mario garcia

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To box or not to boxWhen the first newly redesigned edition of The Wall Street Journal

appeared, one unexpected reaction became a constant in interviews,

presentations, and seminars: Are boxes back?

Well, did they ever disappear? That seems to be a more appropriate

question. True, boxes, which have traditionally been used to separate

articles on a page, or to highlight an item to which editors wish to

call attention were not used as frequently today as they were in the

1940s and 50s. However, boxes are tools that magazine and newspa-

per editors and designers can use functionally. They are not trendy

or whimsical decorations.

Boxes should be part of every publication’s design strategy. Here are

tips for using boxes:

Determine from the start what type of articles will carry a box.

(I recommend boxes for shorter, not longer, pieces; to set off side-

bars or related articles that appear within a text package; and to iso-

late a photo story treatment, when the photo is not accompanied by

a story.

Use very thin borders around boxes. Do not call attention to the

box itself with thick borders. Instead, create a box that delineates

territory on the page, without overtaking it.

Allow white space between the border of the box and the contents

of it. Do not run photos or text right into the box.

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Sometimes use a thicker rule at the top or bottom of box, but never

on the sides. The designer’s task is to make sure that the box blends

well with other elements of the page. Boxes are intended to offer

boundaries, not to isolate themselves from other items on the page.

Boxing an entire page should be reserved for one-topic items,

long reportages or photo essays. In most cases, it is best to go with

an open page, without borders; but discretion and attention to the

special content of the page are key.

Boxes are not back. They never left. They are, and always will be,

a fantastically useful tool to make the reader’s journey through a

page faster and more orderly.