When Massimo Gentile assumed the position of design director at Genoa’s Il Secolo XIX, he inherited a newspaper that had a sense of organization (perhaps too much!), a good typographic scheme, and very intensely local journalism. What was lacking, says Massimo, was a bit of excitement, not just for the big stories, but for everyday. Remember that Massimo was coming from the colorful and energetic Folha de S. Paulo, a newspaper where the front page is surprisingly fresh everyday, especially in its use of navigators.
True, Genoa is not Sao Paulo. Italy is not Brazil. However, Massimo and I discussed strategy and decided that we could incorporate changes in an evolutionary manner——not a complete redesign. This required a greater role for “design” in the overall thinking that went into putting Il Secolo together each day; Massimo inmersed himself in the newsroom, preaching visual conceptualization, and trying his hand at little changes. “We are still doing this today. It is not easy. But we have come a long way. Notice our special treatment of the Ingrid Betancourt rescue, for example,” says Massimo.
In addition, as shown here, Massimo redefined the presentation of stand alone photos, which are a daily Page One staple of Il Secolo. And, says Massimo, we had to make these newsy photo items pop on the page. Color was utilized on the type, for example.
His next detail evolution was to give the vertical navigators more contrast through texture.
Il Secolo XIX of today is a fresh, inviting product. “But,” says Massimo, “it is still work in progress. We wait for the next big story, to see how that will play, or to try new approaches.”
WHERE IS MARIO: Flying from Florida to Ottawa, Canada.