the Ramirez art or whatever the Red Sox art was. Too wide is just as bad as too narrow. You just have to kind of eyeball it.
     
  10. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    Those "long reading" subheads just drive me crazy as does the color in the skybox...which I also think is too deep.
    I like just about everything else about the page although the suggestion to flop the NASCAR package on the bottom isn't a bad idea.
     
  11. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    I agree on the subheds. I dispute some other comments.

    Studies have shown that the ideal column width for reading ease is somewhere around 14 to 15 picas. It's fairly rare that I'll run a six-column squareoff with six columns of type. That's made for four or five bites.

    And as far as the NASCAR photo being too big ... that's giving the centerpiece TOO much importance, and I think that happens a lot in today's design. If you have a story worthy of section-front play, there's nothing wrong with augmenting it well. The trick is in achieving that centerpiece and STILL giving the secondary elements an eye-catching presence.

    I do like the page ... but it strikes me that the "by-the-numbers" element in the centerpiece seems to be in an awkward, "trapped" spot. May have been handled better horizontally at top or bottom of the package.
     
  12. fever_dog

    fever_dog Active Member

    Re: Design thread *updated 10/4*

    a lot of great, constructive suggestions here. this has the potential to be a really useful, informative thread.
     
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