Book newspaper design and reading research flyer

Office for Newspaper Design Gutenbergstr. 4 路 40670 Meerbusch 路 Germany 路 Email nkuepper@editorial-design.com Phone +49 21 59 91 16 15

Office for Newspaper Design Gutenbergstr. 4 · 40670 Meerbusch · Germany · Email nkuepper@editorial-design.com Phone +49 21 59 91 16 15

Newspaper Design and Reading Research Edition Editorial Design Author Publisher Size number of pages Binding ISBN-Nummer Price Order:

Norbert Küpper International Editorial-Design & Research Forum 23,0 x 32,5 cm 200 Hardcover 978-3-00-048575-6 49,50 Euro On the website www.editorial-design.com is a button “bookstore”.

This book aims at showing the extended potentials the printed newspaper has today to stand their ground with readers, and set themselves apart from other media.

This book is based on research into reader behaviour. To this end, an eye-tracking camera is employed that documents behaviour when a newspaper is read. The results enable us to deduce what the reader-friendly newspaper should look like. The redesigning projects shown in this book are orientated on the research results documented at the end of this book.

Norbert Küpper began specialising in newspaper and magazine design as far back as 1984. Since 1999 he has organised the European Newspaper Award, a European competition in the field of newspaper design and conception.

He works mainly in Germany, but has also acted as adviser to newspapers in Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.

Test structure Eye-tracking

Eye-tracking

Test newspaper 1: Reading Test newspaper 1, Front

quotas front page

page

■ The newspaper has six columns and is furnished with real text.

■ “Bonner Nachrichten” is not an existing newspaper title.

The name was chosen, because the test was conducted in Bonn.

■ A regular newspaper was not used, because in this test many details concerning the contents and design were to be checked which would not be found in this way in a regular newspaper.

■ The test persons had 30 minutes‘ time to read the newspaper.

This falls in line with the average reading duration.

Front Pages VDI nachrichten · Project

132 and 180

Project 132 and 180 · VDI

nachrichten 60

The eye-track recording camera is integrated into a pair of spectacles, so that Berlin Format (a medium reading is not hampered. newspaper format) with A newspaper was produced current real text. The newspaper for the test in can be held freely in the hands and flipped through.

Front Pages 5

75

25

65

About the current study

The results of a current eye-tracking study by me is published on the following pages. A highly modern instrument is implemented, in which the test persons only wear spectacles, which measuring instruments are integrated into.

The reading behaviour is recorded and evaluated.

It can be precisely determined which articles are utilised how.

From this, implications can be drawn for the design and content of newspapers.

Studies about the utilisation of news websites and iPads have likewise been made by us.

Test persons Taking part in the eye-track recording study were 20 persons, of whom 60 percent were female and 40 percent male.

The test was conducted in Bonn.

Age The test persons were between 18 and 45 years of age, the group of the 18 to 25-year-olds being the best represented with 60 percent.

75

80

90

70

and lead of the image and lead is good, the reports to the and right decline noticeably. left This is normal. Due to the size and positioning in the middle of the page, large pictures and large articles get constantly better values than small articles in the margin.

■ Very good value: The lead with the headline “Mirco‘s mother in the witness stand” is read to the end by 35 percent.

85

65 65

The following print and on-line media are used by the test persons (multiple answers possible):

75

10

50

75

45

10

40

■ There is a quotation with picture in the middle of the lead story serving to provide relief.

Less attention was paid to it than to the text of the article. Implication: The portrait was probably too small.

■ Article at the foot of the page The article with the headline “Why the mole has 12 fingers” was read to the end by 25 percent.

Many readers found this topic interesting, above all else, through the illustration.

25

75 25

10 15

■ Frankfurter Rundschau 5% ■ fr-online.de 5% ■ taz, die Tageszeitung 5% ■ taz.de 5% ■ Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger 10 % ■ Rheinischer Merkur 5% ■ Stern 5% ■ National Geographic 5%

40 35

50

80

75 30

■ Quotation in the column on the left Very good values for the quotation in the column on the left. When pondering on revamping, such relief elements should be taken into good account in any case. Such elements are like chocolates that one lays aside. To take up again whenever.

15

50

35

25

20

■ The reports at bottom left remain practically unnoticed.

Here, it should be borne in mind whether to use larger headlines or to place fixed columns.

156 Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

Finish English 5.indd

■ The importance of the grey gradation The darker the surface, the greater attention is paid to the image or text. Example: 60 percent of the participants look at the newspaper title. 100 percent look at the lead picture.

