Robb Montgomery, creative director at the
Chicago Sun-Times tabloid the
Red Streak, wrote me suggesting it as a topic for discussion for the Design Desk.
Red Streak is targeted at that coveted market of young readers ages 18-25, and competes head-to-head with the
Chicago Tribune's tab called
Red Eye. Read
Robb's comments about the design process here.
Personally, I think that the
Sun-Times got the better name, and I imagine the Tribune would agree, since they were recently sent a
cease-and-desist letter for trademark infringement from
Red Eye Press, an alternative book publisher/seller for marijuana enthusiatists. Hello, didn't someone think about the connotations of Red Eye in the beginning? But, I digress.
There have been many articles floating around about the two tabs. Mostly media types going off about the depth of the content, or lack of, in these publications.
But, I haven't found much written about design, which is surprising considering the visual competition out there, and that the target audience is continually bombarded with all kinds of eye candy.
That being said, does the design of
Red Streak make the visual statement that will attract 18-25 year olds?
I think they are on the right track. They have chosen a nice core set of typefaces that are youthful and have great possibilites for expressive type treatments. The cover promos are punchy and interesting.
The one thing I have a hard time with is the abundance of boxes and heavy rules on some inside pages, and the lack of contrast it creates. It's a hard thing to pull off, but I hope that this design will be a work in progress.
Once your newspaper, website, or magazine has been launched and you have received feedback from your readers, take the time to listen to what your readers are saying and to make improvements to the structure and architecture. No matter how long you've worked to make it great, changes will need to be made.
So, what do you think about the design of Red Streak? Tell us about your related experiences. Take a look at the pages and add your constructive feedback to the forum.
I hope to bring you a column about the Tribune's
Red Eye in the coming weeks.
Thanks for your suggestion Robb!
Download the PDFs:
Cover 1
Cover 2
Cover 3
Inside 1
Inside 2
Inside 3
Inside 4
