The ‘Gulf News’ switch to Berliner format has been accompanied by a redesign, which its architect, Dr Mario Garcia says is “more a rethinking than a redesign”.

He says the move is a logical evolution for broadsheet format newspaper, “if they wish to become more economical, cater to the readers’ preferences for more compact printed products, and still maintain the sectionalising that is so popular with users.”

It’s a format he says, which “allows many of the fine features of the broadsheet, especially indexing and taking apart of sections, but also allows the reader to hold two pages together in their hands, reading without having to fold the pages”.

Garcia says the paper has already created the bases for a convergent newsroom, with “the media quartet in place”, and its own curated tablet edition.

“The conversion to Berliner gave us an opportunity to conceptualise the design of a modern printed newspaper,” he says.

Elements included a palette of colours for the masthead, and a front page which was less “text oriented” and more visual… a “fantastically functional” navigator to the inside. “Page One must surprise at all times, and have the flexibility to accommodate the editors’ approach to the day’s news,” he says.

Two elegant type faces, Glosa and Salvo Sans are used for the editorial design, with Retina for classified text.

Sections have their own character, with sport and the feature-driven ‘The View’ based on a ‘newspaper within the newspaper’ concept. “Typographically they are first cousins of the rest of the newspaper, but stylistically, they have their own personality,” says Garcia. “The Berliner format is especially good for that, to offer visual variety while providing each section with its own personality.”

He says more print newspapers are likely to follow this direction, “surprising with each section”, and avoiding the monotony that has prevailed for so long where ‘news inspired’ design carries over and dominates sections which may not necessarily have a newsy angle. nngx


Pictured Design director Miguel Gomez (left) with editor in chief Abdul Hamid Ahmad and managing editor Mohammad Al Mezel;

Centre: Pages from the first Friday (June 1) launch and Saturday issues and supplements