13.3 Designing for Different Story Types and Genres

Editorial design adapts to different story types and genres, shaping how readers engage with content. From news articles to feature stories, each format demands unique visual approaches that enhance comprehension and emotional impact.

Designers must master various techniques, from creating clear hierarchies for news to crafting immersive layouts for long-form narratives. This versatility ensures that design effectively supports storytelling across diverse editorial contexts.

Design Requirements for Story Types

News and Feature Articles

Top images from around the web for News and Feature Articles

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  Announcing The Animation Anomaly Weekly News Digest The Animation Anomaly View original

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  Headline - Wikipedia View original

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  1987 Vogue layout spread for my graphic art class | please n… | Flickr View original

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  Announcing The Animation Anomaly Weekly News Digest The Animation Anomaly View original

  Is this image relevant?

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  Headline - Wikipedia View original

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Top images from around the web for News and Feature Articles

• 

  Announcing The Animation Anomaly Weekly News Digest The Animation Anomaly View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Headline - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  1987 Vogue layout spread for my graphic art class | please n… | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Announcing The Animation Anomaly Weekly News Digest The Animation Anomaly View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Headline - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

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• News stories demand clear hierarchies and easy-to-scan layouts
  • Prominent placement of key information facilitates quick comprehension
  • Use of bold headlines and subheadings guides readers through the content
  • Incorporation of bullet points or sidebars for summarizing key facts
• Feature articles utilize more creative layouts
  • Emphasis on engaging opening spreads captures reader attention
  • Integration of pull quotes highlights important statements or themes
  • Varied visual elements maintain reader interest throughout the article
    • Large, impactful images
    • Infographics to explain complex concepts
    • Sidebars for additional context or related information

Opinion and Investigative Journalism

• Opinion pieces and editorials employ distinctive visual cues
  • Unique typographic treatments differentiate from objective reporting
    • Use of italics or different font families for opinion content
    • Colored text boxes or borders to visually separate opinion sections
  • Author bylines and photos given more prominence
• Investigative journalism incorporates data visualization
  • Infographics clarify complex information and relationships
    • Network diagrams to show connections between entities
    • Timelines to illustrate sequences of events
  • Charts and graphs present statistical data in an accessible format
  • Maps to illustrate geographical aspects of the investigation

Specialized Content Design

• Lifestyle and entertainment content prioritizes visual appeal
  • Larger images create an inviting reading experience
    • Full-page or double-page spread photos for impact
    • Galleries or photo essays to showcase multiple images
  • More white space allows content to "breathe" on the page
  • Playful typography adds personality to the design
    • Decorative fonts for headlines or section titles
    • Creative text wrapping around images or illustrations
• Scientific and technical articles focus on data presentation
  • Charts and diagrams support textual information
    • Line graphs to show trends over time
    • Pie charts to illustrate proportions or percentages
  • Specialized illustrations explain complex processes or structures
    • Cutaway diagrams of mechanical or biological systems
    • Step-by-step visual explanations of procedures or experiments

Editorial Design Strategies for Narrative Styles

Linear and Non-Linear Storytelling

• Long-form narratives benefit from a rhythm of text and visual elements
  • Strategic placement of images breaks up text-heavy sections
  • Pull quotes highlight key moments or themes in the story
  • Varying column widths creates visual interest and pacing
• Non-linear narratives require flexible design approaches
  • Modular layout systems allow for rearrangement of content blocks
  • Visual cues (icons, color coding) guide readers through different narrative paths
  • Sidebars or callout boxes provide additional context or parallel storylines

Episodic and Interactive Content

• Episodic or serialized content utilizes consistent design elements
  • Recurring visual identifiers for each segment maintain continuity
    • Unique color schemes or graphic elements for different episodes
    • Consistent placement of episode numbers or titles
  • Flexible templates accommodate varying content lengths across installments
• Interactive narratives in digital platforms require intuitive navigation
  • Clear visual cues for user interaction points
    • Highlighted text or buttons for clickable elements
    • Progress indicators for multi-part stories
  • Seamless transitions between different sections or layers of content
    • Smooth scrolling or sliding animations between story segments
    • Collapsible menus for accessing additional information

