Compact with an impact
The changes you now see in SunStar Cebu began nearly two years ago, when the idea of converting to a compact format surfaced in a strategic planning session of the SunStar Media Group.
It was a spirited discussion. We all agreed a change was overdue. A readership survey and focus group discussions in late 2015 had yielded insights about what our readers needed. They needed an authoritative source of stories that mattered, and more information they could digest in less time.
Yet it took us some time to embrace the idea of such a major change.
SunStar’s design has undergone some changes in the last 34 years, but none as dramatic as this. And when it comes to change, past success can be one’s biggest hurdle.
A turning point for us was when the Cebuano graphic designer, poet and illustrator Adonis Durado came onboard as design consultant. He had joined SunStar as a college student in 1996 and stayed until 2002. Now based in Oman as the design di- rector of two newspapers, Durado has won awards from the Society for News Design and the World Association of Newspapers, among others.
Electric best describes the mood in the session when Durado first presented his studies on SunStar Cebu’s new design. Our main concern when we first explored the idea of going compact was that our community of readers might feel they were getting less. We are confident this design will put those worries to rest.
This is our compact with our readers and advertisers, whose support for nearly 35 years now we deeply value: more of the community journalism that has made SunStar what it is today, presented in a much better form.
Asked about what he most hoped to achieve with the SunStar redesign project, Durado said, “I hope to bring a new level of sophistication in visual journalism here in Cebu: a regional paper with international design flair. SunStar’s compact look has a design DNA of complex grid and elegant typography. And I also want to showcase that good design is very much utilitarian. Design that champions content. Design that caters to two types of consumers: the readers and the scanners.”
“What amuses me on this project is the fact that I did my college thesis on evaluating SunStar’s existing design,” Durado said. “I offered critical assessment and redesign solutions about 15 years ago, and I’m glad they will finally see the light of day.”
What amuses me on this project is the fact that I did my college thesis on evaluating SunStar’s existing design... I offered critical assessment and redesign solutions about 15 years ago, and I’m glad they will finally see the light of day. ADONIS DURADO