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Newspaper Design 5 The Results of the Fifth European Newspaper Award Norbert KĂźpper
Summary The Chief Winners
7 31
Front Pages
47
Sectional Front Pages
71
Inside Pages
89
Photography
99
Visualization
117
Photo Reportage
125
Infographics
143
Illustration
165
Typography
175
Supplements
183
Special Pages
221
Portfolio
235
Concepts
243
The Innovators
251
List of Winners
257
European
Newspaper AWARD
N E W S PA P E R D E S I G N
&
CO N C E P T
Summary
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The Search for the Ideal Newspaper Each year thousands of newspaper pages are looked through by the jury of the competition. And in each category the ideal is being looked for. The ideal newspaper, as it seems, should be composed of the best results in each category.
The Categories of the Competition The competition is divided into four main prizes according to the following four newspaper types: local newspaper regional newspaper national newspaper weekly newspaper. The award winners are entitled to sport the title "Europe's Best Designed Newspaper" in their masthead for one year. Apart from those four prizes, the jury also offers a special award: Judges' Special Recognition. In addition to the prizes mentioned above, Awards for Excellence are given according to different categories:
front pages sectional front pages inside pages photography visualization photo-reportage infographics
illustration typography supplements special pages portfolio concepts innovation
Local papers, regional papers, national papers and weeklies have different target groups, which is reflected in different layouts. The following guidelines, however, have been agreed upon: The typefaces are chosen with respect to optimal reading. The bodycopy is neither too big nor too small. Appropriate reader guidance leads from the front pages to the sectional front pages and from there to each inside page. The pages show a clear hierarchy of topics, indicating the more and the less important articles. Articles are written to the benefit of the readers. Important addresses, homepages or background information are disincorporated from the articles and clustered in service-boxes. Complex topics are portioned and presented in a clear layout. To provide the readers with a varied and gripping paper the editorial contribution should consist of a mixture of news items, reportages, features, interviews and comments.
Front Pages European newspapers tend to show their regional roots in their choice of topics and their design by the use of colours, typefaces etc. Thus, a uniform layout among papers is clearly avoided. Each newspaper aims at its own distinctive appearance.
Goienkaria Very few people will be able to read this front page as Goienkaria is written in the Basque language. The jury benefitted from this and gave their undivided attention to the design and its effect. The masthead in the typeface Bureau-Grotesque has a modern appeal, especially because of the cut-out photo rising up into the newspaper title. The red, yellow and blue spaces create a friendly atmosphere. The general impression is positive: Tiroler Tageszeitung The graphic design – typefaces The design of this newspaper and colours – is well chosen. reflects very clearly the region where it comes from: Tyrol. The house colour green, the coat of arms and the masthead radiate seriousness and a sense of tradition. The sizes of the photos, their cut and the page layout, however, give this paper a modern appearance.
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Kleine Zeitung This newspaper with its DIN-A-4-format is rather small. This is why the front pages concentrate on a single photo and a single headline.
Diario de Mallorca and Neue Presse Hannover Like most European newspapers, these two have increased the number of pictures in recent years. Diario de Mallorca’s lead picture is a striking example of photographic cut. The readers get the feeling as if they were among the players in the photo.
Die Zeit, Rheinischer Merkur Both weeklies excel in their categorical choice of topics. On their front pages a single topic is presented in a poster-like fashion, the remaining headlines are visibly smaller. Such a clear decision for a single lead story should also be made in other newspaper types, for example local and regional papers.
The Prague Post This weekly, written in English, shows a varied layout on its front page. The bodycopy is set in unjustified print throughout the paper. The lead story is placed in the middle of the page and emphasized by cut-out pictures and a varied design of headlines. All this accounts for its modern appearance.
Die Presse National papers such as Die Presse have a wide circulation area which reflect the whole country rather than a single region and a target group of higher education. The generous use of white space is characteristic of this paper. White space – space free from print – signals meaning, importance, seriousness, an impression which is further underlined by the typography. The format of the photos and the photographic cut, however, create a modern appeal.
