After a long time I had fever. As the fever was accompanied by cold, body and eye pain, I celebrated it completely, though it came along with Vishu. I was able to get out of bed on the day of Vishu by noon and came to read the newspaper. I am not used to reading newspapers these days. Some of the feeds that I subscribed over the Internet are my resources for news. Some crazy things went over my eyes - the layout of news paper has been changed - It's NEW New Indian Express. The title logo made me feel bad - its not looking good, it is good, but never for a newspaper. Moving through the paper I found something interesting, something not, some differences and some wonderful experiments.
By evening I saw the ad on Television about New Indian Express 100% steel, 0% gas. Bored of Ads over television I switched off the television, took the Sunday's papers as I haven't read. The layout looks cool. The blogs are supported - but they use blogger logo for blog, its unfair. Let me mail to them, Better do a layout review?
It may be because of my exams, I was not using my brain these days for any purpose and hence I was thrilled and excited to do the work. In search of content and newspapers, I started to search the old paper stock at home - well I got my first point Date is not seen clearly, in fact it is more or less missing. Moving further I got another page with a half page advt of Indian Express with wordings - don't give me bullshit..., brand new from April 11th and a wonderful quote - AS WE READ YOU. It rocks! This is to be blogged, I confirmed. By the time a bad two letter word came to my vision - IE (Internet Explorer?). Short for Indian Express? Don't use that Indian Express, you are never so bad as Internet Explorer to be called as IE!
After hours of 'long' research over the paper comparing the old layout and all, I got a MIXED reaction, its good but can be better.
Analyzing the layout from the first page the major change for the eye is in decrease of font size and change in column size. The new size is not apt for the reading while travelling. The improved column sizes helps over readability but a bit more sized fonts without breaking the layout, can be more invited. The major drawback on page 1 is the visibility of date. The date is kept as some secret code over the newspaper title and in Saturday's paper its in a side, which is always unnoticed. The best place for date is never above the title, its in the top corners, in a bigger size, as it helps over finding a paper from the stack. The new format of paper title, with capital 'I' and small 'e' and the blue black Indian express is not acceptable for a newspaper. The title is never ugly, but it neither suits with the media nor with the legacy. The highlight column used over the left side of paper is wonderful, and the colors used are cool. The way of formatting the content looks clear and simple.
Usage of an even width sans font is one among the major highlight. Two new title fonts where introduced over the paper and they are quite impressive. But the fonts are never matching to each other. The sans font when used as heading font looks wonderful and beautiful but the thickness of the font in some cases attains much attention and the white-black balance is lost over. Also usage of a Serif title font and sans for its sub heading is quite unattractive. The tag the news is a quite impressive attempt over the layout change.
While moving inside the paper, page 2 : the listing is wonderfully designed, arranging all in ordered format and picking up the picks. The layout is done in a amazing way, with alternate dark-light strips. The small size of crossword box make a question in mind, on whether it could contain a letter, completely. Introduction of a new font is seen over the page 2 for the starscope session. The font used for starscope is amazingly designed and is readable with ease in a normal condition, but not when it is in bold letters. The problem of readability becomes more complex for the same font when it reaches to almanac today.
On the other pages the layout is not having much change, a new strip is added in the paper like a title bar. The design of the title really needs an appreciation. And the new good looking sans font is used all over the headings, which is quite relaxing for the eyes. For some news, the proportion of heading to sub heading is not in a good ratio, as a major share of area is covered by them, and not by the news content. 
Introduction to blog posts, and the link for further reading shows the express acceptance of blog as a medium and is a change that I welcome with whole happiness. But usage of the Blogger logo for representing blog is some thing not to be entertained, as Google Blogger is not the only blog service.
The new simple humble pattern of edit page is inviting. The usage of quotes for quotation, one column edit bar and the very simple elegant representation of Indian Express with new and old logo is awesome. The title for the letters to editor is not acquiring importance as it actually needs. Also the way of showing 'the most sensitive mail of the day' is not seeking attention. The old way, best mail in a box is the one I suggests. The space between the title and subtitle in the Edit page can be reduced.
Sports page is similar to other pages. Good. Introduction of sport channel listing over the sports page is quite interesting idea. For photos published, some which are having a title in top center, the letter spacing dims the clarity of readability. 
On the supplements, the designs of each days looks different, elegant and wonderful. The Saturday supplement maga-zine named zeitgeist looks calm and simple with simple shaded designs and sketches of writers. The Sunday supplements came with more cheerful look in orange and green shades, and with striking names - i.witness and maxsport. The design is cool, attracting, cheerful and apt for a Sunday read. The cuts, shades, fonts, size, design, lines and layout is done in an amazing simplicity, perfectly suitable for a relaxed reading. The only issue that I found in the i.witness and maxsport are representation of first word's first letter in a huge size. This makes a problem over the clarity and quality, and make chances for misunderstanding and misreading, never can become ever in some cases.
Change is a requirement. The change is a success only when the users/readers accepts them. It is a process involving huge amount of risk and responsibility and needs courage, spirit over the job, trust over the users and confidence to do so. The change has to be made without the loss of culture and tradition, only those human accepts.
No media can be a alternative for another. But media should grow up along with the technology and other media. The printed paper may not the core media for the next generation, but the printing paper won't get killed unless it commits a suicide with silly yellow journalism. Future printed papers may be as a starting point for the news hunt, the one which points the human to the direction news. A change is hence a requirement for printed papers, as something what The New Indian Express did.
Suggestions :
- A bit more size for letters, without breaking the new layout.
- Change the Ie and Indian express logos.
- Date to be in more noticeable format.
- Fonts : Sans and Serif needs some relation.
- Sans font : More thickness for normal case, and less the thickness while its bold.
- Stop making subtitle in Sans for heading in Serif.
- Almanac font : Bold is a bug, and needs a solution.
- Heading to subheading ratio in inner pages needs to be corrected.
- Bigger crossword cells.
- Remove Bloggers logo.
- More size for 'letters to editor' heading.
- Make best letter inside a box, classic style.
- No huge sized first letter (in i.witness and maxsport).
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Reference : The New Indian Express 12th and 14th of April 2008, Kochi Edition. Sunday Express, 13th of April 2008, Kochi Edition. Photographs of newspaper used for reference requirement only.