■ Consumption of the image Consumption

20

Media usage of the test persons The most-used medium (multiple answers possible) to gain information about current events is the internet with 95 percent.

The newspaper follows with 55 percent and radio/television likewise with 55 percent.

25 percent of the test persons called the newspaper a current news source. The newspaper is read seldom by 50 percent of the test persons, frequently by 30 percent and daily by 20 percent.

■ General-Anzeiger (Bonn) 25 % ■ Frankfurter Allgemeine 15 % ■ faz.net 5% ■ Süddeutsche Zeitung 15 % ■ süddeutsche.de 5% ■ Rheinische Post 10 % ■ Der Spiegel 10 % ■ spiegel.de 5% ■ Rhein-Sieg Anzeiger 5%

50

100

156-157

157

05.03.15 11:24

Front pages GrenzEcho · Project 152

Project 152 · GrenzEcho

Front page with a host of variants The front page still has many articles, conveying to readers the great variety in topics.

Joint characteristics of all front pages: − A large picture, referring to one topic inside. − A text lead, mostly devoted to a political topic. − A column with reports on the left side.

Front pages

The front page with a host of variants The front page is as always furnished with many articles.

A whole gamut of diverse topics is thus suggested to the reader. Common characteristics of all front pages:

Newspaper Design and

Reading Research

− A large image referring to a topic inside. − A text lead, mostly dedicated to a political topic. − A column with reports on the left side.

VDI nachrichten: Newsp

aper design for print, tablets

Stuttgarter Nachrichten:

Norbert Küpper

Finish English 5.indd

Norbert Küpper

22-23

and modernity lie in the

23

trend 05.03.15 11:20

Front pages

Mastery of the visual

Business newspapers ·

Newspaper Design and

Project 154

Project 154 · Business newspapers

Front pages

Reading Research

Alternative story forms: Reader

-friendly writing

GrenzEcho, Eupen, Belgium

: The new idea – Cover

Between newspaper and

magazine

Mindener Tageblatt: New

Austria: Newspaper design

Contrasting image format

s

Produktion: Technology

and cover story

Work with white space

First section: Local topics Business newspapers,

Edition Editorial Design

22 and mobile phones

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

Elegance, seriousness

structure, more conten t

Second section: Suprar

egional topics

82 Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

in tabloid format

Finish English 5.indd

82-83

83

Infographics combined

05.03.15 11:23

with photos

Front pages Mindener Tageblatt · Project

must be inspirational!

179

Project 179 · Mindener

Tageblatt

Front pages Visual clarity More than 450 front pages of the business newspapers are produced per year. It should be perceivable that these pages are all associated

Magazine layout throug

In the new layout: Front pages The newspaper titles: The name „Wirtschaft” (Economic) is used by all the newspapers of the group.

Standing at the top is the federal state concerned, in this example it is Kärnten (Carinthia). The title is flush left and it has a shaded edge, making it somewhat three-dimensional.

The cover picture: It is invariably a large-area image, in which the heading stands on the picture. Now all that matters is that a fabulous motif is found in each edition and in each week.

With nine editions and 52 weeks that‘s 468 images.

This large number of cover pictures shows that a certain solution is needed for the headlines to be able to place them on images without any difficulties.

with each other.

This is why the front pages h alternative story integrative, are designed according to forms

Eye-tracking: Research

uniform principles. Each front page has a large image. The headline stands in the image.

References to topics inside may be on the right and at the bottom of the page.

into reader behaviour The headline as a brainte

aser

128

An old rule tested

Edition Editorial Design

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

Finish English 5.indd

128-129

129

05.03.15 11:24

Front pages Produktion · Project 178

Newspaper Design and Reading Research ISBN: 978-3-00-048575-6 Edition Editorial Design

Project 178 · Produktion

Front pages

05.03.15 10:49

Front page with decisive image formats Decisive upright and oblong formats are implemented not only on the front page, but also in the entire layout. Decisive means that the images are cut clearly oblong-formatted and really steeply upright-formatte d. This results in a very modern overall impression.

Alongside the lead image, the front page has on the left a supraregional as a lead story and on the right a large single column with a local topic. At the bottom there are small teasers with the effect of small chocolates placed the newspaper page: Readers on very much like taking these chocolates along with them.

There is a handful of layout variants for the front page.

This covers all the demands in terms of content.

The examples show: It is evidently editors to work with the fun for the new layout.

102 Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

Finish English 5.indd

102-103

103

05.03.15 11:23

Technology must be inspirational!