Special Front Pages The fifth competition saw more front pages with a special design than before. The common trait of these front pages is their concentration on a single topic. Everything else is blended out.
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Het Belang van Limburg The completely black front page with the headline “Philips Hasselt turn off the lights” brings its message straight home to the readers: closing down this company is a catastrophe for the region.
Katholisches Sonntagsblatt Where a picture would be expected, the front page shows an empty space. The headline reads: “No to the flood of pictures from the war”, pointing out the editors’ attitude towards a general trend.
El Periódico The demonstrations in Barcelona against the Iraq war are reflected in a poster-like design. The Independent This national British newspaper fills a complete front page with facts and figures on the topic asylum. The subtitle to the headline “Asylum. The Facts” reads: “(Or why you shouldn’t believe everything you are told by the Government, the Tories and the right-wing press)“. The example set by the Indeemphasize a single topic as pendent is especially interesthe lead story. Articles of minor ting as it comes close to the importance should appear ideal: Their choice of topics in a visibly smaller headline. seems to be independent of It becomes clear that the the daily income of news. editorial staff has to make decisions with respect to the Thus, they follow a concept readers. The size of headlines based on a clear target, namely, and the position of articles to produce an unmistakable indicate to the readers where to and unique paper. find the most important news. As a rule, front pages should
Sectional Front Pages The division of a newspaper into different sections is meant to facilitate orientation for the readers. This is why sectional front pages show larger photos than normal inside pages. Sectional front pages give the readers to understand that they can expect something new and interesting.
Laagendalsposten The editors rely on a clear structure as they use a single photo and a single lead story on their sectional front pages. A small photo above the section head is accompanied by a news item on both sides.
The Independent These two pages are characteristic of the realm of visual possibilities used by the editors – on the left , an illustration in black and red with the inscription “War or Peace!�, on the right, the front page of a travel section. Both pages have no bodycopy.
Nordbayerischer Kurier These pages taken from a contribution to the fourth competition show photos with larger sizes and and more decisive cuts than on normal inside pages. Teasers below the masthead inform the readers about the contents of the individual sections.
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El Correo Like all Spanish papers this newspaper is issued in a half-sized format, better known as tabloid format. It does not allow a division into individual sections. To compensate this seeming disadvantage a new section is introduced by a double page. Spanish papers are good at portioning topics into well-digestible morsels. It is most likely that this reader-friendly method will catch on with more and more newspapers.
NZZ am Sonntag The seriousness and importance of this Sunday paper is underlined by the generous white spaces. The margin on the left refers to inside pages. Otherwise the page is devoted to a single topic.
Financial Times Germany Business topics are their speciality and, therefore, given extra care: The combination of a Porsche and a dollar bill hints at the company’s strategy to concentrate on the American market. The collapsing house of cards visualizes the problems of a mortgage bank. A visual support of topics, as shown in these two examples, are sure to gain the readers’ interest in the appropriate articles. Another important point is that the young, the generation of readers to come, are used to visual presentations.
The Prague Post This is an especially poster-like example of a sectional front page.
Sectional front pages are a means to enable optimal reading. What distinguishes them from normal inside pages are poster-like photos or other striking visuals and, thus, they direct the readers’ attention to new topics. They break up the uniformity of inside pages and bring in rhythm.
Inside Pages
Tønsbergs Blad This inside page shows an especially clear design of the lead story and a clear visualization of the topic. Smaller articles are placed in a column on the right. Many articles are provided with service-boxes.
The Guardian These pages show a common trend with inside pages: Important topics are supported by carefully chosen visuals and the articles are structured by breakers and service-boxes so that they are easier to read.
Bergens Tidende This newspaper is divided into two sections, the first of which deals with news which are presented in a compact way. The second section informs about culture and leisure topics and shows a different layout. It is more relaxed and contains lots of white spaces.
These two pages show a deviation from a centuries-old tradition: The pages are no longer filled from margin to margin with all kinds of news. Concentration on less, but more interesting articles allow a more generous use of space.
