Background:
The newsletter is produced for a Los Angeles business association whose members represent local firms. The purpose of the newsletter is to communicate LAHq's activities to the membership. It promotes upcoming events, recaps past events, and brings committee issues and activities to the attention of the membership.

The name of the newsletter is Focus, and although the masthead seemed to have some sort of logo, no one was sure how this design came about or if it was official. Previously, the newsletter was produced by various member volunteers. It is a single 11x17 sheet, folded in half to form a 4-page 8.5x11 format and is printed in two colors, a royal blue and black on glossy stock. It is produced quarterly (providing a member was able to find time for the task).

Design Brief:
One of the members of LAHq requested that I and another designer, Isabel Chi, redesign the newsletter. A complete overhaul was requested. We were free to change the masthead and "logo" as well as colors and layout. The only requirements were that it remain two-color, retained the same features and size. LAHq wanted a newsletter that would reflect the professionalism and vitality of its members and have a consistent look with features in the same location each issue so that members could quickly find pertinent information.

BEFORE:



BEFORE design elements needing attention:

Inconsistent look and format: Standard features moved around and never had the same look. Each issue looked different from the previous issues, though the masthead and blue color remained the same.

No hierarchy: There was a haphazard smattering of different sized boxes, each competing with the other due to similarity in size, yet with differing header treatment. Images were often tipped at an angle, which is interesting when used sparingly, but when overused, it gives a look of chaos.

Four-column grid: The four-column grid was problematic because they were too narrow for the text, thus creating awkward word spacing (rivers) making legibility difficult, not to mention being unsightly.

Font treatment: Except for the masthead, the entire newsletter was a serif font, and the font was used in every conceivable way: Regular, bold, italics, small caps, all caps, condensed caps, extended caps... all in differing sizes. It gave a very chaotic look. With all these styles vying for our attention, any hierarchy disappeared. There was also a variety treatments of font alignment: centered, justified, and left.

See the AFTER results»