It’s an obvious fact that as paper formats become more and more obsolete, design becomes more and more important if they intend to stay relevant, or even afloat. While paper newspapers have been largely given up on by the kindle-carrying masses and the media that caters to them, great design still brings readers to the physical format. According to the Society of News Design’s 32nd annual Best of Newspaper Design Creative Competition, the best designed newspaper in the whole world is i, short for informação, a small-format, brightly colored Portugese daily that launched in 2009. Well, we’re certainly impressed. The paper looks more like a monthly magazine, so we can only imagine how hard the designers must be working within their crazy turnaround times. Click through to see a few sample pages from i, and to see what the judges said about it. Let us know if you think it deserves the world title in the comments!
The judges say: “The cover featuring the Jose Saramago illustration “is amazing…I just want to eat it. Every page offers up things that you want to devour.””
The judges say: “The palette is rich. Cyan, magenta and yellow create a base for navigation while richer colors provide depth and contrast.”
The judges say: “The covers appealed to our curiosity, using techniques like thoughtful cropping of images to add intrigue. Color and variety drew us to the publication, providing provocation and an intellectual challenge.”
The judges say: “We found color on every page, yet it is used purposefully, with smart pacing. It’s as though the designers are using a highlighter to clue the reader in to what’s important. One judge called this “print search optimization.””
The judges say: “The publication has a steady grid structure, type and color palette that create a strong platform for difference and surprise. The grid and space look effortless. But there is more complexity than it first appears.”
The judges say: “Much of the photo play in i is like a mini reportage. Informational photos are used well, often organized in a series. Most of these images aren’t huge, but they are used proportionally within the design. We were amazed at how compelling we found spreads that didn’t actually include a dominant image. The structure of the page tied it all together.”
The judges say: “The covers appealed to our curiosity, using techniques like thoughtful cropping of images to add intrigue. Color and variety drew us to the publication, providing provocation and an intellectual challenge.”
The judges say: “i is composed like a beautiful piece of music. It has the discipline to play only the high notes that matter most. For example, it uses its full bleed capability sparingly. It creates strong impact, even with small things. The surprise of occasional whimsy makes the content inviting.”
The judges say: “Details in the informational graphics are lovely. They are efficient, distilling ideas down to their purist form. Icons are very simple, easily discernable.”
The judges say: “Typography is classic, not trendy. From very large to very small, the principles of scale and contrast apply throughout their type palette. Sans serif feels serious; the serif is more playful. It’s a wonderful contrast.”
Click on over to the SND’s website for even more.