News Design

News design is the procedure of arranging content on a printed page, based on visual and editorial guidelines and objectives. It therefore includes the arrangement of text, superscripts and headings on the page. These objectives could include giving information to readers quickly and efficiently in a pleasant and easy-to-read format. While graphical considerations are usually minimal, readability and balance, together with adequate color contrast, are crucial to ensuring news content looks attractive and is well-organized.

News organizations depend heavily on news design because it is one of the major ways of communicating the organization’s mission and messages to its audience. The newspaper, by virtue of being a mass medium, needs to maintain reader interest and is a vehicle through which the mass can be reached. The organization’s design, therefore, should be able to attract and hold the attention of the readers. This is particularly important during election time when the need for breaking news is at its most critical.

A news design firm should not specialize in any one particular medium, but rather be able to provide designs across a number of different media. The best news design firms will have a portfolio of publications that they have handled and will be experienced in handling both new and traditional media. The design team should include a number of talented designers who have a proven track record of producing winning layouts and graphics. News organizations should choose their designers carefully, as the final product is likely to be used on many different types of newspapers, websites and magazines. It is also extremely important that the design company is willing to work with the news organization in order to identify specific issues or concerns that they must address in order to ensure a successful campaign.