Bizdesigner

Best critics of business news

An interesting article:

http://weblogs.jomc.unc.edu/talkingbiznews/?p=1194

Don't dread the Fed

THIS is a great example of how to report Fed news nontraditionally. From Steven Ray of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Job opening in St. Pete

Do business graphic design in St. Petersberg, Fla.! (Via SND)

We all know the differences between Warren Buffet and Jimmy Buffet. But are you the person who could create a package exploring the worlds of these two moguls in a manner that educates and entices readers?
Much of what flows over the business wires can be dense. But it doesnt have to be. We want someone who can use his or her journalistic and artistic talents to help readers understand business news and draw new readers to the section.
Take us beyond stories. Use small chunks of text, lists, charts, photos and illustrations to create innovative centerpieces or standalone graphics. Work with staff reporters to showcase information from their stories or find information yourself that would better serve readers as graphics.
Many times that will mean doing the actual reporting yourself to gather that information.
You must be a self-starter who can find ways to make sense of corporate and government reports, flow charts and surveys. You must be a good interviewer. A strong understanding of business news is a huge plus. You'll also mine the business wires for details that can be used in graphics that you create or that you bring to the News Art Department for help.
You need to be able to write clearly and succinctly with the utmost respect for accuracy. You need to understand design concepts and how to package your information in the most effective format.
You'll have to know when a bar chart, fever line or illustration is needed. The ideal candidate would know how to use Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, but we are willing to teach the right person.
Top-notch people skills are a must, too. You'll work closely with the Business editor and his staff, the News Art department, the Research department and page designers and copy editors. Send resume, cover letter and samples of your work to the address below.

Ron Brackett
Newsart Director
St. Petersburg Times
P.O. Box 1121
St. Petersburg, FL 33731
USA

Telephone: 727-892-2395
Fax: 727-893-8262
E-mail: brackett@sptimes.com
Web site: www.tampabay.com

More resources

The fantastic Bo Burton sends along a great resource, called 10 tips for better business design. I can attest, this is awesome and I need to utilize it more.

Just proves, once again, BO KNOWS.

Download 10Tips_PDF.PDF

Ones to Watch-Part I

Welcome to a new feature, ones to watch, where we interview business designers we think are on the cutting edge.

Subject number 1 is Luke Trautwein of the Charlotte Observer. Check out his stellar portfolio at http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/portfolio1.php?UserID=1562

Here are a few samples

I sat down with Luke (okay, virtually) and asked him about his career.

1. What's your career/educational background?

I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from Truman State University (MO). I graduated in 2003. The first newspaper I worked for was The Elgin Courier News in Elgin, IL. Currently I'm at The Charlotte Observer. I have been here 2 years.

2. What are your duties at your current job?

Illustrating and designing the Moneywise Section (Sunday Business). Design A1 and the Metro section once a week.

3. What is your favorite thing about business design?

Making complex stories approachable to all readers. I love to take a story and make it come to life with illustrations, graphics and photography. I also love the fans, the tour bus and especially the groupies.

4. What is your least favorite thing about business design?

Pre-conceived notions of the business section being the most boring section in the paper & that there is nothing anyone can do about it. There are some designers out there doing some jaw-dropping things to business sections. I hope the trend continues.

5. What is the hardest concept or story you have ever been asked to design? How did you do it?

There have been a boatload of them. I have strange relationships with story concepts. I stalk them. I think about them obsessively. If a story concept was a woman, I would be in jail. Over time editors now trust my judgment in helping pick centerpiece stories so I run into this problem much less than before.

6. What is your favorite Web site to use for stockart?

Not a big fan of stock art. If I use it, I try to put my own spin on it. I use www.mctdirect.com (McClatchy-Tribune) a lot for illustrations & stock photos. I like to shoot my own things if I have the time.

7. What other publications or designers inspire you?

Too long to list. I steal ideas from everything & everyone around me. I check NPD & Newseum almost daily. I love Wired, How, Print, Communication Arts, Bike & ESPN mags.

Thanks Luke!

Is there a designer you think we should profile? Email me at franciekrantz@yahoo.com

Buzz alert

Megan Lavey of the Arizona Daily Star credits this site on newspagedesigner for this groovy page. Well, Megan, give and you shall receive.

This page is a great example of taking a cliche and, well, putting a nice spin on it. I immediately 'got' that it was supposed to be a title card. And I LOVE that she was able to get a picture of the debit card and scanner.  WELL DONE.

Biz buzz

Once in awhile, I'm going to do a thing called Biz Buzz, aka a posting of a page I think is just groovy.

And the inaugural page is buzzworthy indeed, because it has bees!

This comes from Janel Jacobs and Lisa Frasier at the Orlando Sentinel. Actually, everyone should check out the Orlando Sentinel's business pages. They're very illo-based and usually very fun. PLUS, Bo Burton is their boss!

Check out these portfolios:

Janel Jacobs: http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/portfolio1.php?UserID=273

Lisa Frasier: http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/portfolio1.php?UserID=398

Wonetha Jackson: http://www.newspagedesigner.com/portfolios/portfolio1.php?UserID=8818

If only...

You ever had one of those weeks where a story you thought you had more time on suddenly is SUNDAY'S centerpiece? Yeah, you know you have. And then you design it and see it on your kitchen table and think, 'crap if only I had thought about it more...I bet I could have come up with something really cool.'

Well, not all of us have the luxury of time. But here's something that can help you brainstorm. It comes via Sara Quinn at the Poynter Institute. If you don't know about Poynter, you should.

Anyway, here's the concept: take an idea, and then think of 18 different ways to visualize it.

Here's a worksheet to help you out. (Thanks to Pat Garvin for sending this.)  Download 18ideas.pdf

Chirp, Chirp

Two pages today caught my eye that visualized that venerable term describing retirement. 'Nest egg' One comes from Daniel Cooper of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The other comes from Luke Trautwein of the Charlotte Observer.

Although both illustrations go with different topics regarding retirement (health care, savings) both invoked nest eggs.

Anyone have any thoughts on these pages? Or, for that manner, taking a cliche and running with it?

I know cliches are one of the easiest things to rely on when it comes to business illustration. You know: nest egg; monopoly; bulls and bears; some cute variation on Ben Franklin or George Washington. You know you've done at least one of those at one time or another. Sometimes they work, sometimes they're a stretch. But it's hard to strike a balance between tired cliche and finding something new.

Thinking about this made me think about Bonita Burton's pages from the Merc. If you don't know Bonita, you should. She's, in my opinion, one of the best people who has ever designed business pages. Here are a couple of her pages that took 'cliches' and rethought them.

You don't have to be a great artist to come up with a good illustration, Bonita has said. You just have to be able to conceptualize. What's your topic? White collar crime? Take ten minutes and write down all the words that make you think about white collar crime. Separate the words. White collar. What does that make you think of? Me, I think of shirts. Okay, what about just white? I think of purity. Crime on the other hand is black, bad, tainted. There you go, play off the relationship of pure and impure. There's one idea. Wasn't that simple?

An abstract topic doesn't need to cause you fits. Just get out a piece of paper and brainstorm. It's like design boggle. You can get fifty words from a jumble of letters.

Ben Bernanke

I miss Alan Greenspan, he with the face like a bulldog. He was always good for a closeup, especially when his news was, well, not good.

His replacement, Ben Bernanke is, sadly, not as handsome in my opinion. (Sorry Ben) But, Dennis Cook of the AP got a good picture of him today.

It's like he's praying 'please don't let Wall Street dive, Please don't let Wall Street dive. I won't say anything bad..." Good shot, Dennis. It just proves: 'White guy in suit' art isn't always bad.