This is the weekend edition of TheMarioBlog and will be updated as needed. The next blog post is Monday, April 16.

Berlin, Germany–

It was the launch of a new look for the Berliner Zeitung, one of about 12 daily German language newspapers that try to find their own voice in the German capital, 8 of them with Berlin news.

I happen to be in Berlin this week, so it was pure coincidence for me to be here on the day of the Berliner Zeitung’s introduction of a new design.

A first look at the front page of the “new” Berliner Zeitung reveals a typical, classic German newspaper design: columns of type, light on the photography, and overall more gray than color. Perhaps it is the Berliner Zeitung’s way of telling the readers “we are serious and elite,” and a differentiator from the other newspapers in the city.

For its most recent redesign, the Berliner Zeitung counted with the able assistance of designer Thomas Weyres, with whom I communicated about details of the redesign. Thomas gave the Berliner Zeitung a sophisticated, clean design that adheres nicely to a grid, offers ample white space between elements and uses a typographic palette that corresponds well with the intended serious look. There is no “wow” effect here, but as Thomas tells me, such was not the intention.

Thomas reminds me that this redesign did not include typographic changes. The fonts remain Walbaum, Utopia and Franklin Gothic. “We did change the spacing and line height,” he said.

Let’s take a look at what some Berliner Zeitung pages featuring the new design.

What’s new for Berliner Zeitung?

The editor in chief wrote a memo to the readers about what content changes to expect from the new Berliner Zeitung:

“….you will experience your familiar newspaper in a new, clear guise. But that’s not all: We will also offer you even more Berlin, on new pages, with enigmatic articles and recommendations for all that there is to experience in our city again and again. Every Wednesday, we will show you how federal politics shapes life in the city, and on Friday, on the page “Made in Berlin”, we will show you what strength, what future and tradition Berlin’s economy has.”

In terms of design, the editor reminded readers that the text typeface that was “too small for many of you” has now adapted with more line spacing.

Here is a front page for weekdays.