Change is in the air as Dispatch takes new look

THE new-look Daily Dispatch is here. While the official launch of the newspaper is on July 3, we thought it important to give you, the reader, a sneak preview of what your new newspaper will look like.

This is so that you can familiarise yourself with the new design and compare the current design with the new one.

This redesign process has been two years in the making, and it incorporates a number of suggestions from our readers.

These include the “Inside Today” strip along the bottom of the front page, affording the reader more previews on the content for the day.

The biggest change – besides the fonts, layout and design – is the introduction of the black and blue masthead.

Since the introduction of colour printing in newspapers you have become accustomed to the blue Daily Dispatch masthead. This is why we have kept the blue “Dispatch” as it is synonymous with the newspaper, and is an important part of our heritage. However, we have introduced black to symbolise change – to depict a modern newspaper in line with international trends.

The new design is modern, fresh and easier to read and navigate.

We understand that not everyone likes change, and that for some readers the new look will require some getting used to.

Mindful of that, we have tried to make the new design as welcoming as possible.

The new fonts are more legible, with type sizes slightly bigger than they were. This should make the paper more userfriendly, especially for our readers with poor eyesight.

We also understand that the redesign of the Daily Dispatch cannot be a stand-alone function.

It has to go hand in hand with an overall review of the content mix of the newspaper.

While we retain most of your favourite elements and features, we will be adding more in-depth and investigative pieces.

We will also throw more “good news” into the mix, profiling inspirational individuals and getting successful (local) personalities to share their tips for success.

Another thing: from the first weekend of July we introduce the Daily Dispatch Weekend Edition which will replace the existing Saturday Dispatch.

The Weekend Edition will be a bumper edition that is weighty, both in content and in size.

It will include a lifestyle supplement, “The Weekender”, which will include show houses, as well as lifestyle, DIY and motoring features.

Finally, we introduce a number of new sports columnists covering various sporting codes.

Enjoy!

This redesign process has been two years in the making, and it incorporates a number of suggestions from our readers