Inside pages carry the bulk of information and, therefore, ask for careful structuring. Leads should be pointed out by the size of their headlines and their position on the page. Facts, background information and service-elements should easily be distinguishable from the articles themselves. Complex topics should be divided into smaller portions. Room for short articles is on the left or right margin.
Photography 15
Westdeutsche Zeitung 2003 The newspaper has undergone a great change. The page shows a remarkably relaxed layout. In contrast to the copy from 12 years ago, the lead story is brought into focus by a large photo. Westdeutsche Zeitung 1991 This page taken from a copy of the year 1991 creates the impression of an editorial staff in despair at their attempt to fill the page with the world’s latest news. Some articles even do without paragraphs to save room for more words. Their use of pictures is not very favourable. Die Furche Here, the importance of photographic cut for a successful page layout has truly been realized. Extreme vertical or horizontal formats give a page a more dynamic force than common motifs in the traditional postcard format.
Norra Västerbotten The atmoshere in a scrapyard is well caught in these detail shots. Photographic cut: Extreme formats and cuts give the layout of newspaper pages a moderrn and dynamic appeal. If such an appeal matches the target group in question such techniques should be employed more often. Haugesunds Avis These photos convey the atmosphere of a happening – the brewing of beer – perfectly. “This is going to be good beer,” the headline reads.
Atmosphere: In many European newspapers atmospherically dense photos are still missing. A great number of photos are too matter-of-fact, sober and, therefore, replaceable. In this field, newspapers have a lot to catch up on.
Visualization 17
Wrong! The article about a visit to a branch of Sparkasse, a German savings bank, is accompanied by a typical group photo which is almost void of any information. Group photos like the one shown here run into the thousands in European newspapers and are not at all likely to attract any attention. Why not show what the people in the photo did when visiting the bank? The group could have been pictured in the strongroom while inspecting safe-deposit boxes, for example. With unusual perspectives of safe-deposit boxes or the strongroom’s massive door an interesting aspect of banking policy could have been brought into focus: safety.
Right! How would you have visualized the testing of safety glass? The photographer of Tønsbergs Blad decided to place himself behind the pane and press the shutter at the same moment as the pane was being attacked with an axe on the opposite side. In this way he caught the decisive moment of the process and let the readers share this moment with him.
Hamburger Abendblatt The topic coffee has been visualized by a large coffee bean.
Goienkaria The post of a local policeman is vacant. “Who is going to take his cap?” the headline reads.
Der Tagesspiegel Here, the topic illiteracy is demonstrated by special characters from the computer.
Die Zeit The information about the end of the production of the VW-Beetle has been made visible by a Beetle toppled over.
Diário de Notícias The twenty-ninth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal is illustrated by 29 carnation blossoms, neatly arranged in a bunch.
Visualization In this area European newspapers are not at their best yet. Solutions for successful visualizations are rather a matter of intuition than method. Photos should not be chosen for their decorative function, but for their informative character. The core of an event or the essential aspect of a topic should be brought into focus. Both journalists and photographers should work out a concept for visually gripping information.
Foto-Reportage 19
Östersunds Posten The jury was amazed by the fact that meat inspection was brought into focus in the demonstration of a vet’s job.
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten The photo shows a dull piece of ground with the tilted lid of a drain, on the rim of which a hand becomes visible. This is the first of a series of photos illustrating the situation of homeless children in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.
El Periódico What is most impressive in this photo reportage on bull fights is the variation of sizes and the use of full and detail shots. The photos are accompanied by captions.
Photo reportages – a standard in Scandinavian papers, but a rarity in the rest of Europe. Photo reportages should be given more attention in European papers as a standard journalistic medium. The emotional potential of photo reportages is much stronger than that of pure text reportages. They can depict details that are usually not mentioned in texts.
Infographics
Levante In order to illustrate a topic Spanish newspapers often fill a double page with texts, photos and infographics with such care that they could serve as models for schoolbooks or even science books. The double page above shows the drawing of a city wall on the left and a city map on the right with the course of the wall marked on it. Smaller graphics next to the large ones explain how the wall was built. Photos on the right margin show its present condition. Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten A new art museum is presented to the readers by means of infographics. The key below explains the numbers in the graphics.
