Design thread

[robschneider]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

A question for those that have kids signing letters of intent. Where do you play those? We are going to have two-three big stories on our front page of kids signing to D-I schools and the local D-II college. I've been stirring things around in my head, but part of me just doesn't think this is as big as we are playing it up to be. We're not talking USC or Texas here, just a D-I program. Where does your paper run these stories and how do you treat them?

Thanks in advance

We run capsules of our nine local/area schools and package those cheesy two-column signing day photos with each of those caps. We also run our top 100 100 national, state and regional lists as well as other local non-football signings.

We don't run stories except for an overall feature on the tone of the signing day and a feature on the Class of 2007 that's coming up.

 

[LukeKnox]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

It's taking up 10 columns here for Thursday's paper.

We're doing separate 15" stories on our three state schools, each with recruit lists, and about 45 inches of player caps on the university here in town (yikes) ... plus a state overview story with huge destination list and a short national overview from AP.

We are running one of the cheesy signing-day shots, and I feel dirty even for that.  ;D

EDIT: Also, for the record, none of this stuff is taking up space on our cover, which is a good thing.

 

[Khartoum]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I'm not a regular designer, just a capable dabbler, but I'd like to know what the pros think about the Freep's Super Bowl pages (the template, not this page in particular):

I think the XL "The Game" topper is grotesque. The cutout's odd-looking mixed in the pastel-colored XL, and it's so gaudy that it's ridiculous. Am I alone in this, or should the Freep have eased up a smidge?

 

[spnited]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

There is waaaaaay too much going on at the top of that page.
It's making me dizzy.

 

[Desk_dude]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

The bottom of the cutout shouldn't just float into nothingness.

 

[imjustagirl2]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

The bottom of the cutout shouldn't just float into nothingness.

I think it's supposed to look like Cowher's popping up from behind the L.

 

[enigami]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I think it's supposed to look like Cowher's popping up from behind the L.

Yeah, but it doesn't. He looks like a floating Max Headroom up there. If you look carefully, Cowher is in the foreground, with the word "Game" behind it, and "XL" behind that. It's all too much. I'd remove the cutout entirely.

 

[Cal-Rec]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I just read all 74 pages of this thread, and aside of a couple of squabbles it has been very informative.

A little about me: I am the sports editor for a six day daily in northern Vermont/New Hampshire. I was appointed roughly four months ago — with no design experience — and am slowly getting around to improving the look of my three page section.

I work under a tight schedule, with a small staff, covering a large area. I need some quick design tips for putting a section together on deadline.

My limitations: My three-page sports section is created by a two person team, myself and the night paginator. The section consists of photos and copy generated by my staff — FT reporter, two correspondents, two freelance photographers, and myself — and wire material. I receive all of this material and dummy the pages up between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., with an 11:30 p.m. deadline.

So what I need are some suggestions on how to design on the fly, and what kinds of design elements (buttons, score boxes, etc.) I might want to consider implementing to not only make the section look better, but also make my job easier (so the production people don't rise up and lynch me at deadline).

I look forward to any advice you can offer. Thanks. — Paul

 

[Cadet]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

The top also bothers me, but I'm also concerned that this seems to be a Steelers-heavy page: three Steelers pics, the Bus article at the bottom, plus two of three teasers are about the Steelers. I know that Pittsburg is more geographically friendly to Detroit than Seattle is, but it seems as the hometown paper of the neutral game site the Free Press isn't attempting a balancing act.

 

[Trey Beamon]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I'm not sure what to say...

 

[Cadet]

Re: Design thread *Updated 2/2*

Jesus, I feel bad for someone who sees that before a cup of coffee...

 

[shotglass]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

Somebody stop them before they turn heads again.

I just read all 74 pages of this thread, and aside of a couple of squabbles it has been very informative.

A little about me: I am the sports editor for a six day daily in northern Vermont/New Hampshire. I was appointed roughly four months ago — with no design experience — and am slowly getting around to improving the look of my three page section.

I work under a tight schedule, with a small staff, covering a large area. I need some quick design tips for putting a section together on deadline.

My limitations: My three-page sports section is created by a two person team, myself and the night paginator. The section consists of photos and copy generated by my staff — FT reporter, two correspondents, two freelance photographers, and myself — and wire material. I receive all of this material and dummy the pages up between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., with an 11:30 p.m. deadline.

So what I need are some suggestions on how to design on the fly, and what kinds of design elements (buttons, score boxes, etc.) I might want to consider implementing to not only make the section look better, but also make my job easier (so the production people don't rise up and lynch me at deadline).

I look forward to any advice you can offer. Thanks. — Paul

Welcome, Paul. Carrie and I mentioned this on another thread — if you possibly can, get your hands on "Newspaper Designer's Handbook" by Tim Harrower. It's great for "beginning" designers, gives you some quick checkpoints, what to do and what not to do, design ideas, etc.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Re: Design thread *Updated 2/2*

Bubbler's gonna have sensory overload going after all the chuds on that page. And I tire of commenting on the utter crap my hometown paper's sports design has become, so I shant.