The new cover pages are a great breakthrough compared to the old ones: Arising from the decidedly text-heavy newspaper is a technology magazine that – with outstanding industrial photographs – provides very good eye-catchers.

The cover page alone communicates inspiration for technology and machines.

146 Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper

Finish English 5.indd

146-147

147

05.03.15 11:24

Christoph Pepper, editor-in-chief of Mindener Tageblatt, writes in his blog about the book.

Newspaper Design and Reading Research

Norbert Küpper

Edition Editorial Design

VDI nachrichten: Newspaper design for print, tablets and mobile phones Elegance, seriousness and modernity lie in the trend Stuttgarter Nachrichten: Mastery of the visual

Norbert Küpper

Newspaper Design and Reading Research

Alternative story forms: Reader-friendly writing GrenzEcho, Eupen, Belgium: The new idea – Cover and cover story Between newspaper and magazine

Work with white space Mindener Tageblatt: New structure, more content

First section: Local topics

Second section: Supraregional topics

Business newspapers, Austria: Newspaper design in tabloid format Contrasting image formats

Infographics combined with photos

Produktion: Technology must be inspirational!

Magazine layout through alternative story forms Eye-tracking: Research into reader behaviour The headline as a brainteaser

An old rule tested

Edition Editorial Design

05.03.15 10:49

Test structure

Eye-tracking

Test newspaper 1: Reading quotas front page

Eye-tracking

Test newspaper 1, Front page ■ The newspaper has six columns and is furnished with real text.

■ “Bonner Nachrichten” is not an existing newspaper title.

The name was chosen, because the test was conducted in Bonn.

■ A regular newspaper was not used, because in this test many details concerning the contents and design were to be checked which would not be found in this way in a regular newspaper.

■ The test persons had 30 minutes‘ time to read the newspaper.

This falls in line with the average reading duration.

■ The importance of the grey gradation The darker the surface, the greater attention is paid to the image or text. Example: 60 percent of the participants look at the newspaper title. 100 percent look at the lead picture.

60 5 75

The eye-track recording camera is integrated into a pair of spectacles, so that reading is not hampered. A newspaper was produced for the test in Berlin Format (a medium newspaper format) with current real text. The newspaper can be held freely in the hands and flipped through.

25

65

50

75

80

■ Consumption of the image and lead Consumption of the image and lead is good, the reports to the left and right decline noticeably. This is normal. Due to the size and positioning in the middle of the page, large pictures and large articles get constantly better values than small articles in the margin.

100

20

About the current study The results of a current eye-tracking study by me is published on the following pages. A highly modern instrument is implemented, in which the test persons only wear spectacles, which measuring instruments are integrated into.

The reading behaviour is recorded and evaluated.

It can be precisely determined which articles are utilised how.

From this, implications can be drawn for the design and content of newspapers.

Studies about the utilisation of news websites and iPads have likewise been made by us.

Media usage of the test persons The most-used medium (multiple answers possible) to gain information about current events is the internet with 95 percent.

The newspaper follows with 55 percent and radio/television likewise with 55 percent. 25 percent of the test persons called the newspaper a current news source. The newspaper is read seldom by 50 percent of the test persons, frequently by 30 percent and daily by 20 percent.

Test persons Taking part in the eye-track recording study were 20 persons, of whom 60 percent were female and 40 percent male. The test was conducted in Bonn.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

The following print and on-line media are used by the test persons (multiple answers possible):

Age The test persons were between 18 and 45 years of age, the group of the 18 to 25-year-olds being the best represented with 60 percent.

General-Anzeiger (Bonn) Frankfurter Allgemeine faz.net Süddeutsche Zeitung süddeutsche.de Rheinische Post Der Spiegel spiegel.de Rhein-Sieg Anzeiger

25 % 15 % 5% 15 % 5% 10 % 10 % 5% 5%

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Frankfurter Rundschau fr-online.de taz, die Tageszeitung taz.de Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Rheinischer Merkur Stern National Geographic

5% 5% 5% 5% 10 % 5% 5% 5%

■ Very good value: The lead with the headline “Mirco‘s mother in the witness stand” is read to the end by 35 percent.

90

85

70

65 65

50

75

25

■ There is a quotation with picture in the middle of the lead story serving to provide relief. Less attention was paid to it than to the text of the article. Implication: The portrait was probably too small.

75

■ Article at the foot of the page The article with the headline “Why the mole has 12 fingers” was read to the end by 25 percent. Many readers found this topic interesting, above all else, through the illustration.

