This document discusses the development of flat plans and layouts for a broadsheet newspaper article. It includes 4 flat plans with different arrangements of common broadsheet elements like mastheads, headlines, images, captions, quotes and stories. It discusses design choices and how elements are typically arranged. The document also discusses font styles and images selected and shows the progression of an advertisement design. The final section discusses changes to the final broadsheet layout to include additional authentic elements.
3. Flat Plan 1
MASTHEAD
IMAGE
ADVERT
HEADLINE
STORY
HEADLINE
STORY
HEADLINE
IMAGE CAPTION
PULL
QUOTE
MINI NEWS STORY
This specific flat plan displays a mimicked
layout of an actual, typical broadsheet
article , where I have included the masthead
at the top of the page, which is a common
convention and is useful, as it helps to
‘frame’ the page. The masthead is usually
followed by the main headline, which is key,
as it outlines the story an with out this
device, the consumer would be unaware of
the theme posed by the content (main body
of text). On a standard broadsheet front
page, you would find not only the main
news story that accounts for the main body
of text, but you would also find a mini-news
story, which is separate to that of the main
article, however, it still holds some
relevance, as the eye of the viewer would
still be drawn to it. Another convention that I
have included within this flat plan layout is a
‘pull quote’, which makes the story seem
more interesting in a way, which is why I
decided to include it. Also, it is another
convention that is commonly found in
broadsheet publications, as it adds a sense
of interest into the article. The main image is
also key, as that is one of the focal points in
any news article, however, with broadsheet,
there is a formal element associated with it,
therefore, the quality of text is valued, as
opposed to the visual aspect. I have also
included an advertisement section, but this
convention is not as common as the others
in which I have included, therefore, I may
decide not to include this aspect in the
future.
4. Flat Plan 2
MASTHEAD
HEADLINE
IMAGE
ADVERT
HEADLINE
STORY
HEADLINE
STORY
PULL
QUOTE
This specific flat plan is rather different to
that of my primary layout, as I have
eradicated the ‘image caption’ section,
however, in hindsight, an ‘image caption’
would be effective, as it would help to
initially ‘frame’ the image. Also, this
convention is found in a typical broadsheet
newspaper as well. It is notable that the
other sections in which I included matched
that of my first design, however, I have
made the ‘headline’ more prominent in this
layout, as I think that the headline is the
main aspect of the story, as if it was not for
this element, there would be no substance
to the story and the consumer would be
unaware of the content of the story, if a
headline was not provided in the first place.
The ‘pull quote’ has also been included due
to the fact that it is a typical convention and
is effective in the sense that it draws in the
attention of the viewer. It is likely that an
adult would read this type of newspaper, as
it is more formal, however, if a young person
wanted to read the article, it is likely that
they would be drawn in by the ‘pull quote’,
as it makes the article seem more intriguing
in general.
5. Flat Plan 3
MASTHEAD
MAIN HEADLINE
HEADLINE
STORY
HEADLINE
STORY
PULL
QUOTE
IMAGE
MINI HEADLINE
STRAPLINE
SIDELINE
NEWS
STORY
HEADLINE
STORY
This is the layout in which I would be most
likely to imitate when creating my final
product. It is rather different in the sense
that it has three text columns for the main
story, as opposed to two, which highlights
the sheer importance of the article itself. I
have included a lengthy ‘sideline news
story’, as opposed to a small section,
however, in the future, I would most
probably alter that and split it into several
sections. Also, in this article, I decided to
include a strapline, due to the fact that it
adds a small summary of the story in a
sense, which may make it seem more
interesting in general. It also adds a
narrative aspect onto the article as well, so
that the consumer will get the ‘gist’ f the
story from just simply reading the
informative strapline. The image has been
shrunk due to the fact that on a typical
broadsheet, there is a high emphasis on the
written content, as opposed to the visual
aspect.
6. Flat Plan 4
MASTHEAD
HEADLINE
IMAGE
ADVERT
HEADLINE
STORY
HEADLINE
STORY
MINI NEWS
STORY
MINI NEWS STORY
PULL
QUOTE
This layout differs to that of my three
previous designs, due to the fact that
includes two ‘mini news story’ sections,
which are fairly realistic in the sense that
many broadsheet publications use small
news stories to place around the main, focal
image to help to break up the extended
amount of text. I have altered the size of the
image to that of a traditional broadsheet,
due to the ‘text’ aspect being more
important in stature as opposed to the visual
side of things. Therefore, if there is more
text, the article will look more realistic in
comparison to an actual broadsheet article.
Also, I have decided to feature an advert
convention as well, even though this is not
typically found, I still included it in order to
make the layout appear more diverse in
comparison to that of my previous design.
7. FONT STYLES
HEADLINE
Main Body of
Text
I chose these specific fonts due to the fact
that they are san-serif, therefore, they are
fairly simplistic and legible, which will make
them more appealing to the viewer. Also, the
masthead and the headline typefaces are
rather bold and outlined, which initially make
them suitable for their purpose. It is
important for a font to be clear, as the
viewer may become disinterested in the
article in general if they are unable to
comprehend an ‘abstract’ form of text.
