There’s not many newspaper sights that post pdf editions so the review is not fully comprehensive. One interesting example that does is Al-Balad newspaper published since 2003 in Lebanon. The design has been changed since it was first published. The new look is quite interesting but those kids on the top left corner look scary!

Fonts: I especially like the headline typeface that is used. It’s very bold and has a strong impact, but at the same time has a grace and fluidity (look at the initial Heh). Very nice. Some characters are heavier than others but all in all, it’s quite ok.

Layout: The design is uncluttered and the information is clearly presented. Same problem with the ads on the first page. There’s too much of it. Surely this affects the editorial content.

Masthead: Quite good but I am not affected by the logo (the square with Beh in it). It lacks character and says nothing. This quite a pity as the rest of the paper is very nicely done and feels quite modern and young.

Overall impression: It invites you to read and presents itself in a very modern looking package. The choice of colors gives it a very active feel and such layouts might appeal to a young audience.

Interesting to note: The website with pdf pages is quite a cool idea and is much nicer than the usual. This is mainly because of the freedom in print design when compared to online one, and the fact that you can imbed the fonts which look so much better than the system ones.

You can see more here:

http://www.albaladonline.com/new/viewer/index.php

Posted by nadine on Sunday, January 28th, 2007 at 4:24 pm.