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Newsletter make over clinic, page 3 Solutions The best way to proceed in any makeover or renovation is to start with the overall and work your way into the detail. That's what we'll do. Let me say at this point that there are many, many solutions here. However, I'm going to select the solutions that best suit the readership and the editor's original intent in this publication. Let's first look at the overall page as a simple collection of shapes in varying visual weight. Let's ask where things should go for the most visually pleasing organization, while helping our reader quickly flow into the content stream. Alignment is always important. It helps the reader's eye flow into the content stream. Without disturbing the existing elements too much, it is instantly suggested that the Apple thing in the Banner is forming a powerful axis to the page, making a natural and comfortable line of organization. Notice too that it's just about the size of those two boxes that are in our way. So, perhaps Makeover #1 might be a solution. Now the boxes form a left hand anchor, with masthead info, a few short teaser items, and then the table of contents. It's now rather obvious to the reader where to start, and what is important. The oak leaf is no longer pointing off the page, but is holding the second position in the eye flow path. My first impulse was to separate the banner from the content well. As you see I made the apple smaller, and fit more tightly with the type. We could also raise it, and let it sit on the baseline of the title. That involves moving the title down. Doing this allows some white space (isolation) to be introduced into the top of the page, and provides an excellent place for such anchor matter as the slogan, the issue, date, volume, etc. Now they're where they can fill their responsibility, yet not intrude on actual editorial material. Once the banner is rightfully leading the parade, we begin to look closer into the layout. We ask how important the articles are, and who really cares. The two top articles are now competing for the reader's eye. Which one will win? Obviously "President missing" stimulates more curosity than "No tricks..." since the trick or treat thing is much overused. And down below, the "Good News..." article is probably the one the readers will go for, since it speaks directly to the members of the club with some promise of benefit. Yet the two graphics are so much alike in size and weight, the compass will win. And, since that's a short story, it's over quickly and we naturally flow into the "Good News..." and, off to the next page. Can we improve on this? Let's try another round of tweaking Continue . . .

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