http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010094593_apuswashingtonpostredesign.html
This article talks about how the Washington Post was redesigning their paper for easier navigation, because they know that "their readers are busy." They mention making the typeface bigger, adding more graphics, labeling sections, and making headlines more informative. The article is a few years old, so at this point these changes have probably been made, but I thought that it was interesting because so many people read the Washington Post and it makes sense to make it as easy to navigate as possible.
1. Do you think these changes were necessary?
2. What other ideas can you come up with to make a newspaper more accessible for readers?
I think that the newspaper is getting to be more difficult to read because the font is so small and it in general does not have a very appealing look. For this reason among others people are turning to electronic versions of the newspaper. I think adding more pictures is a good way to attract reader's attention to the different articles and may help some readers relate to the articles in a different way.
ReplyDeleteThe downfall of news papers to me is the ability to find and read things in a quick manner. In these days, I never seem like I have enough time to sit down and enjoy flipping through a newspaper to find an article that peaks my interest. What I have always wanted is a method that allows for quick reading, while also showing you what is going on elsewhere. When I think about this, I think of having a newspaper on a tablet device, where you can locate your article with ease and speed, but also see the other topics of interest. Users will be able to scroll and flip through the pages with ease. In this format, it will be easier to have multiple images for an article as opposed to just one image in paper format. I would also suggest this could be an app that you can download for a small price, and receive the electronic version daily.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I honestly like the idea. I feel that the bigger font and more pictures would capture the readers of the paper most definitely. I know myself that I get intrigued by things that grab my attention. Gaining attention is essential in itself anyhow and I believe will definitely increase readership. Now I am not saying that no one will read the paper if these changes are not made, because we all know that is not true especially considering how long the paper has been around. However, I do feel that it could enhance the paper. Also a new design is always nice and 14 years is a pretty long time with no changes. So I say they should go for it.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely agree with Brad on this one to be able to view the newspaper on a tablet of some sort.