75 25

10

40 35 50

75

15 10

40

80

45

10

■ Quotation in the column on the left Very good values for the quotation in the column on the left. When pondering on revamping, such relief elements should be taken into good account in any case. Such elements are like chocolates that one lays aside. To take up again whenever.

15

50

35

30

25

20

■ The reports at bottom left remain practically unnoticed. Here, it should be borne in mind whether to use larger headlines or to place fixed columns.

156

157

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 156-157

05.03.15 11:24

Test newspaper 2: Reading quotas front pages

Eye-tracking

Test newspaper 2: Reading quotas front pages

Eye-tracking

Test newspaper 2, Front page

■ Newspaper title positive or negative?

The test pages were designed with the title positive and then negative.

Question: Is one of the two titles taken into more account?

■ This test was conducted one year after the first, likewise with 20 participants and likewise in Bonn.

This newspaper is designed in five columns.

■ Two front pages in comparison

■ Simple visualisation A tape measure was used for visualisation of the topic overweight. Here the topic is represented very objectively. A very much adipose person could have been shown in order to create an emotional introduction to the topic.

Question: Can an objective photo also be a good eye-catcher?

■ Lead story with and without image These two pages have the same lead topic: „Too many extreme obese“, as in the headline. The article is tested once with and once without the image. (Illustration on the opposite page.)

Question: Have the two identical articles a different quota or are are they read equally well?

■ Varying image sizes at the foot Placed at the foot of the one page is a very large upright format image, on the other a normal picture.

Question: Does reading progress, i.e. the sequence of information assimilation, change if there is a particularly large image at the bottom?

■ The importance of small images Placed on a test page is a small article with image, on the other without an image.

Question: Is an article with image better used than the same article without image?

■ The lead story with image has advantages Comparing these two pages directly enables us to clearly recognise that the lead story with image has distinctly more readers than the same article without image.

■ Kicker or subheadline: The subheadline wins The kicker – that is the line above the headline – has a quota of 30 percent, the subheadline 80 percent.

For this reason, the subheadline should be used.

It forms a harmonious transition from the headline to the text.

■ The large image attracts attention The one image at the bottom of the page has 85 percent consideration. It attracts a great deal of attention from the lead story. This is why the largest image should always be placed at the top.

It would be ideal if it belonged to the lead story.

■ The small image brings 20 percent Without any image, the article at the foot of the page has a quota of 20 percent – with an image the same text gets 40 percent. The big lead image should therefore be contrasted by a small image at the foot of the page.

50

60

60

70

50

40

50 20

30 80 60 50 40

20 80

85 85

30

70

■ The newspaper title is in any event conspicuous No matter whether the newspaper title is positive or negative, it is conspicuous in any case. 100 percent attention cannot be excelled.

40

20

80

80

20

60

20 80

10

50

80

30

80

90

40

5

70

■ Simple visualisation works The tape measure to the topic overweight receives 100 percent attention. Placing at the top front page certainly contributed to this quota.

100

■ Generating hierarchy of the topics It is the editors‘ job to generate a hierarchy of the topics for readers. Readers are best guided as follows: – Placing at the top of the page clearly shows: Here is the most important topic.

– Articles with image enjoy more attention than articles without image. The editorial staff must therefore provide important topics with an image and place less important ones without an image.

– More attention is paid to multi-columns than to single-columns. In other words, single-columns can never be so important as multi-columns in terms of content.

50

70

70 40

30

20

30

40

90

50

30

60

60 60

10

60

20

30

30

30 20

30

50

30

50

50

40

70 10

70 30

20

20

50

60 60

40

80 5

30

06

60

60

40

60

10

168

60

5

5 60

60 100

100

20

20 5 07

169

Front Pages

VDI nachrichten · Project 132 and 180

Project 132 and 180 · VDI nachrichten

Front Pages

The front page with a host of variants The front page is as always furnished with many articles. A whole gamut of diverse topics is thus suggested to the reader. Common characteristics of all front pages: − A large image referring to a topic inside. − A text lead, mostly dedicated to a political topic. − A column with reports on the left side.

22

23

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 22-23

05.03.15 11:20

Design for tablet

VDI nachrichten · Project 132 and 180

Project 132 and 180 · VDI nachrichten

Design for tablet

Start pages for articles The start pages for large articles were designed in such a manner that the headline and image merge with each other. In order to ensure good readability, the headlines are placed on translucent surfaces.

Tablet prototypes Start pages were laid out for big articles as well as the table of contents and inside pages.

