redesign on a dime

Workshop Outline!• Defining your goals. !• Our personal stories.!

• Money-saving tips. !

• Questions and answers.!

Reasons to Redesign!1) To improve aesthetics.!

2) To help readers navigate your publication.

3) To update the look.

4) To take advantage of new technology.!

Time to Redesign!

• Skillset is developed.!

• Design is NOT doing justice to the editorial.!

Otherʼs Assessment!• “Too gray”!

• “Too cluttered”!

• “Too hard to read”!

• “Too piecey”!

Otherʼs Assessment!

• “Too gray”!

• “Too cluttered”!

• “Too hard to read”!

• “Too piecey”!

Not gonna happen!!

Now What? Now Who?!

• To improve aesthetics.!

• To improve navigatability.!

• To modernize.!

• To use direct-to-plate.!

Something STILL needs to be done!!

Here we go…!

1) Critically analyze current publication and determine what has to go or simply be addressed.!

5 Steps to a New Design:!

Here we go…!

A) Fonts!No more Korinna!!

Here we go…!

B) Table of Contents

Page!• Little to lure reader!

• Stories lumped together!

• Poor-quality graphics!

Here we go…!

C) Column Headers !

• Inconsistent styles and sizes!

• Poor-quality graphics!

Here we go…!

D) All Justified!

E) Small, Square Pictures!

Think outside the box!!

Here we go…!

F) No End Marks!

G) Text-Heavy Copy!

H) Heavy Rules!

Here we go…!

2) Take into account special considerations.!

5 Steps to a New Design:!

KEEPERS: Branding heritage, Masthead/cover!

CONSIDERATIONS: Uniqueness of columns, !! Partial-page ads!

Here we go…!

3) Build a folder to generate ideas.!

5 Steps to a New Design:!

Clip and flag examples of what you like!

AND what you donʼt like!!

Fodder: Other ag and non-ag publications!

Here we go…!

4) Make your choices.!

5 Steps to a New Design:!

A) Fonts

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

B) Table of Contents Page!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a New Design:!

C) Columns • Common artwork!

• Resource info!• Uniform look!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

D) Alignment • Justified body type!

• Ragged right sidebars!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

E) Photos • More photos!

• Bigger photos!• Various shapes!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a New Design:!

F) End marks • Signals the end!

• Complements other artwork!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

G) Break-up the Copy

• Larger pictures!

• Blow quotes!

• Bulleted lists!

• Tables!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

H) Rules • 1 point vs. 2 or 3!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

I) Masthead/Cover Good to go!!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a

New Design:!

J) Partial-page ads Scoot to the bottom

and left.!

Here we go…!5 Steps to a New Design:!

4) Evaluate. Revise.!

Wait. Repeat.!

5) Launch and enjoy!!

Pros and Cons!

PROS! CONS!• You know your pub best.!• You set your own timeline.!• Itʼs rewarding. !

• No one to collaborate with.!• Time investment.!

Redesign – Doing it yourself!

Money-Saving Tips!

• DONʼT skip the goal-setting step.!

• DONʼT feel compelled to do it all yourself. !

• DO it right the first time.!