MPM

The Toledo Journal Newspaper Re-Design

Around October of 2007 I was miraculously re-invented.  I experienced many changes in my life that not only impacted me personally but also professionally.

At this time I gave up my 2 part time jobs  in restaurant/fast food service and excepted a salaried position as lead graphic designer and web master at The Toledo Journal Newspaper.

The Toledo Journal is Northwest Ohio’s Oldest African-American owned and operated news publication. They recently celebrated their 34th  Anniversary.

As a graphic designer, this was a personal dream job of mine.  I had always wanted to have a hand in creating a totally fresh look for the Toledo’s oldest African- American publication.

Taking a quick look at the BEFORE and AFTER images above you’ll realize the visual impact my work had on the paper.  To be clear, this is not an attempt to disparage my predecessor.  It has always been my opinion (and other professional designers) that African American News Publications across the country by and large are bereft of quality designers.

The reasons for this are varied.  Many African American designers (like myself) are not academically trained but self taught.  Furthermore, graphic design in general and the definitive field of Newspaper design happen to be worlds apart.

Also, many quality designers find themselves tied to archaic editorial standards and traditions that hinder their creativity.

All that said, I took on the challenge of re-inventing the Toledo Journal with a healthy dose of both excitement and trepidation.

The good thing was that my bosses actually were excited to have someone come in and give the paper a complete overhaul.

By January of 2008 I had implemented several new elements to the paper.

• Logo and Masthead
• Subtitles/Page headings
• Front Page re-design

Ironically, I feel that I have made my biggest impact not by introducing bold, new, modern concepts but by actually implementing tried and true newspaper design standards that they don’t teach you any college course.

I’d love to hear how (if at all) this new re-design has impacted you as a Toledoan.  If you pick up the paper frequently, leave a comment below and tell me what you think.  Your feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Hotcards.com in the News.

When ever I wonder about the future of the print industry, I here a success story like this.  Kudos to Hotcards.com’s Columbus Woodruff (he’s the gentleman int he blue sweater) and his loyal staff (the scribbled in guy behind him). Check out the article and video here.

His secret:  affordable printing, great customer service, and loyal employees.  Gotta love that.

Top 7 Most Cliche Stock Photos

Came across this post about Cliche Stock Photos (like the lovely call center woman) and I just had to share this with my readers and potential clients.  Please, what ever you do, stay away from these stock photos!  And don’t be too embarassed if you see any you may have used lately.

E Magazines

Recently read a linked-in Q & A on E-Magazines. Ironically it came on the heals of reading this blog post discussing the death of many printing companies.  (See #10).

Although I’m not a big fan of E-Magazines, its hard to deny the appeal of  E-Magazine sites such as ISSUU which gives you the ability to upload your own magazines and distribute theme to online readers.

Diabolical!