Taking a look at the USA Today's new design

By Mario Garica

Here is the front page of this weekend’s edition for USA TODAY.  Definitely a more text-driven front page, as if, upon turning 30, this new USA TODAY assumes maturity via the small type

Circles in logo will probably be the most copied item from this new design of USATODAY: I can see them already, circles in every color lining up at the door of Design, Inc.

Here is the prototype model of the new USA TODAY released just as the new look was to be unveiled

Here are some first impressions after taking a look at pdf versions of Friday’s edition of USA TODAY as it premieres its new look:

Overall look & feel: First impression: a bold, still colorful and contemporary look. It is important to see that the right hand corner, top of the page, the HOT box area, is still well guarded for navigation to inside stories. Good move. What impresses me the most is that the so called McPaper is now a more text driven newspaper, for which short items are not the premium.  Perhaps a realization that the short takes will come through digital platforms, while the printed edition may be a more substantial read.
The new logo: Gone is the square pill box treatment of the blue logo and in is a circle, with the distinctive blue connecting us to the familiar. The first word that comes to mind, seeing it only on a pdf version, is “limp”. However, we are likely to see more of these styles of smaller, less “in your face” nameplates for printed newspapers, a combination of saving the real estate of the front page for news and navigation and less for branding.  Wonder if they considered staying with the familiar square logo?  Will the logo be organic in that there will always something coming out of the circle? That could be interesting and according to the official USA TODAY press release announcing the changes: “USA TODAY’s logo was redesigned to be as dynamic as the news itself. The logo will be a live infographic that can change with the news. It is simple and straight to the point, providing the opportunity for the newsroom to highlight the stories that matter to the nation.  This approach builds off of USA TODAY’s long-standing leadership position in visual story-telling.  Representing the pulse of the nation, the logo will be used as a platform to expressUSA TODAY’s editorial spirit – fun, bold and impactful. “

For an explanation of the use of circle in the logo, go here:
http://jimromenesko.com/2012/09/14/usa-today-explains-its-cool-balls/
The new typography: Futura makes an appearance here.  It is a custom versionof the legendary font, by the type foundry Bold Monday.

Other features:: I have only seen two inside section openers of the prototype so far, so will reserve my comments. The circle concept of the logo continues throughout the inside.

—The Tech and Travel sections have been expanded to include increased coverage.

—Advertising: the new USA TODAY will provide a premium advertising environment across platforms, in what the press release describes as “ opening up the entire browser canvas for marketers to present their products to consumers, enabling them to deliver the emotional impact of television and the drill-down capability of digital.”