A large number of complex infographics at schoolbook standard was sent in for the fifth competition. Usually large graphics are accompanied by smaller ones as supplements. They are often provided with brief and precise texts.
Illustration 21
Östersunds Posten This weekend section discusses the topic overweight und bulimia. The comic-like illustration shows a full and an empty body and demonstrates that even such a topic leaves enough room for creative ideas.
Frankfurter Rundschau This weekend supplement deals with the military putsch in Chile in 1973. The front page mainly consists of a pithy and woodcut-like illustration with a captive in the foreground and the silhouette of a soldier’s head in the background.
Östersunds Posten The topic sexual harassment at the workplace is illustrated in an exaggerated fashion and, thus, will certainly bring home to the reader what it means.
Illustrations are most suitable for an exaggerated depiction. The illustrator can work out details and arrange scenes which cannot be photographed. Illustrations are more than ‘nice’ pictures, but, on the contrary, most effective possibilities of sketching events. Illustrations can be employed in all sections, not only in the weekend or leisure section.
Typography
Die Presse The typography of this Viennese newspaper aims at a serious and conservative appeal. The high amount of white space underlines their demand of being an upmarket newspaper. Giornale del Popolo This Italian-speaking newspaper is published in Switzerland. Modernity and seriousness are both well conveyed by its typography. As the photos in this regional paper are not on a very high standard, the editorial staff use typographical means instead like big headlines to give their paper a distinctive appearance.
ƒ Typography is, above all, a means to support readability. ƒ The individual typographical elements employed in a paper should meet the demands set by the editors. There is a wide range to chose from, beginning with tabloid typograpy and ending in the serious appearance of a national paper.
Supplements They form the largest category in the competition. Europe’s topical and creative versatility with supplements is still unfailing.
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Brabants Dagblad In retrospect at the end of the year: The front page shows the back of the head of the Dutch politician Fortyn, who was assassinated in 2002. The inside pages are divided into one with an extreme close-up shot and another containing a long article. At the bottom of both pages the events of the year are listed up in chronological order. A simple report reviewing the events of the year, common with numerous newspapers, has become a spectacular thing by concentrating on only few important incidents and giving them special emphasis by means of layout.
ƒ Apart from weekend magazines, there are supplements on a wide range of topics such as - travelling - politics - sports - calendars. ƒ As to design, almost anything is possible. A common trend is the use of extra large photos, more white spaces and less bodycopy.
Special Pages
Östersunds Posten What can one give as a present apart from a tie? Here is a list in alphabetical order.
The Independent Review The ten best fountain pens are arranged around big ink blots and described in short paragraphs. The page is a wonderful eye catcher and a good example of how to visualize such a topic. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung Every week a double page is devoted to the topic science. The pages shown above deal with plants which can be used for pharmaceutical purposes. A specimen of one of those plants is put in the centre of the double page, others are grouped around the article.
Special pages are dominated by visuals. Topics dealing with free-time activities like travelling or lifestyle are very popular in this category. But there are also many special pages about scientific themes. They often have service-boxes which provide the readers with information about where to find more material on the subject-matter in question. The design of special pages is often very different from the rest of the newspaper, which can be a disadvantage when the readers are not able to identify such pages as those belonging to a certain newspaper. Even special pages should become an integral part of the overall design of a newspaper.
Portfolio In this category a series of pages of one designer or a group of designers is assessed.
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Badische Zeitung The front pages of Magazin, the newspaper’s supplement, have been among the winners for a number of years now. Their layout is especially simple and clear. A large photo dominates the pages, its cut concentrates on the essentials of the motif. Sometimes a smaller photo is integrated into the text, as a means of contrast.
Dagblad Van Het Noorden Once a week a person is presented in an interview. The lead picture gives an impression of the personal environment, a smaller square photo shows a detail cut-out of the lead photo. The interviewed persons themselves are depicted in cut-out photos. Their portraits appear again in a small square photo on the right margin. All the pages of this series have a characteristic design.
