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This centerpiece story on a local company consolidating its 1,500 employees from five satellite offices into a new headquarters gets big play on The Repository front page. The big question is where the new development will go, but the company isn't divulging information.
The Rep illustrates the story by with a two-county map showing the locations of five offices at four locations. Each site includes a pointer box that lists the name of the office, address, the number of employees and a short description of what goes on at that location.
There's a ton of information in this package. With so many pieces of information, it can be difficult to avoid a cluttered appearance. To simplify, I would offer these suggestions:
• Create a grid for the package and align text vertically. The story uses one column width, the black boxes on the map use three different widths, the text boxes at the bottom use two more column widths. More uniformity with column widths will de-clutter the page.
• Reduce the number of sizes/styles in display type. This can be tricky because hierarchy is a good thing, but notice how the headline over the map fights with the bulleted subheads for attention — and wins. Display type should help guide readers into and through a package. The drop cap does this by guiding readers to the start of the story. But the size and leading of the first graph isn't necessary.
• Edit maps like you would a story. Maps are great tools for telling stories. But be sure to keep them simple. This map includes many unlabeled lines that only add visual clutter. If roads are not important enough to label, judiciously delete them. Doing so will create more usable real estate for display type.
Still, this page is fantastic. Readers get a great deal of information with this local story. The company's decision on where to build its headquarters will impact a large number of people in the community. The presentation of this story helps readers get a birds-eye view of it. Super-nice page.
Joe Greco is corporate design director for GateHouse Media.
Contact him at jgreco@gatehousemedia.com.
Check out his blog at http://joegreco.ghnewsroom.com.
This centerpiece story on a local company consolidating its 1,500 employees from five satellite offices into a new headquarters gets big play on The Repository front page. The big question is where the new development will go, but the company isn't divulging information.
The Rep illustrates the story by with a two-county map showing the locations of five offices at four locations. Each site includes a pointer box that lists the name of the office, address, the number of employees and a short description of what goes on at that location.
There's a ton of information in this package. With so many pieces of information, it can be difficult to avoid a cluttered appearance. To simplify, I would offer these suggestions:
• Create a grid for the package and align text vertically. The story uses one column width, the black boxes on the map use three different widths, the text boxes at the bottom use two more column widths. More uniformity with column widths will de-clutter the page.
• Reduce the number of sizes/styles in display type. This can be tricky because hierarchy is a good thing, but notice how the headline over the map fights with the bulleted subheads for attention — and wins. Display type should help guide readers into and through a package. The drop cap does this by guiding readers to the start of the story. But the size and leading of the first graph isn't necessary.
• Edit maps like you would a story. Maps are great tools for telling stories. But be sure to keep them simple. This map includes many unlabeled lines that only add visual clutter. If roads are not important enough to label, judiciously delete them. Doing so will create more usable real estate for display type.
Still, this page is fantastic. Readers get a great deal of information with this local story. The company's decision on where to build its headquarters will impact a large number of people in the community. The presentation of this story helps readers get a birds-eye view of it. Super-nice page.
Joe Greco is corporate design director for GateHouse Media.
Contact him at jgreco@gatehousemedia.com.
Check out his blog at http://joegreco.ghnewsroom.com.
