Chicago Tribune Redesign

The Chicago Tribune launched its redesign this morning sans the trademark blue nameplate that, for this longtime Tribune reader, defined the paper. I'm sure the Tribune expects some disgruntled seniors to respond with anger at the redesign, though I doubt they would expect such a reaction from a GenX reader that still sort of falls within their coveted demographic (given the sad state of newspaper readership they should want me reading anyway).

True, the nameplate itself was an anachronism. However, it was part of the print edition's brand, as easily identifiable with the newspaper as the Old English type or the American flag it continues to run. The big blue nameplate distinguished the Tribune from other newspapers, even if the nameplate itself was not what you would call "distinguished."

And that is where the Chicago Tribune redesign fails in my opinion. It now looks like dozens--hundreds--of other newspapers. There is nothing wrong with the redesign. It just fails to distinguish itself from any of the competing newspapers in the area. It's clean. It's neat. It's thin, too, as the Trib cut some more off the web width. And that is all fine. But the design seemed to suck energy from the stories and photos. this is not the way the Midwest's premier newspaper (open for argument) should appear. It should be leading the charge in developing a design to enhance readership, not following others.

Their argument is that they no longer need to showcase their color printing capabilities or compete as much for newsstand sales. These are valid points. My argument is that the paper had an opportunity to be bold and innovative and settled for a limp tweaking. Go ahead and blow up the nameplate--but do something with the space, do something defining that lets people know This is the Chicago Tribune.

I'll say this--I know when I'm looking at the Chicago Sun-Times...and it's not just because it is a tab. They have bold headlines, photos and refers, even if they lean a little "tabloidy." Put the Chicago Tribune redesign up against a dozen other dailies and weeklies in the area and I don't see a big degree of difference.

Plus, the newspaper just lost all the brand identity (and the real power it held) built up over 26 years in that blue nameplate. Perhaps they are positioning the newspaper to build a new brand identity with newer, younger audiences. If that is the case, then why not redesign with a little more courage?

The design isn't my only complaint about the Trib. There are content issues. That can be an entirely new post, but I feel compelled to note this complete waste of space -- a July 10 item from Outdoors Adviser Barbara Brotman: 5 Outdoors Workouts.

Instead of a stationary bike, I can ride on a real bike outside for an "outdoors workout." Really? Or instead of walking on a treadmill in a gym I can walk outside. You're kidding?

This list got through editors at one of the largest newspapers in the United States? This was part of a larger package and was negligible in terms of the space it occupied, but I still groaned audibly when I read it. Disgraceful. How stupid does the Tribune think readers are? I'm sorry, but any newspaper that prints something this devoid of value for readers deserves to be called out.

I complain because I care. It's great to hear good words about your newspaper (just as the Journal and Courierin Lafayette, Ind., did recently). But it sometimes can be better to hear the negatives. It's not always the crackpots who complain.