This category points out the serial character of choice pages. They suggest to the readers that they can expect certain topics to be treated in the same way. The design of those pages needs only few elements: - well-cut photos - a simple page layout - a typography that reads well.
Concepts This category is new in the competition and has been added to give conceptional innovations a chance.
Leine-Zeitung Their new concept: to open a new section for club activities. Usually news about clubs can be found anywhere in a newspaper. In addition to that, the clubs are shown in action, instead of in simple group photos, as is often the case in papers. This new approach towards club life creates a double effect: The pages are interesting to read and look at and clubs gain more prestige.
There are about 2,000 papers in Europe, the majority of which do not care about new concepts. This is amazing in so far, as the readers' expectations and tastes have considerably changed with the existence of the internet, e-mailing, mobiles and other electronic media. The printed media’s future is vastly dependent on improvements in design and topical information. A newspaper’s entire concept needs to be put under the microscope for possible changes. The search for a readerfriendly design needs to go hand in hand with the search for reader-friendly contents.
Innovation 27
Rheinische Post The Rhein-Ruhr-region in Germany applied for the Olympic Games in the year 2012. Shortly before the decision which regions would be allowed to apply for the games was made, the Rheinische Post produced a special edition under the headline ‘Rheinische Post in the year 2012’. The Independent The Independent is the first newspaper to be issued as broadsheet and tabloid format. Sales figures prove that this concept is successful. Meanwhile the manageable tabloid format has completely replaced the broadsheet format. Numerous newspapers have now decided for a similar change of formats and, in doing so, have cut themselves off from obsolete traditions.
Young people do not necessarily connect a large format with the importance of a paper. They want a paper that bis easy to handle and to read. This is why a trend towards smaller formats will certainly continue. The problem of dividing tabloid formats into sections, however, is still waiting for successful solutions. Spanish papers may serve as models in this respect.
The term innovation might sound strange in connection with newspapers, as they stand for tradition and continuity. But the future of the printed media, namely newspapers, call for innovation to meet the readers’ changed expectations. It would even be desirable to surprise the readers with new products. Although tradition and continuity are commendable, people are always interested in novelties and improvements.
The jury of the fifth competition
Targets and Criteria The competition’s chief target The competition's chief target is to support the exchange of information among European newspaper makers and contribute to new and creative ideas. The competition has established itself quite well as it fulfills various functions: External effect: Newspapers report about the awards they have won and, thereby, underline their own high standards. At the same time they advertise their own newspaper. Internal effect: The award certificates are put up in many publishing houses and motivate the employees. Forge of ideas. Publications in the yearbooks of the competition and on the internet page www.newspaperaward.org support creativity and the search for new ideas. The organizers. The competition is organized by Norbert Küpper in cooperation with the two journals Medium Magazin and Der Österreichische Journalist. The congress. A congress with the presentation of the awards has taken place on March 29 and 30 at the Vienna Town Hall. The City of Vienna and the newspaper Die Presse jointly supported the organizers on the spot.
The committee met in Düsseldorf (Germany), following an invitation by the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. The members of the jury (from left to right): Angelika Eggert, graduate designer; Joachim Blum, former editor-in-chief with the Süddeutsche Zeitung and founding member of the SND-DACH organization; Annette Milz, editor-in-chief of Medium Magazin, Frankfurt; Theo Dersjant, Fontys-School of Journalism, and Georg Taitl, editor-in-chief of Der Österreichische Journalist, Salzburg (Austria).
