pers can be creative and unique with many layouts as well. I went in search for some interesting layouts and I found a Web site that showcased great print designs. I came across a layout that really sparked my interest.It was the Hartford Courant. I admit that I've never heard of this newspaper before. When I saw the layout I was intrigued. My first thought was that it looked elegant and clean. The use of the white space really brought my attention to the headline and the dominant photo. Besides the photo, there is very little color on the front page. It seems to work for it though. All the color is in the photo which automatically draws your attention. I admire the designer greatly. It's like the newspaper didn't want to take away from the photo, so it was designed to just focus around that one object. Very nice job. I hope to one day do layout designs critically like that. After I stopped staring at the newspaper, I read about the Hartford Courant. It's known for doing elegant, creative designs and then I proceeded to beat myself up for not knowing that.
Looking at this layout helped me to realize that having little on a page can still have a huge impact, if used in the right way. I went in search again for some other great newspaper layouts. I liked the front page design of the Rocky Mountain News. The color is very vivid and according to the Web site it's a great front page because of the storytelling photo. I agree. As I kept staring at the photo, it made me wonder why a family's personal belongings were on the front lawn and sidewalk, especially since it didn't look like a garage sale. The design really attracted me to the story and that is what I want to do someday. I want to draw readers into a story so much that they actually see themselves there. Skill like that comes with much time and practice, but it's worth it.
When you continue to scoll down towards the bottom there are other newspaper designs that have great layouts. I like the break down chart of the San Jose Mercury News and the "Running On Empty" graphic and package of the Register. I've enjoyed looking at these layouts. Not only have these designs given me inspiration for current projects but an anticipation of what my career path will bring.
TK,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed looking over the front pages. The more you study design, the more subtlety and complexity you can see in various efforts as you recognize that every use of positive and negative space is a choice.
The Courant has long been known for its elegant pages, and, as you say, it is expert at using white space for effect. The Rocky Mountain News did have some fine design, but, of course, it no longer exists.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you found some more "magazine-y" newspaper fronts. I think it shows the importance of the relationship between designers and photographers. I think both of the examples you gave relied heavily on great photography - because let's face it, without a good photo or graphic, designing can be a very difficult task.
As a news girl, I love the look and feel of a newsy front page - but I also admire and enjoy graphically pleasing magazine-type fronts. I think the examples you chose are perfect representations of a marriage between the two.
Good luck with your goal of owning a magazine one day!
-Brittany
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your analysis of these front page designs. I would have to say design is one of my weak points, and while I can often look at a page and say whether it is a good design or a poor design, I can rarely explain why I feel that way. I really like The Courant's front page, but I probably could not have told you that it is because of the white space and the way it draws attention to the picture and the headline.
I am slowly learning how to pick out good designs and I know it will take looking and analyzing good design for me to truly understand it so I really liked looking at your first link to the web site that showed the different great print designs. I noticed the use of white space a lot more and was able to subtly pick up on a few of the things we have been talking about in class.
I also appreciated your post from a photographer's point of view. Before I started taking photojournalism classes at UGA I never noticed how much design can play into the impact and effect of a photo. The designer can decide if they want a photo to be the first thing the reader looks at, how much of an impact it has on a page, and sometimes even if they want to run it as a horizontal or a vertical. I think design is very important for me to understand as a photographer so I can relay how I would like the photo to appear to the designer. The Rocky Mountain's page is a perfect example of a high impact, story-telling photo that could have gotten covered up had the designer decided to run it smaller or downplay it in black and white or add more pictures to the page.
-Laurie
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI liked this post a lot, because I also have more interest in magazines tha newspapers. It's interesting to see a paper take a really bold approach to front page design that borrows from a more magazine approach. I love this layout too.
This makes me think about hen we were talking in lecture about making our designs more bold. I think this is an example where the dominant element extremely explicit. I also like how the rest of the page is simple. It lets your eye really grasp what the designer wants you to see.