Design thread .... v.2

Hi, kids!

As soon as I can get the other thread locked and this one stickied, I will.

Since I'm back, let's start up a new design thread and get the great discussion that I know can happen here going.

But let's not put an emphasis on covers - I want to see inside pages. I want to see packages. I want to see stuff y'all have done, because you're going to get great feedback through this from facets you haven't heard before. Some of the greatest compliments I heard came about the first thread because designers were actually seeing what editors thought of their pages ... something they may not be used to in their current shops.

Anyway - to get things started, lets see some playoff stuff. NHL, NBA, High school. You name it. Don't want to post it yourself? PM me a link and I'll post it.

 

I think I speak for everybody when I say welcome back.

 

Ditto. And does NCAA Tournament stuff count?

 

I was just putting the home team on the bottom. On a normal horizontal scoreline, I'd put the winning team first. But I'll keep it in mind. Any other thoughts?

 

Yeah, I added it. Usually, the rail only has one photo teaser, but we had a lot going on tonight. And yeah, I'm not a rail fan, either, and neither is my SE. It was a mandate from the new ME.

 

Yeah, we have a horizontal version. The ME doesn't like it. :

 

No Sunday paper? Been there, done that. I feel for ya.

 

Yes, but we have early deadlines. We were unable to get the race in last night. And, luckily, the AP story was more a follow than a straight race version.

 

Gotcha.

I thought the page was fine. Call me crazy, but I don't hate rails like that. Quick-hitting info/scores for readers that are growing more impatient/lazy by the minute. Myself included.

Nice touch on the Bonds photo. And the rail info is well organized.

As mentioned before, not a big fan of the losing score before/above the winning score.

 

I figured buckdub at least would appreciate the Live reference in my NHL refer.

 

I would have definitely moved the Gordon photo over to the far-right column. In the position it's in, your top-left is too tricked out and the photo is worthless.

In fact, I wouldn't even run that Bonds graphic. It looks a little cheesy to me. And with a live photo right underneath it, it looks like it's just stuck there.

If you're hellbent on the Bonds graphic, I would drop it to the bottom of the rail to help break up the gray.

The scoreline doesn't bother me, but if you have any sway at all, I would try pushing for a more universal package label without the logos - something that's basic, tells the score (possibly with the sport in a heavy typeface and then the score in a lighter one, for contrast) and that could be used for just about any live game, regardless of sport or prestige.

 

Actually - to touch on the rail issue as Buckweaver brought up, most papers with a set stylebook dictate that the rail stays the same, or the minor variations the rail can take.

It's just not something you can up and change whenever the whim strikes you. Dropping the rail for a full-strip or doing away with the rail takes an act of Congress. As it should. Define your style and stick with it. That way, you can spend the time improving on your basic design tenets instead of trying to gussy something up because you saw it on NPD.com and want to replicate it.
/rant