Train yourself

I recommend downloading these free handouts on design from SND. There's 17 worksheets available for what they are calling a limited time. So get them while the getting is good here.

And now for some white space

Here's my page of the week:

Oh great, now anyone can create a Comic Sans

New York Times tech writer Peter Wayner published this article "Down with Helvetica, design your own font" this week.

"Before the personal computer, most people were oblivious to fonts. Some may have recognized Courier and Elite on the I.B.M. Selectric typewriter ball. Then word processing programs offered a hundred or more fonts, from Arial to Wingdings. More were offered in software packages and on the Internet. Now, many people can recognize fonts by name. Indeed, a documentary about typography and one of the most familiar typefaces, “Helvetica,” played to sellout crowds at film festivals."

He also writes about this cool Web site, fontstruct where anyone can try their hand at font-ography.

Black is the new black in Orlando's redesign

Everyone in the design world is buzzing about Orlando Sentinel's redesign.

• Watch this flash presentation on their site showing what has changed and why.
• Charles Apple shares his thoughts.
• The Wall Street Journal discusses the business side of the Tribune Co.'s plan to rollout redesigns of all it's newspapers.
• Redesign consultant Alan Jacobson from Brass Tacks is not pleased.
• Redesign consultant Mario Garcia says black is the new black on the nameplate.
  
• And of course Orland's alt. weekly, aptly named Orlando Weekly, took a punch at the redesign comparing it to USA Today.

And for those of you who just want to look at the pictures. Here's some of the section fronts from Sunday's launch.

Looking good, Rocky Mountain News

McClatchy slashes 1,400 jobs in cost-cutting drive

By SETH SUTEL

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Newspaper publisher McClatchy Co. is slashing 1,400 jobs, or 10 percent of its work force, as part of an accelerating drive to cut costs as advertising revenues dwindle, the company announced Monday. see the full story

paper is money

Rick Edmonds has a bleak report on the increasing cost of newsprint on Poynter's The Biz blog.

Higher Newsprint Prices Are Up Next

"NEW YORK -- The big picture for newspaper economics has been grim for some time, but this week's bi-annual meeting with investors and analysts highlighted a nasty mini-trend in the offing. After several years of stability, newsprint prices are headed up sharply, probably by about 10 perfect."

Dallas Morning News launches free Briefing

It's free, condensed version of the news aimed at non-subscribers called Briefing. Here's the story.

readers really just want the weather

Scott Carp of Publishing 2.0 wrote What Newspapers Still Don't Understand about the Web.

It's an interesting read, arguing that newspapers Web sites fail to serve readers with easily navigable local news. The biggest drawback is that he uses Washington Post to make his point. The Washington Post isn't really a local newspaper, but a national news source. Either way, his argument is a discussion starter.

these economic times

Here's my page of the week. I'm not a huge fan of boxy screens and the L design of papers like the Kansas City Star, but that's my own personal design taste. Despite all that, the economy was a huge story for today with oil prices, the jobless rate and the Dow drop. Of all the papers that had a front page economy presence, the KC Star was easy to scan and easy to digest why Friday marked a troubling day for the economy.

My only criticism: A rollercoaster wrapped with downward-economy news? Bad juxtaposition.

Buried in work

OK, that was probably in poor taste, since I'm talking about a man's last wishes, but I couldn't help it.

Dr. Fredric J. Baur the Proctor & Gamble designer expressed that upon death he would like to be cremated and buried in his favorite packaging design: The Pringles can. The Associated Press reports:

"Baur's children said they honored his request to bury him in one of the cans by placing part of his cremated remains in a Pringles container in his grave in suburban Springfield Township. The rest of his remains were placed in an urn buried along with the can, with some placed in another urn and given to a grandson, said Baur's daughter, Linda Baur of Diamondhead, Miss."

I think this is fabulous. Rest in peace Dr. Baur.

'Ask a designer'

Designer Andy Rutledge wrote a stiff critique of Poynter's 2007 Eyetrack Survey findings.

He says the results are flawed because of a flawed survey process.

"Context matters. Content matters. Design matters. Poynter ... can’t be bothered by these trivial facts."

He smacks down Poynter's own look.

"In fact, if you have any doubts about whether or not Poynter understands design, you need look no further than their own website. The chaotic and psychedelic experience you’re presented with there is clear indication of their grasp of design.

And finally:

"In short, if you want to know how a reader will consume a page of content in a specific context, don’t ask a journalism study coordinator; ask a competent designer."

Read Rutledge's "Poynter's Eye-tracking Follies" and decide for yourself.