Newspaper Club logo

I don't normally do this, but I've just written about the Newspaper Club logo on the Newspaper Club blog and I thought you guys would like to read it as well.

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You may have noticed we've slightly changed the Newspaper Club logo. The previous one used a temporary paperboy graphic whilst we worked behind the scenes to create a bespoke one. 

I'd like to tell you about the thinking behind the logo and show you some of the versions that didn't make the cut. Other start ups don't give you that level of transparency, do they? When you think of newspapers you probably think of that 'funny marmalade' font. And you'd be right. That font you're thinking of visually equals newspaper, so I elected to use that. Simple. I'm a huge fan of not over complicating design, as my old boss used to say, "you might say cliché, I might say crystal clear communication". 

Most of the typography that would pass as crystal clear communication for a newspaper masthead is based on the font Blackletter. Blackletter has it's uses, but on screen is not one of them. In fact, it's more Duchy Originals than Daily Oregonian as over an incredible 1,000 years Blackletter has undergone many cuts and derivatives and most broadsheet newspapers today use stylised versions. Or typefaces based on a gothic Blackletteresque font, more accurately.

I needed a version that said 'newspaper' as instantly as Blackletter but worked well on screen.

Back in June (on day one in fact) I looked at several versions and settled on Brauhaus . It has been simplified and is therefore better for online use yet it still retains the newspaper feel I was after. To make the letters more distinctive I opted to change the N and the C for slightly tweaked versions of the Blackletter N and C.

That's the word marque sorted but for a modern start up you need an icon for all those pesky 32x32 square icons you have to create. And that's where the paperboy came in. The original inspiration was the Paperboy Atari game from the 1984. That's a sort of digital newspaper joke for people of a certain age. 

A little character would be handy for all those icons and also for guiding you through the newspaper making process. It feels right for Newspaper Club as we're a friendly tool for people and communities not a secretive, hard edged, spiky tech dot com.

We used this chap for a while, but it was just a place holder. We wanted our own, so we tasked the amazing Rexbox with creating one for us. Rex has worked on all sorts of cool stuff including co-creating LittleBigPlanet and stuff for Disney and MTV. Here he is. The paperboy, not Rex.

The result is a modern, friendly logo whilst hinting at the visual history of the newspaper masthead. We hope you like it.

Comments

[Aaron]

Sorry, this is not a positive response. I don't have any issues with the font but the icon seems desperately incongruous. The placeholder feels more authentic, and has a sense of appropriateness and charm that's lacking in your final figure.

The amount of space he takes up also bothers me. Like I said, I'm sorry. As eloquently described as your masthead/logo is, it doesn't resonate with this reader.

[Brian]

Sorry from this reader too, I have to agree. It looks a bit uncomfortable. Classic simplicity with gimmicky overtones. The font works, character not so much. And the amount of space it takes does seem a tad much.

I very much enjoyed the transparency of the process you took to work out the logo and glad you took the time to do so, just wish it had a different conclusion. Don't mean to offend, just my thoughts.

[Christian]

I think negative responses are to be anticipated, as certain people act upon a (latent) conservative streak. Perhaps there's a desperate sense of preciousness that factors in as print media struggle to stay afloat and Web-based media inexorably subsume them. Print publications have always faced the dilemma of wanting to update their look, to the displeasure of a section of their readership who would like everything to stay the same, always and forever.

I think the logo is quite smart, building a bridge between two encampments that don't necessarily need to stand in opposition to each other.

[Paulo Pereira]

The new paperboy doesn't bother me. He's an updated version of the "chap" you used before.

I think having a color illustration is jarring to people who don't like the logo. They got used to the original black & white illustration and now the color illustration stands out alot more. Also he is taller vertically with his shadow than the letters N & C in Newspaper Club.

Give it some time. They'll get used to it.

-Paulo

[Neil Martin]

I'm afraid it's a no for me regarding the new Paperboy. Having not seen the original up until now and being able to compare the two, there is still a nice charm about the original that the new one doesn't have. I think if you are to keep the character, then the typeface needs to change to accomodate him.

As Aaron has already said, "The amount of space he takes up also bothers me". Agreed.

Finally (and this is picky, I know), but the character's thumb is quite clearly pointing down as if in disapproval of the newspaper in his other hand. As if he's delivering bad news.

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this is another reader who can't approve this logo.

[twitter.com/zarara]

Super logo! I also think the little guy works really well, especially as an icon.

I personally like the paperboy in colour, though I had not seen the previous b&w logo, which may be why it's not so jarring for me.

[nix]

I loved Paper boy! - The game that is, I'm afraid I don't like your logo, it jars with the font too much.

[bob]

disaster. sorry, but it just is.

[Matt]

Why is he giving the thumbs down?

[Ben]

He hates the logo too.