The participants. 331 newspapers have participated in the competition. In addition to this, the market is steadily being observed by different newspaper experts, designers and journalists. The awards The jury was well aware of the fact that national newspapers have larger budgets than small local papers. In order to take these different financial resources
into consideration, the award “Europe’s Best Designed Newspaper“ is divided into the categories local paper, regional paper, national paper, and weeklies. Awards for Excellence are given according to different categories such as front pages, inside pages, supplements, special pages, infographics, etc. The Criteria. Only the design is put to the test, not the quality of the texts. The jury, however, keeps a watchful eye on the compatibility of pictures and articles. The standard of the design of the sent-in papers had to be clearly above the normal. Therefore, it was not enough to make a neatly designed newspaper, which quite a number of papers try to achieve. A high standard in the use of visuals, including photographic cuts, the size of photos and variation of formats, is required. Uniform sizes and formats and lack of care with photographic cuts are sure to make a negative impression on the jury. The layout has to be of professional quality. Block make-up and an unmistakable connection between text and picture have to be guaranteed. The layout of the pages should neither be too uniform nor too variable. If it is too uniform, it will be boring; if it is too variable, it might appear chaotic. The winners have found the golden mean: a systematic use of fixed elements of design for the entire newspaper. Typographic elements have to be strictly used on all pages. The chief prizewinners are unconventional, distinctive and innovative in the widest sense in the use of their creative means.
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European
Newspaper AWARD
N E W S PA P E R D E S I G N
&
CO N C E P T
The Chief Winners
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Corriere della Sera Europe’s Best Designed Newspaper in the category ‘national paper’. Jury statement The newspaper Corriere della Sera was able to convince the jury because of its clear structure and reader-friendly presentation of complex topics on its inside pages. They always contain several articles on one and the same topic which is further supplied by boxes with facts and figures, throwing light on the backgrounds and, thus, helping the readers to get a better understanding. Furthermore, it offers its readers a manyfacetted and well-structured survey on important issues of the day. Information on the newspaper The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera sells 680,000 copies and is issued in the Nordic format. They employ 330 editors and 8 layouters. Since the year 2000 they have added local sections for Milan and Rome. The Italian issues contain coloured photos, the European issue, however, is black and white.
Structure. The first two pages run under the heading “In Primo Piano”. They give detailed information on the most important topics of the day, followed by the sections ‘foreign affairs’, ‘domestic affairs’ (chronicle), ‘business’, ‘science’, ‘culture’ and ‘sport’ and the local section. Page layout. Here is a typical example: Under the heading “In Primo Piano” the topic of the page, the Iraq conflict, is indicated. The topic is dealt with in several articles, among them an interview. A structural element are quotations and additional boxes with facts and figures. Highlighted facts. Next to the photo, on the right, black circles with figures can be seen: 130,000 American soldiers are in the Iraq; 23,000 soldiers from other countries are on the spot; 171 American soldiers were killed in action; 87 billions of dollars have been put out ready for the year 2004 – facts that are presented with perfect clarity. Reader guidance. A single large headline dominates the page, other elements are visibly smaller. The section head is free of unnecessary information. The clear reader guidance is achieved by prioritizing.
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Front page. Despite a front page layout, which consists of too many small articles and only few photos, the jury voted for the Corriere della Sera because of its reader-friendly inside pages and its detailed treatment of the various aspects of topics.
Inside page. This is a typical inside page with a pithily worded topical line under the section head. The lead article is placed in the centre of the page and additional articles are provided with pictograms – a structure which helps the readers to gain a clear overview of the presented topic.
Heraldo de Aragon Europe’s Best Designed Newspaper in the category ‘regional paper’. Jury statement The newspaper Heraldo de Aragon has a serious, elegant and discreet appeal which is effected by generous white spaces in the layout clear typography careful choice of coloured spaces and infographics. Especially impressive is the harmonious matching of all typographic elements, such as headlines, leads, bodycopy and captions.
Masthead. The masthead in capital letters appears monumental and classical – an effect which is further underlined by the white space on the right and left. It is not restricted by additional typographic elements or information. Teasers. The space for teasers under the masthead is very narrow: 26 mm. In combination with the pastel shades a noble and discreet effect is achieved. Photo. A single photo has been used to illustrate a report about a flood catastrophe in the region. The photo has been cut so that unimportant parts on the top and at the bottom could be omitted. Typefaces. For headlines the Poynter is used, a typeface with an especially serious appeal. For bodycopy the same typeface is employed. Reader guidance. At the bottom left, an article on the topic flood contains references to further articles on inside pages. At the bottom right, a box with three more teasers and a table of contents is placed.
