Design - The good, bad and ugly

This is an attempt to start a running design thread where everyone can post designs from all over the country (or world) and discuss what they liked or didn't like.

I've been out of the design loop for years but this site has seriously whetted my appetite for more ... and the Design Threads have been really slow of late.

I really want to see what everyone is doing - not just the posters brave enough to post their own pages.

I don't think it's really much different than what we see on the writing threads, so let's give it a try. I've spent the last hour looking at redesigns I didn't know existed so I'll start with a few of those.

 

The Waterbury Republican in Ct.

One of the best sports fronts I've seen in a long time.

 

I've seen some Bakersfield fronts I could stomach but today's isn't one of them. If I was holding this in my hand I wouldn't even know what to look at first. Unfortunately this is where a lot of papers are heading.

 

Anyone know if the LA Times is thinking of redesigning? Can't think of a big paper that needs it more.

 

The fact that there's a design thread already notwithstanding, I don't see why doing a cutout of a live game photo for your main art is worth being considered the best sports front in a while.

Too many small papers do this and it's not something I'd recommend.

 

W-B,
I'm with you on that Bakersfield front... that one is so busy it gives me a headache...
But, Some days they hit a home run as well.

I love the waterbury sports front.. the only thing I don't like is the "win is one of Tiger's best"... I think I would have either come up with something more compelling, or shortened it so it wasn't jumping over tiger's arm... the win seems crammed in there... that page probably could have survived if that little area was white space...

I'm a rookie, with much to learn, but my .02...

icb

 

I agree on "Win" ... at first I thought his arm was covering the rest of the word. At the least it could have used a little more space ... ultimately it doesn't really matter to the public but as a designer it's something you kick yourself over.

 

Maybe they're saying they don't care what you look at first so long as you look at everything. There's a cavemenesque mentality that there must be "the main art or story" and everything else. If everyone followed quote-unquote the rules, it would be one boring world.

The above design doesn't make me, as a newspaper reader first and foremost, not want to buy the paper. I'd still buy it and read everything on the front page.

It's time for people to relax and stop being so stringent about "the rules" of design. Design it how you want it.

 

I honestly don't think I could read everything, I'd be too distracted by any of the other 12 entry points.

 

I agree, playthrough. I'd want those designers working with me. I like their creative fire.

 

As a reporter I don't think I'd like writing for them much. Hate to put a lot of work into a narrative or a series and have only the first three graphs make it on the front.