Immersive and Experimental Narratives

• Immersive storytelling techniques demand seamless design integration
  • Parallax scrolling creates depth and engagement in digital stories
    • Layered background and foreground elements move at different speeds
    • Text overlays on full-screen images for dramatic effect
  • 360-degree imagery provides interactive exploration of environments
    • Clear navigation controls for panning and zooming
    • Hotspots or icons indicate points of interest within the image
• Experimental narrative styles push layout and typography boundaries
  • Unconventional grid systems reflect the story's non-traditional nature
    • Asymmetrical layouts create visual tension and interest
    • Overlapping text and image elements for a collage-like effect
  • Typography as a visual element in itself
    • Text arranged in shapes or patterns related to the story's theme
    • Dynamic or animated type in digital formats

Versatile Editorial Design Skill Set

Software Proficiency and Technical Skills

• Industry-standard design software mastery essential
  • Adobe InDesign for professional editorial layouts
    • Master pages and style sheets for consistency across multi-page documents
    • Text wrap and anchored object features for integrating text and images
  • Adobe Photoshop for image editing and manipulation
    • Adjustment layers for non-destructive editing of photos
    • Masking techniques for complex image compositions
  • Adobe Illustrator for creating vector graphics and illustrations
    • Pen tool for precise path creation and editing
    • Symbol libraries for efficient use of recurring design elements
• Responsive design principles crucial for cross-platform adaptation
  • Fluid grids and flexible images accommodate various screen sizes
  • Breakpoints and media queries optimize layouts for different devices
  • Mobile-first approach ensures content prioritization on smaller screens

Typography and Layout Fundamentals

• Typography knowledge fundamental to effective editorial design
  • Font pairing creates visual hierarchy and enhances readability
    • Combining serif and sans-serif fonts for contrast (Garamond with Helvetica)
    • Using different weights within a font family for subtle differentiation
  • Understanding of typographic principles ensures optimal legibility
    • Appropriate line length (50-75 characters per line for body text)
    • Adequate leading (line spacing) for comfortable reading (120-150% of font size)
• Mastery of grid systems allows for flexible and cohesive layouts
  • Modular grids provide structure for complex content arrangements
  • Baseline grids ensure vertical rhythm and alignment across spreads
  • Breaking the grid strategically creates visual interest and emphasis

Visualization and Production Knowledge

• Data visualization techniques communicate complex information effectively
  • Selection of appropriate chart types for different data sets
    • Bar charts for comparing quantities across categories
    • Scatter plots for showing relationships between variables
  • Color coding and labeling enhance clarity of visualizations
• Understanding of print and digital production requirements
  • Print considerations include bleed, trim, and safe areas
    • Standard bleed of 0.125 inches (3mm) for print publications
    • Accounting for paper stock and printing method in color choices
  • Digital publishing requirements encompass file formats and resolutions
    • Optimizing image resolution for web (72 ppi) vs. print (300 ppi)
    • Utilizing web-safe fonts or proper font embedding for digital platforms

Layout Design for Story Tone and Message

Visual Direction and Color Theory

• Analysis of story tone guides overall visual direction
  • Serious news stories utilize more restrained design elements
    • Minimal color palettes with emphasis on typography and whitespace
    • Structured layouts with clear information hierarchy
  • Feature articles allow for more expressive visual treatments
    • Creative use of typography and illustrative elements
    • Varied layouts that reflect the story's mood or subject matter
• Color palettes reinforce emotional tone and thematic elements
  • Cool colors (blues, greens) for calming or professional tones
  • Warm colors (reds, oranges) for energetic or urgent messages
  • Complementary color schemes create visual tension for controversial topics

Typography and Space Utilization

• Typography choices convey mood and importance of story elements
  • Serif fonts often used for body text in long-form articles (Times New Roman)
  • Sans-serif fonts for headlines and digital content (Arial, Helvetica)
  • Display fonts for feature story titles or special sections (Bebas Neue)
• Integration of white space enhances readability and emphasis
  • Generous margins and line spacing improve overall legibility
  • Strategic use of empty space draws attention to key elements
    • Isolating pull quotes or important facts with surrounding white space
    • Using white space to create visual "pauses" between story sections

Visual Elements and Design Consistency

• Strategic use of images and illustrations enhances narrative
  • Large, impactful photos for emotional resonance in human interest stories
  • Informational graphics to clarify complex processes or data in business articles
  • Illustrations to add conceptual depth to opinion pieces or abstract topics
• Consistency in design elements maintains cohesive visual identity
  • Recurring graphic motifs throughout a story or publication
    • Consistent icon style for navigation or section markers
    • Repeated color scheme or pattern elements as visual threads
  • Variations in layout while adhering to overall design system
    • Alternating between text-heavy and visually-driven spreads
    • Adapting grid structure to accommodate different content types while maintaining recognizable style