8. I chose these specific images due to the fact that they relate to the broadsheet
(writing copy) article in which I initiated previously, as it documented the events
of the night of the Mike Tyson match at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas and the
events that occurred after the match itself. These are archive images sourced
from the internet and are relevant to the theme of the news story. However, I
would not
9. This is the near-final article layout, where I have included the
common conventions of a typical broadsheet publication, such as
the headline, masthead, image section (and caption) and a pull
quote. I have included two advertisements, even though they are
not always featured within a broadsheet, however, they
constitute for a rather large section on the page as a whole,
otherwise, without them, there would be a considerable amount
of ‘white space’ on the page. I think that I am going to alter the
second, ‘portrait’ advertisement though, as it does not appear as
though it could feature in a broadsheet article, as it is not clear,
due to the fact that the majority of the image has been cropped,
therefore, in the future, I would have to create my own if I wanted
it to fit into that particular shape, so to speak. I am rather
pleased with my first advertisement (above the masthead), due
to the colour scheme, as thematically, it is correct in the sense
that ‘green’ is initially associated with wealth, which links to the
‘Forbes’ feature and also that stereotypically, ‘money’ plays a
large part in the art of hip-hop; not only within the lyrics, but also
with a visual aspect as well (music videos). I chose to only use
one image because broadsheet newspapers generally use a low
image:text ratio in comparison to a tabloid. There is a high
emphasis on the written content and the sheer quality of it, as
opposed to the image aspect, which is viewed as secondary to
that of the text.
10. These three images display the development of one of my potential advertisements,
with the use of Photoshop to create the final design. I first inserted the main ‘Eminem’
logo, along with a generic autoshape that would soon be altered. I decided to switch
the colour of the shape to red, as it thought that it would make the bold, black text
stand out significantly. However, on second thought, I altered the colour and replaced it
with an image of the actual album cover in which I was trying to advertise, which I
deemed as more appropriate, due to the fact that it linked to what it was trying to
promote and the consumer would be able to pick up on this immediately, as opposed to
the red colour, which did not connote much really. I placed the ‘Eminem’ logo on a
vertical stance, simply because of the orientation of the shape itself. I was going to put
it horizontally, although, the text would have to be shrunk and with that, it would not be
as effective in catching the attention of the consumer, as it would be miniscule in
comparison to the visual aspect (the image incorporated background of the shape).
11. In the end, I decided to alter the size of the ‘mini-news story’ columns in order to accommodate a
landscape advertisement in which I could obtain from the internet, as opposed to creating my own,
as I experimented with that previously and it did not work out as planned, therefore, I needed a
contingency plan, which I decided would be to change the column sizes, so that there would be
enough white space to feature a landscape advertisement that would be sure to grab the attention
of the consumer with more ease. I decided to input an actual advertisement in the space at the
bottom of the page, where it fitted into the section in which I created fully and it looked as though it
could be featured as an actual promotional piece in a broadsheet article, as it is originally a poster
for the Kanye West ‘Yeezus’ album, therefore, it is legitimate and professional, which means that it
can be used within my broadsheet layout.
12. This is the final image in which I have drafted, which displays my overall
broadsheet article. I have decided to include a barcode, as well as a price
and issue number in order to make it seem more authentic, in a way; as
though it could be published into a broadsheet publication itself. In
comparison with the masthead for ‘The Times’, an existing broadsheet
publication, my own masthead looks rather similar to it, (minus the central
design) because of the enlarged, san-serif text that is used within both of
these mastheads. Instead of including a central piece (like ‘The Times’), I
decided to use an external design, which would initially frame the text and
make it stand out more prominently. The ‘scroll’ banner makes the overall
piece appear rather professional looking in a sense.
The main advertisement has been placed in a more central location, as
opposed to my previous draft, as in this position, it is more eye-catching as
a whole. I think that it looks effective in the sense that it is an actual
promotional product and that I was going to use my own creation, however, I
did not deem it professional enough to include within my final layout,
therefore, an inputted image would be the most useful contingency plan.
The pull quote, as well as the drop capital letter, are both effective due
to the fact that they are commonly found in existing broadsheet
publications, therefore, the consumer would be able to recognise this.
Also, because of their ‘emphasised’ nature, the eye of the viewer will
be drawn into the article immediately.
The main body of text has been created using a san-serif font (Minion
Pro), as I thought that this would be rather legible for a wide range of
individuals, not just the primary audience (adult hip-hop enthusiasts).
Also, ‘The Times’ use a similar type of font and I took some inspiration
from them, which is why I have used this particular typeface.
13. This specific image is appropriate to feature in this layout, mainly due to the
fact that it is very relevant to the written content. Also, it is rather eye-
catching because it is the main, focal image; and the attention of the
consumer will be focused on this greatly. An image caption has been
included into the layout, as it initially narrates the stated ‘image’ and gives
the consumer a small, but useful amount of information and background
into the content of the article, as well as describing the scenario in the
featured photograph as well.
This mini-headline has been included due to the fact that this specific
element has been included within other existing publications
beforehand, which is why I wanted to feature it. Also, it is kind of like an
advertisement too, as it is ‘promoting’ the name of a magazine company
(Forbes). It is a subliminal form of advertising that is quite commonly
found in existing broadsheet newspapers; such as in ‘The Guardian’,
who featured an advertisement on ‘DFS’. The consumer may feel more
obliged to purchase the promoted item or product, simply from just
viewing it in their chosen periodical.
These two ‘miniature’ news stories are appropriate in the sense that they
link to the ‘hip-hop’ theme of the fictional publication. Also, they help to
break up the main news story. I decided to use the green colour in which I
used for my top header, as it links to wealth (a theme that is stereotypically
linked to the sub-culture of hip-hop). Also, these green lines separate the
two news stories and make the layout as a whole, appear more structured
in general.
