Designing Newsletters b Consider: b Audience b Cost b Frequency b Size b Artworks and formats b Shape

Audience b Who are they b What about demographics - how do they relate to the audience and its needs b Is it a technical audience/newsletter - how would this impact on design? b Is it an audience of creative/artistic people - how would this impact on design?

Shape b Does the newsletter and requirements lend itself to a specific shape? b What shapes might work well - full A4 or A5 or tabloid size b What about the shapes within the pages - eg design freeform or modular?

Freqeuncy b Smaller size and pages for more frequent newsletters b Larger size and pages for less frequent newsletters

Designing Newsletters (2) b Design is significant element of newsletter b Should not overwhelm copy but help it

Basic Rules b Balance - white space, blocks of text, shapes of graphics, all elements in harmony b Proportion: are elements in correct proportions to page, each other, other elements b Sequence - the flow of elements

Basic Rules b Emphasis - where are focal points, which elements grab attention, what do you look at first b Unity - how does the entire page, and how do the pages, fit together; how do elements link to each other? Relationship of elements to each other

Basic Designs b Modular: using squares, rectangles to design within - good for text b Freeform: less structured, not always good for lots of text

Basic Considerations/elements   Masthead   - reflect newsletter   - appeal to readers   - tie to organisation   - name   - date and issue   - logo   Footers and Headers

Basic considerations   Typographic Stuff   - complementary headline and body copy fonts   - size to suit audience   - one/two for headlines   - vary headlines size and boldness

Basic considerations   Allocate stories   - page one, most important story and best pic   - right hand pages important stories   Graphics and photos   - use effectively   - same modules

Basic Considerations b Columns - reflective of type of content   Page one the most important story and your best photo or graphic   Pages three five and seven, have important stories eg page 3 more important than five and five more so than seven.   Pages 2,4,6,8 are reserved for less important information - as people are supposed to read right hand pages before left hand ones.

Basic considerations   Graphics and photos need to be handled carefully, they must relate to the copy but add to the story it tells.   Make sure your graphics and photos are placed in the same module as the story they relate to, don't put a story one page one and its photo on page four.