The typography is always oriented on the print layout. The basic text is in ragged composition without hyphenations. This ensures that the readers can set the character size themselves.

The navigation bar is not to be folded away, so that users always know where they are in the app.

28

29

Front pages

Stuttgarter Nachrichten · Project 148

Project 148 · Stuttgarter Nachrichten

Front pages

Front pages with many variants There is not only a standard layout, the title page is always adapted to suit the current news situation. A vertical or horizontal-format solo picture often makes a big eye-catcher.

This is achieved by extreme closeups or an unusual choice of motif.

Positioning of the headline in the picture, as in the case of the title page about Mercedes boss Zetsche, tends to be seldom used.

To the left and right of the head there are always little teasers or references to supplements. This signals that there is a large number of topics to be found in the paper.

On the left there is always a teaser strip drawing attention to interesting topics inside.

In different local editions local content is placed here.

42

43

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 42-43

Front pages

05.03.15 11:22

GrenzEcho · Project 152

Project 152 · GrenzEcho

Front pages

Front page with a host of variants The front page still has many articles, conveying to readers the great variety in topics. Joint characteristics of all front pages: − A large picture, referring to one topic inside. − A text lead, mostly devoted to a political topic. − A column with reports on the left side.

82

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 82-83

83

05.03.15 11:23

Front pages

Mindener Tageblatt · Project 179

Front pages

Project 179 · Mindener Tageblatt

Front page with decisive image formats Decisive upright and oblong formats are implemented not only on the front page, but also in the entire layout. Decisive means that the images are cut clearly oblong-formatted and really steeply upright-formatted. This results in a very modern overall impression.

Alongside the lead image, the front page has on the left a supraregional as a lead story and on the right a large single column with a local topic. At the bottom there are small teasers with the effect of small chocolates placed on the newspaper page: Readers very much like taking these chocolates along with them.

There is a handful of layout variants for the front page. This covers all the demands in terms of content. The examples show: It is evidently fun for the editors to work with the new layout.

102

103

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 102-103

05.03.15 11:23

Front pages

Business newspapers · Project 154

Visual clarity More than 450 front pages of the business newspapers are produced per year. It should be perceivable that these pages are all associated with each other.

This is why the front pages are designed according to integrative, uniform principles. Each front page has a large image. The headline stands in the image.

References to topics inside may be on the right and at the bottom of the page.

128

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 128-129

Front pages

Project 154 · Business newspapers

In the new layout: Front pages The newspaper titles: The name „Wirtschaft” (Economic) is used by all the newspapers of the group.

Standing at the top is the federal state concerned, in this example it is Kärnten (Carinthia). The title is flush left and it has a shaded edge, making it somewhat three-dimensional.

The cover picture: It is invariably a large-area image, in which the heading stands on the picture. Now all that matters is that a fabulous motif is found in each edition and in each week. With nine editions and 52 weeks that‘s 468 images. This large number of cover pictures shows that a certain solution is needed for the headlines to be able to place them on images without any difficulties.

129

05.03.15 11:24

Front pages

Produktion · Project 178

Front pages

Project 178 · Produktion

Technology must be inspirational!

The new cover pages are a great breakthrough compared to the old ones: Arising from the decidedly text-heavy newspaper is a technology magazine that – with outstanding industrial photographs – provides very good eye-catchers. The cover page alone communicates inspiration for technology and machines.

146

147

Buch 30 Jahre Kuepper Finish English 5.indd 146-147

05.03.15 11:24

Alternative story forms

Reader-friendly design “10 criteria of the mobile helper” runs the headline over the two-page spread at the top. The topic is broken down into 10 points. The benefits of the product are worked out very well for readers.

The specialists are introduced on the double-page spread at the bottom who

152

Produktion · Project 178

were involved in developing this machine.

Implementation of these alternative story forms enables readers to decide for themselves as to which parts of the article they intend to consume. It is a very reader-friendly design that will be gaining increasingly in significance in future.

Alternative story forms

Project 178 · Produktion

Information all about the shoe “On safe soles through the factory” runs the headline above this article. The sole of a shoe is placed in the middle of the page. Three fact boxes in a circle contain details about this product. The basic text of the article contains detailed information. It is placed to the left and right outside on the page.

153

All details about the English and German version of the book are registered at the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.

Best way to order this book: www.editorial-design.com bookstore

More publications by Norbert K端pper are the yearbooks of the European Newspaper Award. The latest book in this series, Volume 16, was released on March 12, 2015. Order best over the Bookstore on www.editorial-design.com