mario garcia

80

Systematic chaosEditors are always a bit shocked when I say that I would like to put

some systematic chaos on page one. Chaos has a negative connotation.

But, like a pinch of pepper in soup, chaos, in small doses and carefully

controlled, adds energy and zest to a publication. The front page is a

mirror of what happened the past twenty-four hours. Chances are it

was not an orderly fare of events. A front page that is dormant does

not reflect this well. So how does one provide systematic chaos?

Avoid perfectly rectangular architecture. Modular design can be

helpful on inside pages, but don’t over apply it to the front.

Wrap one major story around another one, allowing for two

stories to be above the fold. Sometimes, in our efforts not to make

headlines clash, we sacrifice energy and movement.

Have one photograph dominate, and sprinkle the page with a few

smaller photos (not too many.)

Add a dash of light color where the reader least expects it or add a

story that the reader is not likely to expect on the page, and give it

an italic headline.

Mix serifs and sans serifs, preferably from within the same family of

type.

Create templates to “plan” systematic chaos. That is what makes it

systematic: it is controlled, with a purpose, planned to be that way.

pure design

81

A place for everything, almost: Whosays one cannot have attractive pagesthat are busy? The Hamburg MorgenPost shows that it can be done well.We kept the edgy, newsy, in-your-faceapproach to tabloid news, but organ-ized it so that a sense of hierarchyand some order prevailed.