Four C's of Front Page Design

Creative design and innovative front pages are keys to increasing newspaper readership. Original front pages cannot be rarities reserved for special events, but must be long-lasting trends that come to define the paper. A sustainable creative culture will build both positive newsroom relations and long-lasting relations between the page and the reader, says Deborah Withey , deputy managing editor of The Virginian-Pilot.

Collaboration, Communication, Continuity, and Creativity are four essential elements to an enduring creative culture according to Withey. She shared her thoughts on these imperatives at the new API seminar on design, "Page One: Content, Presentation, Brand."

Collaboration - The front page designer is not the only resource for an effective page one. Knowing the key stories between the covers helps designers shape the promotional material on the first page. Because content shapes design, and design should flow throughout the paper, the opportunity to see links among sections of a newspaper makes for a steadier reading experience. Collaboration also allows the newsroom to discuss the paper's strengths. For example, if your paper is great at narrative storytelling, feature it on the front page.

Communication - Engage in a dialogue between the newspaper and the reader. This doesn't only mean knowing what readers want, but recognizing that the newspaper staff is a part of the community. Let the newspaper facilitate discussion by replacing "the" with "our" in headlines. Bringing local stories to A1 of community papers will show that the paper cares.

Continuity - "What begins on page one shouldn't end there," says Withey. A consistent design establishes brand. While readers appreciate novelty and surprise, a sense of continuity can also be a service to returning readers. This doesn't refer only to continuity within each issue of the newspaper but continuity from day to day.

Creativity - Don't be afraid to try something new. Above-the-flag promotions for content inside the paper give readers a pleasant surprise and something to look forward to. But don't let these tactics become old. Also remember to tap into the creativity among your staff. Let the mathematician, poet, or historical novelist on staff weave his or her crafts into stories.

Deborah Withey has used these ideas to shape a variety of front pages for her newspaper. The following are five examples, with Withey's notes about what made them work:

This cover demands attention by featuring quotes from other papers on Virginia's recent legislation banning underwear peek-throughs. This hot local issue is also placed in the center of an atypical layout for this newspaper. The teaser: "We've made our Grammy Picks, Now you Makes Yours" offers interaction between the paper and the reader.





Virginian-Pilot readers love history and the narrative style. The 14-day series on the 1855 yellow fever epidemic offered both. Opening each segment above the flag also told readers where to look for the article each day. A photograph of a plane also appeals to the interests of local Virginia Beach readers due to a strong military presence.

Although the paper had never tailored itself to tourists before, adding a striking spadia announced to both visitors and residents that the paper is a reliable source for weekend activities. Taking the occasional risk of adding an event outside of the region typically covered by the paper garnered positive responses and more readers.

This innovative cover features a tangled web replacing the clichéd image of a crying mother to bring attention to the randomness of a crime. The narrative-style writing of a son killed by a stray bullet while sleeping in his bed also emphasizes the randomness of the act while shedding light on the human side of the story. The "Solving Problems for You" promotion shows that the paper is an integral member of the community - if not its heart.

This community-oriented cover features both local school children and a local icon while bringing in world affairs. The children reflect the youth's perspective on Pope John Paul II's death. In the days before his funeral but after his death, the Pilot gave readers a sense of continuity by remembering the Pope in other ways. Eulogizing a 95-year-old local legend, George Holbert Tucker, on the front page appeals to the community as well.