Information on the newspaper Heraldo de Aragon (Spain), which is issued in a half-sized Nordic format, sells 60.000 copies. They employ 80 editors, 7 photographers and 8 layouters.
Overall impression. The front page radiates seriousness and solidity. White spaces, typography and choice of pictures create the impression of a high-standard regional paper.
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Clear layout. The first page of the local section is also dedicated to the flood of the river Ebro. An aerial view provides the readers with a survey. The column on the left is opened by a lead and closed by additional facts and figures.
Embedded infographics. The second page of the local section shows large infographics. The water levels of the river and the neighbouring reservoirs are indicated. An especially skilfully employed element is the discreet colouring embedding the infographics in the layout.
Goienkaria Europe’s Best Designed Newspaper in the category ‘local paper’. Jury statement Goienkaria’s front pages signalize both great variety and modernity, created by a varied make-up and cut-out pictures in the masthead. The front pages of the cultural and local sections are excellently visualized. They usually concentrate on a single topic with pithy visuals. The regular inside pages, eventually, show a clear structure. Everything is perfectly arranged and planned, even the layout of schedules.
Information on the newspaper Goienkaria (Spain) sells 21,500 copies. Its circulation area is the Basque region and it is, consequently, published in the Basque language. It is issued in a half-sized Nordic format which roughly equals a DIN A 3 format. Goienkaria employs 11 editors and 3 layouters who are also responsible for ads.
Unconventional masthead. The masthead is printed in the typeface Bureau Grotesque. The combination of small and capital letters gives it its unmistakable form. Local references. Almost every issue presents a portrait in front of the masthead, a means of underlining local references. The cut-out photo creates a three-dimensional effect and, thus, highlights the importance of the depicted character. Promotion on their own behalf. On the right, underneath the masthead, references to further articles on inside pages are made. In the blue field on the right, next to the masthead, the sectional front pages of the local section within the paper are on display. Clear colours. Orange, red, blue and black are the colours of this front page. They signalize modernity, simplicity and clarity – characteristics that the readers would certainly transfer to the contents of the paper. Clear lead articles. The lead articles are pointed out by the size of the typeface. The same applies to the single picture which by its size is clearly marked as the lead photo. Room for ads. The bottom of the page offers room for ads which are clearly separated from the editorial contributions of the page.
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Local page 1. This page contains service elements such as the emergency services of chemists and other emergency numbers. Apart from that, a caricature and recommendations for three films are on this page.
Local page 2. This is a normal local page with a lead article marked by its position and the size of its headline. The article is structured by breakers and a quotation.
Visualization 1. Goienka 2a is the name of the culture section. The front pages are always dedicated to a single topic which is usually visualized in a very pithy way. The photo shows a classical final scene from a CharlieChaplin-film. The article deals with the closing down of the last old-fashioned cinema of the town.
Visualization 2. The headline starts with big letters whice gradually become smaller. At the bottom right the readers can see a man standing next to his small car. The typography visualizes an article on vehicles which can be driven without a driving licence: micro-cars. This is why this word has been emphasized in blue in the headline.
Visualization 3. Literature and eroticism is the topic of this article. The headline in a reddish purple is printed in italics. The lower part of the page shows a triangle consisting of layers of bodycopy creating different shades of gray.
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Local section 1. Berrigara, Arrasate Press and Aretxa Gazeta are the names of the three local sections that are added to the newspaper. The child’s drawing is meant to visualize an article on a drawing competition for children on the occasion of the Christmas season. A noticeable element: the Basque cap on the boy’s head.
Local section 2. The eyes in a child’s face have been covered by a black bar. The topic is violence at home. The black bar contains an emergency number among other pieces of information. The colours in the photo have been distorted which makes the visualization of the topic even more impressing.
