A regional daily has undergone a redesign which has seen it bring in a new colour-coded look.
The Manchester Evening News unveiled its new look to readers yesterday, claiming the new design will make the paper easier to navigate.
The title has introduced a bigger masthead and a “bolder, brighter look” on the front page, pictured below, along with clearer typefaces and a simpler layout.
Editor R0b Irvine told readers that the different sections of the paper would now be colour-coded to help people navigate it more easily.
The news section of the paper will now be highlighted in red, entertainment and other features in purple, business news in blue and sport in green – with separate colour-coded areas for coverage of Manchester United and City football clubs.
Rob said in a message to readers: “Today, we’re unveiling a brand new look for the Manchester Evening News. It’s designed to make the newspaper we’re so proud of easier to navigate and easier to read.
“The first thing you’ll notice is the bigger masthead and the bolder, brighter look on page one – we hope this underlines our commitment to bringing you the best coverage of our great city in a package you’ll love.
“We have introduced new clearer typefaces and a simpler layout, along with new colour-coding to help you quickly find the information you need.
“If you’re looking for news, look for red, showbiz, entertainment and other features are purple, business news is blue, and sport is green.
“We’ve even colour-coded our City and United coverage with the clubs’ blue or red, so you’ll always know when you’re on the right page.
“We hope you like the changes and we look forward to continuing to be your friend dropping in, now and into the future.”
The paper’s website features a video of the first new-look edition being printed and a photo gallery of it being put together in the newsroom.
The MEN has also asked readers to give their views on the new look via Facebook or on Twitter, using the hashtag #newlookMEN.
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Colour-coding? Really? All this does is highlight which pages I’m less likely to be interested in so I flick through the paper more quickly. However, I like the cleaner design overall.
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So the news section is a United supporter and the Business backs City?
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They are trying their best, but they haven’t a clue at the MEN.
Not all their readers are devotees of the Daily Star approach to journalism.
Those front page headlines are far too big. And why does everything have to be on a reverse and bolder all the time?
They leave many Mancunians I know bruised and bleeding. Most of the stories are about scruffs. It’s like opening a manhole and saying: “Oh, look at all the s— down there!”
Reading the paper is like being burgled, you are left feeling sick and violated.
The more readers desert in droves the more stuff they put in about Hollywood, the “music scene”, holidays in Italy, dining out.
Sorry to be so negative, but unless this is addressed you won’t be able to give the paper away for free.
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I thought most newspapers had tried this at some point in the last ten years and decided it added nothing?
Oliver has a very good point; it makes things easier to skip past.
Front page looks great though, apart from the uber-naff ‘a friend dropping in’. That stinks of old cheese.
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On behalf of David Moyes…. Sorry Irvine, the name’s David! If the Man U manager walked into the MEN office, would the Editor say: “Hello Moyes”? Probably not – football’s only a game, Rob!
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“A friend dropping in”?
Hmm, perhaps not a true friend. Yeah, sure the MEN is nice and friendly when times are good, but if something not so great happens, or a bereavement is suffered, they’ll be around, intruding on grief, demanding information, highlighting misdeeds, all for its own ends, ultimately.
Would a proper friend do such a thing?
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Sorry is this still a website for journalists? – what a bunch of lame comments. Sideshow Cecil, have you ever heard of the PCC editors’ code and what it says about intrusions on grief? Roger – yeah sure every newspaper calls Moyes “David”. Good grief.
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I like the clarity of the design and use of colour, though I wouldn’t code it, rather use whatever complements the photo on the day. No advertising encroaching onto the page either – good. Poorly executed, it can ruin a good front. A thumbs up from me.
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