Newspaper design: Observer-Reporter

As it appeared on the old page, the grade change story merely described the grading differences among school districts. On the new page, it's easy for the reader to make a comparison because each district's standards is listed in this box.

Recropping this photo produced a more interesting shape, eliminated much of the “dead space” in the photo and provided more space for other stories on the page.

Unlike the section flag on the old page, the new section flag provides ample space for promos of various sizes and shapes.

Careful cropping of the cyclists' photo made room for this additional local story and color photo, which appeared in black and white on an inside page in the published edition.

The Observer-Reporter is a 40,000-circulation daily newspaper serving Washington and Greene counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The paper has two kinds of readers — longtime residents of the small mining towns that dot the region and newcomers from Pittsburgh who prefer the lower taxes and suburban setting that Washington County offers.

To meet the needs of both kinds of readers, the Observer-Reporter must provide complete coverage of local news and a comprehensive report of national and international events. The redesign includes tools to help achieve this goal — digests of national news and national sports free up most of the front page and sports front for local news.

To grow its circulation, the Observer-Reporter must compete head-to-head with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which is published just 25 miles to the north. It must convince newcomers who are more oriented toward Pittsburgh and the Post-Gazette to switch to the Observer-Reporter for its more thorough coverage of Washington County news.

To succeed, the Observer-Reporter must offer a superior local report and a concise, yet complete, wire report. And it must provide both without the resources of its competitors.