The art of newspaper design is often overlooked in our fast-paced digital world. However, a closer examination of the layout, headlines, and content of a newspaper can provide valuable insights for web design. This article delves into the parallels between newspapers and websites, and how the former can inform the latter's design and content strategy.
A newspaper's main headline is designed to be read at a glance, even from a distance. It's crafted to grab attention and draw readers in, often compelling them to purchase a copy to read the related article. This principle is equally important in web design. The headline of your site should be just as captivating and compelling, drawing visitors in and encouraging them to explore further.
In assembling a newspaper's front page, editors select the day's stories that are most likely to interest readers. The headlines for these stories are crafted with meticulous care, with the aim of grabbing the attention of any reader. The most captivating headlines are used in the first fold, the part that shows in the newsstand. Similarly, your website should have at least one subheadline that grabs the attention of most visitors, with a few others in the first screen that loads.
The space allocated to each article on a newspaper's front page varies, and these decisions are made with care due to limited space. Similarly, while a web page has no fixed limit, visitors will not scroll down indefinitely. Thus, formatting matters in web design as well. Include elements most likely to interest your target audience as close to the top of the page as possible, each with an attention-grabbing headline.
Newspapers generate profits from advertising, but you won't see an ad on the front page of any major daily. Instead, all is headlines, followed by the beginnings of the story. The article begins with the most important story elements and ends with a teaser, compelling you to turn to an inner page where the ads are located. This principle can be applied to web design as well, drawing your visitor deeper into the site.
Newspapers are written for people in a hurry, and so is a website. The pattern of turning to an inner page to finish an article begun on the first page compares in some ways to clicking off your home page to another for further information, then clicking back.
If your home page is cluttered with graphics and/or ads, consider the front page of a newspaper. It's all about easy reading and drawing people into inner pages. There are no ads and photos are minimal. This is a great formula for your home page as well.
Just like a newspaper, your biggest guns should be fired on your home page. Your inner pages will have to make do with lesser benefits, unless a neat way can be found to restate the originals. Newspapers do a very good job with their inner pages, and we would do well to follow suit.
Competition in the print media is fierce, and newspapers face the greatest challenge. They struggle with this burden every day, seeking to put out a better paper today than was produced yesterday. The web is no less competitive, with the flood of existing businesses expanding to the Web, competition is increasing at an awesome and increasing rate. However, as webmasters, we do have one distinct advantage over newspapers - we don't have to do it every day.
Every time you see a newspaper headline that grabs at you, let it remind you of your website. Continually review your headlines, content, and format. You might learn a lot from newspapers about grabbing and holding attention.
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