Print publication: The Straits Time - Langkawi dolphin pens 'appalling'

Source: < http://www.acres.org.sg/news/archives/14%20January%202011,%20Langkawi%20dolphin%20pens%20appalling,%20The%20Straits%20Times.jpg >

Design Principles

Balance:
The page is very well balanced with a dophin banner background and 2 illustrations of the same size rightin the centre. The text is equally divided into 5 columns below the image.

Proportion:
The picture of the dolphins form the largest constituition, followed by the headlines and the 2 other images.

Sequence:
The arrangement of the elements make readers start with the headlines followed by the pictures then the text.

Consistency:
All of The Straits Times publications have the same style in columnised and serif fonts in consistent paragraphing.

Graphic Aids

Photograph:
the main photograph is the picture of 5 dophins as the background and 2 other smaller pictures of the conditions of the dophins' living conditions.

Format Elements

Headings:
The headlines which are large, bold and catchy are set at the top of the page to catch readers' attention.

Colour:
The colour used here are subtle as it is a newspaper print. The photographs are not too contrasted to produce a soft touch.

Typographic Devices:
The typeface used is in serif font, like in almost all newspaper prints for readability and scannability.

Whitespace:
The whitespace is minimal like in almost all newspaper articles to maximise the space in print.

Print vs Online

Source: < http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_622419.html >

Source: The Straits Times dated Monday, January 10, 2011 Page A3

Here are 2 of the same articles in different formats that i will be comparing with reference to some design principles.

Design Principles

Balance:
The balance in the print version is better than that in the online version as the visual weight of the online version is lob-sided to the left.

Proportion:
In the online version, the picture is too small and is indented to the left

Sequence:
Both the online and print editions force readers to pay more attention to the picture first before moving onto the headlines.
Though in the online version, the headlines come first before the pictures in terms of reading gravity, the picture form the larger mass for attention for the eye.
The print version is based on the Gutenberg Diagram of basic eye movement from the Primary Optical Area to the Terminal Anchor.

Consistency: Both editions are not consistent in their design principles in comparision to each other. This is obviously because both editions are designed for different purposes.

Format Elements

Headings:
The headings are bigger and clearer in the print edition.

Placement:
In the print edition, the text are wrapped tightly around elements. The headlines are placed in the middle of the page to capture the eye.
In the online edition, however, all the elements are indented left and not eye-catching.

White Space:
There is more white space in the online version than in print to allow better readabilty and scannability.

Style:
The print edition is of a more formal approach with the choice of background colour than the online edition.

Others

Readability:
Based on Nielsen 2006, readers read in a F-Shaped pattern for online publications. That explains why the online version has its headline in 1 line instead of 2 for the print version

Scannability:
The text in the online version is short and no scrolling is required horizontally or vertically for fast and concise scanning. the print version however, requires the eyes to move left and right, up and down, across the collumns.