Local section 3.“Who wants to put on the policeman’s cap?” reads the question in this headline. The topic is visualized by the empty space and the cap. What can be learned from this examples? Simple, generous and clear solutions make these pages stand out against hundreds of others.
Sunday Tribune Europe’s Best Designed Newspaper in the category ‘weekly’. Jury statement The newspasper’s layout can be described as simple, clear and modern. It radiates joy of life and energy – an effect which is achieved by the clear hierarchy of headlines and pictures as well as a clear reader guidance through the individual sections. Their magazine “I” aims at putting personal topics in the foreground. Their design is unmistakable and independent. Especially succinct is the simplicity and reduced number of elements of design.
Masthead. The masthead is set flush left underneath a strong red bar and printed in a sanserif typeface. Simple, clear and modern. Teasers. The headlines on the beige field under the masthead are 36 point in size, which is rather large. They can still be read from some distance at a kiosk. Lead story. By putting the lead story above the fold and printing it in a large typeface it clearly stands out against the other articles on the page. The whole upper part of the page is oriented towards retail sale. Pictures. The page concentrates on only one big photo placed almost completely above the fold. Two photos, not wider than one column each, show the readers by their size that they are of minor importance. Bodycopy. The bodycopy was noticeably enlarged when the paper was redesigned: “To reduce the number of words per article,” the editors explained when they enrolled for the competition.
Information on the newspaper The Sunday Tribune (Dublin / Ireland) has a format of 60 x 37.5 centimetres. Their number of sold copies reached 82,000 in 2003. They employ 8 layouters and 1 photographer.
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Clear hierarchy. Like the front pages this sectional front page shows a clear hierarchy of headlines and photos. Good idea: The portrait of the author is placed in a horizontal format at the beginning of the lead article.
Structuring the articles. This inside page concentrates on a single topic: flamenco. The three-column text is broken up by a quotation and a picture in the central column. At the bottom of the page there is a box with information about he stars of flamenco dancing.
Focus on character. The name of the supplement “I” refers to the paper’s concept, namely to report about personal affairs. The front page with the headline “Middle age is dead” and the portrait underline this idea.
Individual solution. As far as its design is concerned, this supplement offers an individual solution: A serif typeface for headlines in this style has never been seen before. The cover story – like the paper on the whole – is a combination of extreme
contrasts. The headline runs across the double page and on the left a monumental initial letter is towering over the lead. The article is structured by breakers and two smaller photos on a yellow background.
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Clear structure. The main newspaper is divided into several sections with distinctive traits each. Consequently, the supplement is divided into clear sections, too. Each new section is marked by a number and a coloured field. Section no. 1 contains a table of contents on the right with the section
names printed in different colours. Common traits are the headlines, which are set against coloured fields, the initial letters at the beginning of the articles and the paragraphs printed in halftone. The overall impression of the four-column grid is that of clarity.
La Voz de Galicia Judges’ Special Recognition. The editorial staff quickly realized the enormous impact of the tanker accident for the region and, thus, for the newspaper. For many weeks they reported on the accident and its consequences by way of texts, photos and infographics. Each day numerous special pages were issued on this topic.
Information on the newspaper La Voz de Galicia from Spain sells 110,000 copies. The paper is issued in a half-sized Nordic format.
The sinking. The tanker by the name of “Prestige” had been dragged away from the coast to prevent an oil desaster. The ship broke in halves and sank to the ground of the sea. The photo on the front page has caught the moment of the ship’s sinking, a key-scene of the catastrophe: Like a shark its bow is sticking out of the water.
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Details of the sinking. The infographics show the different stages in the destruction of the tanker. The ship, eventually, broke in halves and sank. Only the bow was sticking out of the water in the end. The graphics placed in one column were part of more complex infographics showing how far away from the coast the boat had been dragged.
Text, picture and infographics. The newspaper reports looked like this for weeks: The photo shows helpers who are trying to take away the oil with their bare hands. The infographics contain facts: The oil slick covers an area of 20 x 50 km and is moving towards the coast. Gray lines indicate the prospective development of the following days.