CLUTTER!
• a collection of things lying about in an
untidy mass
• to fill or cover with scattered or disordered
things that impede movement or reduce
effectiveness
ORGANIZE!
• to form as or into a whole consisting
of interdependent or coordinated parts
• to systematize
• arrange into a structured whole
• order
VISUAL CLUTTER
is generally defined as
an abundance of
irrelevant information
VISUAL CLUTTER
There are two contributors to clutter:
• the formatting of the display
– In this sense, a display may be perceived as
cluttered because the information is poorly
presented (e.g., too many symbols and colors)
• task-relevancy of information displayed
– or because what is displayed is irrelevant for
the particular task at hand.
ORGANIZE!
• to form as or into a whole consisting
of interdependent or coordinated parts
• to systematize
• arrange into a structured whole
• order
MY SAMPLES
• Some of the front page layout I did.
RULES OF THUMB
Basic Layout
• All stories should be shaped like rectangles.
• Avoid boxing stories just to keep headlines from butting.
• Only box stories if they are special or different.
• The optimum depth for legs of text is 2-10 inches.
• Run at least 4 inches of a story before you jump it.
• Jump at least 6 inches of a story.
• Jump stories once and only once.
• Whenever possible jump all stories to the same place.
RULES OF THUMB
Headlines
• Every story needs a headline.
• Headlines should get smaller as you move
down the page.
• 5-10 words are optimum for most
headlines.
• Don’t butt headlines.
RULES OF THUMB
Art
• Every page should have a dominant piece of art.
• A well designed page is generally at least 1/3 art.
• Avoid placing any graphic element in the middle of
a leg of type.
• Avoid placing art at the bottom of a leg of type.
• When in doubt, run one big photo instead of two
smaller photos.
• When using two or more photos, make one
dominant.
• Try to vary the shapes and sizes of all photos.
RULES OF THUMB
Cutlines
• When cutlines run beside photos, they
should be at least 6 picas wide.
• When cutlines run below the photo,
square them off evenly and make sure
they do not extend beyond either edge of
the photo.
RULES OF THUMB
Text
• Use italics, boldface, reverse and special
effects in SMALL doses.
• Type smaller than 8 point is difficult to
read.
• Text that wraps below a photo should be at
least 1 inch deep.
HEADLINES
• Is it in good taste? Anything offensive in any way? Can
anything be taken a wrong way?
• Does it attract the reader’s attention? How can it be improved
without sacrificing accuracy?
• Does it communicate clearly, quickly? Any confusion? Any odd
words, double meanings?
• Is it accurate, true? Proper words used? Is the thrust of
subject-verb true?
• A single “NO” above is a veto. One “No” vote represents
thousands of readers. Start over: rethink the headline from the
beginning.
HEADLINES
Some do’s & don’ts
(Borrowed, adapted and condensed from a number of sources.)
Make the headline easy to read. The key purpose of the head: to
communicate.
• Don’t mislead reader.
• Don’t exaggerate; maintain neutrality.
• Remember the rules of grammar and use them.
• Don’t split nouns, modifiers, verbs and prepositional phrases over
two lines.
• Each line should be a unit by itself.
• Abbreviate sparingly.
HEADLINES
• Verify accuracy -- and avoid any word that can carry a double meaning.
• Make the head complete in itself (especially true for news heads).
• Don’t begin with a verb (“Saves daughter from fire”).
• Use present tense to indicate past (“Bush wins presidency”).
• Don’t use present tense to indicate future unless necessary; add time
element for clarity.
• Don’t use common or unrecognized names in heads.
• Don’t use said, when you mean said to be (“County said considering tax
increase”).
• Don’t use feel, believes or thinks.
• Don’t pad heads with unnecessary words.
• Avoid slang unless relevant to feature story and headline.
FRONT PAGE
• Should contain all the most important news
• Should be arranged by order of importance
• Should have at least one dominant photo
and one smaller in size
• Should be attractive
• Should carry the School’s colors and
symbols
INSIDE NEWS
• Should have more photos
• Should have more local stories
• Should have briefs
• Can focus on school’s calendar of activities
• Should be put together in black and white
EDITORIAL
• Should contain the masthead
• Should have a clean editorial cartoon
• Should have an Editorial
• Should have at least two or three columns
or commentaries
• Layout should be simple and readable
FEATURES
• Should not contain poetry and songs
• Should have at least two news features
• Should not have black background
• Should be put together in black and white
• Should not be complicated
• Should not contain unnecessary graphics
• Should have readable fonts
SCIENCE
• Local discoveries and activities
• School experiments and research
• Not too much on gadgets
• Regional stories
• Agriculture can be part of this page
• Use Infographics
SPORTS
• Should have action photos
• Should have more local stories
• Should focus on school sports development
• National and International stories should be
featurized and has a different angle
• Should have an editorial and editorial
cartoon
