Wednesday 6 February 2008

Have a look at Europe's best designed newspaper!

Just a short reference to one of the most innovative newspapers regarding visualization in Europe: “Eleftheros Tipos”. The Greek newspaper is the winner of the European Newspaper Award and the best designed national newspaper. Designed in 2007 by Javier Errea “Eleftheros Tipos” has already doubled the circulation on Sunday and increased by 30 per cent during the week.

Excerpt of the Jury-Statement: “Eleftheros Tipos caught the jury's idea in almost all categories. Front pages: They are often devoted to a single topic and display enormous typographic care. Inside pages: Cover stories are allowed to run over several pages. They are then structured by pictures, quotation blocks, and service boxes and offer the readers new stimuli. Infographics and illustrations are standard elements. Their use of typography and white space creates a special aesthetic appeal, which accounts for the paper's modern, but serious character.”

Javier Errea explains in an interview with the German “MediumMagazin” that the former ET was a “languished newspaper” which did not play any important role in the Greek media landscape. After the relaunch the newspaper would be very interesting for younger and female readers and intellectuals, Errea says. 156 journalists, 56 photographers and 24 layouters are working at the newspaper. Their new concept is to produce a newspaper like a daily magazine with an emphatic visual impact.

This success story shows how to improve newspapers considerably: high quality content presented in the appropriate professional design. We can recognize that the layout is not imposed on the text and dominating the content. Text and design interact in a convincing wise that attracts the reader. Unmentionable that this great newspaper has a tabloid size.

No comments: