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Entries for the 2012 Brand New Awards are now being accepted. Early-bird fees end February 1, 2013. Deadline: March 1, 2013.
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Founded in 1982, USA TODAY is the second largest newspaper (behind The Wall Street Journal and its
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2.1 million copies) in the United States with 1.8 million copies circulating every weekday reportedly one in every seven Americans interacts with USA TODAY on a weekly basis. and is best known for its concise and visual approach to delivering news. Its online counterpart, USATODAY.com receives 6.6 million readers daily and mobile apps complete the picture for this multi-platform news and information media company owned by Gannett. Late last week, USA TODAY announced a complete redesign of all its platforms, including the ubiquitous print edition and its identity, both designed by Wolff Olins all digital applications were done by Fantasy Interactive covering their strategy, user experience, design, and development. The beta version with the new look can be seen here.
USA TODAYs logo w as redesigned to be as dynam ic as the new s itself. The logo w ill be a live infographic that can change w ith the new s. It is sim ple and straight to the point, providing the
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opportunity for the new sroom to highlight the stories that m atter to the nation. This approach builds off of USA TODAYs long-standing leadership position in visual story-telling. Representing the pulse of the nation, the logo w ill be used as a platform to express USA TODAYs editorial spirit fun, bold and im pactful. Press Release
Interactive Designer @ Tolleson in San Francisco, CA Freelance branding / logo designer @ ESI Design in New York, NY Digital Design Director @ Sulliv an in New York, NY Relationship Manager @ Matchstic in Atlanta, GA Senior Staff @ Red Peak in New York, NY
UnderConsideration is a graphic design enterprise that runs a network of blogs, publishes books, organizes live events and judged competitions, and designs for clients. View All Jobs Branding & Corporate Identity Packaging Online FPO (For Print Only) / Celebrating the reality that print is not dead by showcasing the most compelling printed projects. Art of the Menu / Cataloguing the underrated creativity of menus from around the world. Quipsologies / Chronicling the most curious, creative, and notable projects, stories, and events of the graphic design industry on a daily basis. Speak Up (2002 2009) / Discussing, and looking for, what is relevant in, and the relevance of, graphic design. Archives Only. Word It (2003 2010) / Encouraging creative diversity in the community through monthly, one-word challenges. Archives Only. Brand New Classroom (2010 2011) / Providing a space for critique and opinions on student identity work. Archives Only. Graphic Design Design Management Advertising Research & Strategy
The decision to rem ake an iconic brand should not be taken lightly, Gannett CMO Maryam Banikarim said at an em ployee presentation earlier today. The re-im agination of the USA Today logo is a great signal to the m arketplace. Its a signal of all the changes that are happening here - of our new digital products, our new re-designed paper and a re-im agination of our content across all platform s. Wolff Olins blog post
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Writing Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design / 2009, Rockport. Women of Design: Influence and Inspiration from the Original Trailblazers to the New Groundbreakers / 2008, HOW Books. The Word It Book: Speak Up Presents a Gallery of Interpreted Words / 2007, HOW Books. Brand New, is a division of Graphic Design Department of Design / Designing corporate and brand identities and full development of printed and digital matter for clients. UnderConsideration, displaying opinions, and focusing solely, on corporate and brand identity work. Brand New is run with Six Aparts MovableType 4.23-en With a few individual entry exceptions, Brand New is programmed to be W3C compliant and is valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional Syndicate / RSS Feed Books about logo design, the designers that create them and the meaning of branding.
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Lets start with the logo, as there are plenty of things to see here. The old logo was instantly recognizable with its bold, uppercase name and overly simplistic rendering of a globe. It wasnt pretty though. The type is all scrunched together in not a very pleasant manner and the globe icon is only discernible at large sizes, becoming a blobby blue dot when reduced and isnt that lucky?! The new logo is simply a blue dot, reproducing perfectly at any size and resolution. Of the many circle logos weve seen before Planet Green, Euro News, Centraal Museum this is the one that makes the most sense and arguably the best one locked up with type (more on the type below). I asked Wolff Olins about their take on the circle-ness of the logo.
The circle began as a pure abstraction of their original logo: break it out of the box, maintain the modernist sans serif type, get rid of the globe and the 1980s stripes. The result was bold, straight-
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We approached this particular rebrand very sensitively Balancing delicately familiarity with modernity. We broke down every element. The point, dot, globe, ball whatever you want to call it was there already. We gave it a job editorially. It literally was about getting straight to the point, putting the reader in the center of the conversation, and capturing the pulse of the nation Right now. Today. On a minor note, dropping a circle into the grid-based world of newspapers and rectangle screens is disruptive. It didnt hurt that the new identity, despite its need for decent white space, also takes up LESS real estate = more ad revenue elsewhere. Todd Simmons (executive creative director)
The blue dot is accompanied by handsome typesetting amazingly well letter-spaced, given the challenging kerning pairs that were dealt of a custom version of Futura, produced in collaboration with Bold Monday. The lock-up is simple and effective. More importantly it works great on the cover (below) where the days date occupies that lower third space in the same type size as the newspapers name. Thats also where each sections name appears. The combination works very well, creating a heavily branded newspaper with great presence especially helpful when you are exiting your hotel room in Anywhere, USA and a newspaper is at your doorstep, as this is hard to miss. More on Futura Today:
USA TODAY has used Futura in its logotype, folios and the newspaper navigation since the beginning. When we were exploring typeface options for the logotype and brand, it was clear that having a sans serif typeface in this sector globally are few and far between and whilst there were conversations about not wanting to look so 80s anymore the Futura had equity for them. However when we started using the Futura we were running into some logistical problems if we were to use it more places than just the logotype. Futura has extremely high ascenders and low
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Section covers.
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Icon set.
The new editorial design looks great. Its easy to navigate, it feels airy and contemporary, and it continues to deliver on the quick visual approach of the newspaper. I will leave the full editorial critique to more apt fellows like Jeremy Leslie. What I will add is how impressive the new website is. Its perfectly designed, much more friendly than your nytimes.com or cnn.com and, at least on my computer, it works like a charm. The iPad app further simplifies the web experience and USA TODAY has literally created a unified multi-platform approach that makes sense.
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Overall, this is a fantastic redesign for a very complex project and its quite amazing that, on the clients end, everything was delivered and presented at the same time, and done so clearly and with excitement. The launch campaign images above show a kind of confidence rarely seen in major redesigns, as if everyone is waiting for the mob to attack. Finally, I asked Wolff Olins about the relevance of the printed newspaper and its relevance and importance within USA TODAYs platforms:
Despite the success of USA TODAYs iPad app, the printed product is still by far and away the largest footprint for the brand and the largest revenue-earner for the business. Digital advertising is relatively cheap compared to print so even though digital advertising is growing and print advertising is declining, the incremental revenue is not yet there. So from a pure business sense, investing in the paper was imperative. But more than that, all the research we looked at told us that people still love newspapers. News consumption is not about platform loyalty. People graze their news across multiple
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In order to elicit the changes needed for the brand you cannot dismiss or ignore the poster child of the brand, despite the popularity of their digital platforms. If for no other reason than to (1) put in place new behaviors over old habits editorially in consideration of delivering the brand continuously and to (2) use the best vehicle theyve had to signal that change. The way I see it, the way USA TODAY has been used to serving up content Short, concise, visual is exactly the way our digital society demands it to be today. Todd Simmons (executive creative director)
TH AN K S TO E V E R YO N E F O R TH E TI P .
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P O S TE D B Y: AR MI N
C ATE G O R Y: C U L TU R E
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TAG S : C I R C L E S , F U TU R A, N E W S P AP E R , W O L F F O L I N S ,
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Keep it simple stupid. They've done that, looks great and I have no complaints.
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A ndrew Hernandez
9 months ago
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9 months ago
bert an
lol, didn't notice that, kudos to the spinal tap fan designer!
c hergaoui 16
9 months ago
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9 months ago
fred hart
> chergaoui
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Gues t
> chergaoui
9 months ago
Euronews kinda sucked. That circle had no life at all, but USA Today's has all the life it could possibly have and a large chance of being identity of the year.
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c hergaoui
> Guest
9 months ago
c irs qut ri
9 months ago
Love this!
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Daniel B ere
9 months ago
I always like simple solutions, but this is too simplistic and generic.
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9 months ago
B enjamin E dwards
I like it. It is actually a great concept, the simple logo all encompassing, then for each section with different graphics inside and colours - nice.
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Jos h S c hmit t
9 months ago
I think this is a fantastic brand update! I had seen this paper yesterday and thought: did they do something different with this, because it looks way better than I remember? The only thing that somewhat bothers me a tad, is the various marks switching from illustrations to photos. This may just be a sample with more to come, but I totally dig the "Travel" versions that are all illustrated (if you count the typography one).
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9 months ago
That really is a very beautiful and simple piece of design, I'll have to grab myself an imported copy and take in the finer details of the printed edition.
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liamy am
9 months ago
Another great example how a logo in isolation doesn't tell the whole story. This is a neat solution to a mammoth problem - huge varity across different platforms. It's a blank canvas for each day - nice work!
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9 months ago
like it. it's simple and vey bold! I think people will easily forget the old logo and adopt the new one. and the new website design is pretty cool and easy to navigate!
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Ros ie Milt on
9 months ago
That sure as hell is a big blue ball....! Going to miss the old logo. There's something very familiar about it now. New logo looks ridiculous on its own, it has to be said, but in application... excellent.
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V ec t aMous e
9 months ago
What is this, Wolff Olins dot week? I mean, a fucking dot! I ask you. And the annoying thing is I like it. What I don't like is because they're WO everyone blows smoke up their jacksy for putting clipart in this dot.
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david s iz emore
9 months ago
I saw a couple, mid sixties, reading USA TODAY in the mechanics on Saturday. It was the first time I'd seen the paper out in the wild since the redesign, and I asked them if I could take a look. After I glance through a section, I thanked them and handed it back. They asked me what I was looking for, and I explained that I was interested in seeing what the redesign looked like. To which they responded, "What redesign?" I'm glad people appreciate what we do.
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Gnt er S oy danbay
9 months ago
I am really interested to see how general public will react to the redesign. The old logo, although it was not pretty, had iconic status in the US. In times of great transition, like the era we are living in, people need some anchors that give them the illusion that things are under control. When you take them away, they respond ferociously, because they feel lost. The best example is the New Coke. But more recently, the GAP-gate reminded us that it is not what you have changed into, but the change itself that people reject. (Here is a relevant article: http://goo.gl/AVF8X) I am pleasantly surprised that the old couple did not realize the change. I think it is a win for the designers.
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9 months ago
S hawn K ardell
True s t ory .
9 months ago
The typography refresh is great. Who new Futura could look so nice and without retro-irony? The new mark is smart too, though it loses some of its power when used as a container.
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Reink o Hallenga
9 months ago
They really did change it quite a bit, thus the retro-feel was lost and it became much easier to apply. Great improvement.
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9 months ago
The circle is boring. I would have liked to see something done to it perhaps a slice across the bottom to suggest sunrise, which would still work with the windowing and make it a closer evolution of the previous stratified globe. The mix of photos and illustrations and vector art of different styles is disappointing; it's a missed opportunity for a distinct iconographic language (in lieu of a proper logo). There's still time to develop that, but launch is the ideal time to introduce consistency. As for the page branding, based on experience I'll wager than within two years all of the single highlight colours will be replaced with contrasting combinations of colours until each section looks more or less the same.
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> tyrannosaurus_rek
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9 months ago
USA Today's always used those colors to represent each section, so you're wrong in that regard.
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9 months ago
From what GIS is showing me, the prior design didn't have anything comparable to what's shown above, and what illustrations/diagrams/etc it did have sported a variety of secondary colours with no tie-in to the section's designated colour.
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hellomuller
colour.
9 months ago
I'm still on the fence on this one. I really like how the digital channels have been updated, but I can't say I'm a fan of the new brand mark. Its very well designed, but I do agree with the comments that it is perhaps too reductionist and reverts to the tried and tested solution of 'logo as container for stuff' route, which I find a bit disappointing personally. It does indeed stand out from the crowd, and looks very modern (a bit too Modernist by numbers for my taste), so, yes job done?
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9 months ago
A ndrew Hernandez
This is phenomenal and very innovative for US newspapers. The logo itself is good in my book. Its simple, but it has a strong presence that won't be easily forgotten. When used in application it brings a dynamic twist that helps push this brand's look into the present time. I love the sample pages! The infographic style makes the quantity of content feel more approachable and organized.
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9 months ago
This is my sentiment as well. Newspapers are going down the toilet or consolidating to survive and none of them have even considered trying to make it fun again to actually pick up a newspaper and enjoy the content. I can only hope this makes it more interesting for people to pick up and read. I think information and reading can and should be fun. Maybe this is good and a few other newspapers follows their lead.
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9 months ago
David B rown
k ailas h iy er
After so much shit about this design, it's great to hear the voice of reason and intelligence. This is an outstanding piece of communications.
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9 months ago
Great work! The branding looks nice, and it seems very confident! I hope they're consistent in their applications though. The USA Today travel icon is aqua in the mock-ups, and blue in the image immediately below it.