 

[robschneider]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I'm not sure what to say...

I know piling on to the new STL look is a favorite sport here, but what's so mortally offensive about taking a chance like this? If you don't think it works, fine, then say why, but what's wrong with aggressively trying to tell something in the paper like this.

I would think that this package would work better together rather than apart on the page. Hey, the lack of visual dominance bothers the hell out of me, and I don't think I would try this myself. But I still applaud the effort at taking a chance. It's definitely going to command some attention. Our industry is hemorraging, I don't understand how we can immediately dismiss aggressive ideas at visually telling stories. You may not think it works, but is it really "utter crap"?

Since I don't know who most of you are, I can't answer this question: are you all so perfect that you don't get design mistakes into the paper? Things you tried and failed on and wished you hadn't done? I sure as hell know that I do.

 

[The Washingtonian]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

The top also bothers me, but I'm also concerned that this seems to be a Steelers-heavy page: three Steelers pics, the Bus article at the bottom, plus two of three teasers are about the Steelers. I know that Pittsburg is more geographically friendly to Detroit than Seattle is, but it seems as the hometown paper of the neutral game site the Free Press isn't attempting a balancing act.

How? Equal photos of both teams? Equal sized photos? Equal story starts, or matching/paired stories on the cover at all times? This ain't an election.

Check out the four covers posted online so far:
http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/portfolio1.php?UserID=372

Day 1: Seahawks-centric, though it looks like a Terry Bradshaw cutout in the XL
Day 2: Balanced/matched stories, though perhaps a bit more Steeler-friendly (though with a Seahawk cutout at top)
Day 3: Media Day story with 2 steeler photos and 2 seahawk photos in the CP, plus a Steeler in the tease.
Day 4: Steeler-centric, though, y'know, that fella Bettis is from Detroit. (A Seahawk in the XL again, though.)

Maybe it's not perfectly even coverage. But it reflects the buildup to the game, I think. And again, it's not an election. You go where the stories are.

By the way, Go Seahawks!

 

[shotglass]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

Since I don't know who most of you are, I can't answer this question: are you all so perfect that you don't get design mistakes into the paper? Things you tried and failed on and wished you hadn't done? I sure as hell know that I do.

Sorry, rob. Comment sticks. We're not all about flowers and plaudits here. If it doesn't work for us, seriously, don't expect us to say it smells like a rose.

The reader's eyes have absolutely no idea where to go there -- or even whether he should be reading it Chinese-style or not.

 

[spnited]

Re: Design thread *Updated 2/2*

Yes, Rob, it is utter crap.
How is that an "aggressve idea" at "visually telling a story?"
And how is "utter crap" like that going to stop the hemhorraging? Do you think that disaster is going to attract readers?

 

[robschneider]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

Since I don't know who most of you are, I can't answer this question: are you all so perfect that you don't get design mistakes into the paper? Things you tried and failed on and wished you hadn't done? I sure as hell know that I do.

Sorry, rob. Comment sticks. We're not all about flowers and plaudits here. If it doesn't work for us, seriously, don't expect us to say it smells like a rose.

The reader's eyes have absolutely no idea where to go there -- or even whether he should be reading it Chinese-style or not.

I don't care if you say it smells like a rose and I don't want it to be all Rainbows and Butterflys. In fact, I would think there's something flawed with most the pages posted in here, cause that's where the discussion comes from. I don't want all positive. Hammer away, and there's plenty of stuff to hammer on this particular page.

I get offended when the comments are completely dismissive without a thought about how you could make it better. I realize that's never going to go away from here, but I wish there were less potshots and ego-placaters and more discussions about the design of the page.

 

[robschneider]

Re: Design thread *Updated 2/2*

Yes, Rob, it is utter crap.
How is that an "aggressve idea" at "visually telling a story?"
And how is "utter crap" like that going to stop the hemhorraging? Do you think that disaster is going to attract readers?

It's visually telling the story of the two Super Bowl QBs. It's aggressive because you hate it.

I'm not interested in getting in a pissing match, so I'll shut up.

But one final, funny note: I just went to our budget meeting. We're doing a column on Big Ben and a feat on Hasselbeck. We want to package them together. Here's hoping my idea gets hammered on here tomorrow!

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Re: Design thread *Updated 1/28*

I get offended when the comments are completely dismissive without a thought about how you could make it better. I realize that's never going to go away from here, but I wish there were less potshots and ego-placaters and more discussions about the design of the page.

There's really nothing that was a potshot at the page in question. Sure, none of the comments were great, but nothing that I would classify as a true pot shot.

We're journalists. We should have thick skins. And if something that someone posts on an Internet message board is that offensive to someone, than I'd say that comment might be the least of that person's problems.