Learn innovative ways to catch a reader’s eye with the Design Workshop presented by the Society of News Design on Thursday, July 21, from 2:30pm to 5:30pm at the AAN Convention in New Orleans.
The workshop will feature three interactive sessions: 50 Ideas You Can Steal (and Improve On) From Mainstream Publications, General Critiques (where you will review samples submitted prior to the convention), and Design in the Alternative Universe.
Stephen Komives of the Society for News Design, Denise Reagan of The Florida Times-Union and Steve Dorsey, of the Detroit Media Partnership will lead the sessions.
The workshop is free to members of the Society for News Design, including those not registered for the convention.
Other design sessions will include:
IT’S NUMBERED “PAGE 1” FOR A REASON. Let’s talk about sex, and return rates, and those damn (beautiful) cover-stickers everybody’s been selling, and let’s look at some kick-ass covers from all over our alt-weekly hemisphere that will make people reach for your paper and not that crappy fake-weekly from the competition.
Presenter: Joe MacLeod, Baltimore City Paper
The web has finally developed to the point where stories can move beyond simple text and images. The advent of new technologies, like CSS3, HTML5, and web fonts, as well as the ability to use more sophisticated interactions, can help not only relate stories, but actually engage readers in a narrative.
Introduction: Molly Wilmott, The Memphis Flyer (invited)
Presenter: Joey Marburger, The Washington Post
There are more and more free and cheap fonts on the market. Which ones should you be using without diluting your look and brand? And when should you use them?
Presenter: Denise Reagan, The Florida Times-Union
Are you nervous you’re not good enough? Wake up at night pondering that next cover? Sweating about the one that just went to press? Calm down and get better. We’ll mine the masters of alternative design for inspiration. Using case studies from alternative publications attending the convention, we’ll explore design and art direction with an eye on tips that you can apply now — or at least next week.
Presenter: Matt Mansfield, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Staff from Chicago Reader, Gambit mobile, Willamette Week and others will talk about choices made and challenges faced in their latest redesign efforts.
Panel: Alison Draper, Chicago Reader; Kendra Clune, Willamette Week; Jeanne Exnicios Foster, Gambit
The Internet’s news and information corner is suffering from a sickness of sameness. This session takes a look at the symptoms and antidotes, of product and process, to get out of this rut.
Moderator: TBA
Panel: Tyson Evans, The New York Times and Dave Wright, National Public Radio