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Neurobot ic
9 months ago
Wolf Olins has been kicking ass and taking names lately.
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c irs qut ri
9 months ago
One of USA Today's main readers has always been the global business traveler looking to get a summary of world news in a short timeframe. This new identity is perfect for a traveler on an airplane contemplating the state of the world (circle) below the clouds. I really like this...Great Job :)
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> cirsqutri
9 months ago
I think you're right on in your assessment of the circle representing the world, and how that fits for global travelers and readers-- but doesn't it also smack a bit of American ego-centrism to use the blue globe as a logo for a paper that is titled "USA Today", whose entire re-branding campaign video focuses not on world politics or events but on an ideal U.S. identity?
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9 months ago
c irs qut ri
Its really a global paper that just happened to originate in the USA. If it were to appear ego centric it would have appeared that
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W illiam
USA. If it were to appear ego centric it would have appeared that way long before the creation of this new mark.
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9 months ago
My first impression was that the branding gets lost on the top of page 1 of the paper. That application is fine for the inside sections (sports, money, etc)...but it feels like the name should be more prominent on page 1. Agree with the comments on the inconsistent application of photography/clip art on the dots. Overall, very nice.
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OneB eFive 3
9 months ago
A lz o
> OneBeFive
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9 months ago
When I saw the logo, I was "meh". Too simple from the old icon. Then I saw the application and "meh" went away and was replaced with "wow". One of the first things I learned was, "A brand is more than a logo." Perfect example of that here. I was a little underwhelmed by the application on the front page - didn't notice it as a front page at first. Seemed like another section until I reviewed more closely. Needs to standout more IMO.
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S amir Zahran
> CML
9 months ago
Pretty much my exact thoughts as well. But about the front page, it seems to me that it getting lost isn't really an issue. People get newspapers delivered to their door, or they pick them up in branded boxes on street corners. That page doesn't really need to advertise the paper as much as, say, a bottle of soda in a cooler beside a hundred other bottles of soda. It seems to me that people either buy the paper based on brand (in which case they hardly need to be reminded that they're reading USA Today) or on what the headlining stories are (and this makes those stories stick out much better than the previous design).
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Damn It , Firehos e
9 months ago
Having worked for Gannett, I have a bad feeling this will look great for about six months, then quickly fall to pieces as they outsource the daily execution without first building any semblance of a design guide, meaning the daily paginators will wing shortcuts that break the consistency of the design. And with a design this simple, breaking the consistency of it breaks the entire effect. It'll require a disciplined approach on the copy desk. Actually, does USAT still _have_ a copy desk? Whoever is putting this together will need to stay disciplined, and Gannett has not shown much discipline in anything but cutting costs.
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9 months ago
c irs qut ri
Interesting insight and very applicable to many large scale identity projects!
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9 months ago
Totally agree with you Firehose - I think after all the excitement has worn off - this logo will become something of a chore for the department and the quality will suffer. I could see them outsourcing and losing the effect entirely.
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durdurdurdurdur
9 months ago
Dot + Text ..I've said it before on this site, but i'll say it again. Where do people
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Dot + Text ..I've said it before on this site, but i'll say it again. Where do people get these wordsmiths that can sell such a logo? "He could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves!"
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Reink o Hallenga
> durdurdurdurdur
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9 months ago
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P us hing Giant s
9 months ago
I can see the logo getting very tired, very quickly. However, I love the redesign of the newspaper itself.
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9 months ago
ndvn
Elaborate. How do you see this getting "very tired, very quickly". Too many baseless comments spewed without reason on this blog.
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> ndvn
9 months ago
I think the people reading it for the most part don't care about the logo. The fact that it's so simple might actually be a good thing. Not necessarily defending it's simplicity, but say people depended on it as they did the McDonald's logo - that would be a leap. I love the rest of the rebranding though and I personally feel like if it wasn't for that - the logo would be taking a lot more criticism. Side note: "If it ain't broke don't fix it." In this case, the paper was and needed to fix it (http://www.adweek.com/news/adv.... Kudos and good luck to 'em.
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P us hing Giant s
> ndvn
9 months ago
The design is too simplistic to the point of outright boredom, is poorly and inconsistently handled, and is very trend-driven. Happy now?
2 A c t ual S t udio
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9 months ago
9 months ago
Awesome work, to the point that saying anything more is just unnecessary. Not a fan of the circle logo, mostly because it's a basic f-ing shape that takes .0002 seconds to render in Illustrator and can be used by anyone, but that's offset by the wicked typesetting and composition.
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