I sent out pdfs of the Skiff prototype to folks in the news and academic fields and requested feedback.
I had hoped to gather enough material to use for sessions during the Skiff boot camps in August.There is a majority of support and praise for the changeover and general design and layout but what I was hoping for was constructive criticism to propel the content and mission of the newspaper forward.
The redesign sets only the foundation, the language of the paper. It is up to the students to build something great upon it, to create engaging stories and display with the language.
A few responses are starting to trickle in.
A few responses are starting to trickle in.
The few professionals who have responded went right for points that I believe are very valuable for the staff to consider as they move towards launching the new design.
Tim’ s books, The Newspaper Designer's Handbook and Inside Reporting are popular not only as handbooks for working journalists but also as textbooks.
He’s been an editor, designer and now consults on print and online design, teaches journalism and, according to his website, runs a dog-and-frog ranch deep in the Oregon woods.
Two of the biggest points of Tim’s critique:
“You've got 12 pages. Half of those are ads. That leaves 6 pages for actual news. Right?
And of those 6 pages, you're blowing off TWO of them -- the front & back cover -- for big photos? One-third of your available space for images that may or may not deserve big play? That do almost no heavy lifting, journalistically speaking?
Big mistake.
Your real estate is too precious, and in too short a supply, to pretend you're a magazine with loads of interior space -- and with enough art and photo talent to make this concept sustainable week after week.
I counted up the actual story modules (for news and opinion) in this prototype. Fourteen items. That's all. (Not even any news or sports briefs, either.)
You may not realize it, but you've simply GOT to give readers more traffic than that. You're moving in slow motion at EXACTLY the moment in time when you should be accelerating the traffic flow. One thing I know about young, impatient readers: they want as much volume and variety as you can possibly deliver.
… And that 50/50 ad ratio?
Listen, I was in Texas a few years ago, speaking to a convention of shopper editors. You know, those tabloids you see stacked at supermarket entrances, with names like Nickel Ads and Coupon Clipper?
I'd never really paid attention to shoppers before that. In fact, I didn't even know how to explain the difference between a newspaper and a shopper. So I wrote my own definition:
A newspaper is where you put ads below your news stories. A shopper is where you find news stories to plug the holes around your ads.
You're creating a shopper. “
Once the printed prototype was reviewed, most of the folks here realized that a 50/50 ratio is unrealistic and advertising targets will be adjusted.
This will allow the story count to rise.Striking a good balance between content and display on the front and back covers is essential for the paper’s success.
TCU students have loved the big photos but Tim makes a good point.
Producing art like that on a daily basis is stressful and most often unsuccessful. More prudent planning and opening up the covers, especially the back, to more story presence make sense. Lack of briefs and roundups, which consistently pop up in surveys as reader favorites, can be addressed once editors arrive for boot camp.
Visit Tim's site for great tips and free pdfs on multimedia, editing, design and more:
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