A young paper for a young generation of young readers.
The new national quality “daily-news-magazine” of Portugal, i, has been awarded as the “best designed newspaper of Spain and Portugal” (20.000-60.000 category) by a jury of the regional Chapter of the Society of News Design (SND-E).
As Peter Preston wrote last Sunay in The Observer, i is an unique newspaper, so this award and many more than I am sure will receive in the years to come, deserves some attention as one the most innovative newspapers of the world.
INNOVATION’s chief design consultant Javier Errea developed a terrific prototype that Nick Mrozowsk, art director of i, and his visual journalists have implemented and improved day by day.
This has been possible thanks to two fearless editors, Martim Avillez Figueiredo and Andre Macedo, that never say no to the most radical proposals that INNOVATION presented before and after the launch of the new paper.
A few days ago, in Cuatro Tipos, the best Spanish blog about news design, Herminio Javier Fernandez writes:
“I never saw in a newsstand something like this, and I never expected to see that”
Yes, it’s a “dream’s paper”
So, let me tell you some clues and background about this project.
On August 5, 2008, I got the first e-mail about i.
Since then, in my computer are more than 297 e-mails about this paper.
Re-reading now some of these messages I can remember some interesting facts, like that Sojormedia, the media branch of the Lena Group, owner of the paper, wanted to launch i in November 2008!
The paper was finally launched in May 2009.
A world record!
In less than nine months INNOVATION produced the editorial, newsroom management and design on and off line models, found an U.S. art director, and three INNOVATION partners, the multimedia newsroom architects Calau&Riera from Barcelona, Protecmedia from Madrid and Dosalcubo from Buenos Aires, designed and implemented an “state-of-the-art” multimedia newsroom and the multimedia editorial and online content management systems.
As director of the INNOVATION team with Carlo Campos as project manager and Javier Errea as chief design consultant, plus Eduardo Tessler, Chiqui Esteban, Jorge Heili, Miguel Angel Jimeno and Laura Cruz. we spent more than 300 working days in and outside of Lisbon in one of the most demanding project ever done by our company, but we always had the full support of the fantastic team of directors and editors of Sojormedia and i.
They are the ones that deserve our gratitude and respect.
They have done in a big way what we have wanted in previous projects: the first compact and compelling quality “daily-news-magazine” of the world.
The “i manifesto” that I sent to the directors and editors of i in January 19, 2009, five months before its launch, explained i detail our dream:
The new “i” will be news caviar.
News paté.
Not news pottage.
News, stories, analysis, opinions and services will be presented in a first-class graphic model, but the secret of the new formula will not be the quality of the design but the relevance of the content.
This has been a content-driven redesign.
“i” wants be an extremely efficient newspaper.
Offering quality and compelling information in an attractive, compact, and easy to read newspaper format.
Not zooming old formulas into fewer pages.
But enhancing the best content ever edited.
Saving time.
Saving paper.
Saving Money.
As an editor’s newspaper, “i” will need very strong editing of the news.
Editing must be one of the most important newsroom skills.
Editing means, first, to be selective.
Editing means, second, to write and rewrite to make the content better.
The new graphic model will be a perfect tool for this editing, editing, editing mantra.
How?
With a “show, don’t tell” news strategy.
Smart infographics will deliver greater amounts of information.
Like good and dramatic pictures.
Or provocative and meaningful illustrations.
Our Portuguese readers will get more information than ever in print and online .
And our superb content will capture more eyeballs than ever.
The website will offer expanded versions of our print content.
Everybody and everything will be edited.
So, columnists will be edited.
Letters to the editor will be edited.
Front page stories will be edited.
Reviews will be edited.
Features will be edited.
Listings and agendas will be edited.
The print edition will be our premium edition.
Only the best of the best will have space in print.
At the end of the day, our strength is not how many pages we print or how much information we deliver, but how much time our readers spend reading, not just looking or browsing.
If we can increase the time devoted by readers to our tightly edited print newspaper, the new model will be a great success.
The new formula of “i” combines short and long pieces, but both will be strongly edited.
This is essential journalism.
This is intense journalism.
This is reflective journalism.
So, we as journalists will need to work more so that our readers work less.
This will be our best service to them.
And to our advertisers, who will love a print product that makes readers read and enjoy news and ads.
Devoting more and more time.
The dream of any journalist.
And the best business for any newspaper.
The circulation of i is growing, and in less than six months is selling almost what was projected in the business plan for one year after the launch.
In the last two months (summer months when the circulation of newspapers in Europe goes down) i has been selling 16% more copies.
Quality Visual Journalism sells!
INNOVATION design and redesign work in the last few year was also rewarded with EXPRESSO, REVISTA UNICA and EL ECONOMISTA winning in other categories of the ÑH6 competition.
(Pictures by i)
Tags:
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Carlo Campos,
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Eduardo Tessler,
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Grupo Lena,
Herminio Javier Fernández,
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Jorge Heili,
Juan Antonio Giner,
Martim Avillez Figueiredo,
Miguel Angel Jimeno and Laura Cruz,
Nick Mrozowsk,
Peter Preston,
Portugal,
Protecmedia,
Quality Journalism sells,
SND-E,
The Observer,
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