IN RESPONSE TO- JACEK UTKO ASKS: CAN DESIGN SAVE THE NEWSPAPER?
Jacek Utko is a designer. He designs not only for creative expression, but to sell and revive the newspaper culture. He designs with a mission; to prolong the life of the physical newspaper. "Can anything sell newspapers?" He asks, and it's a loaded question. In a world of instant gratification, of iPads, (touchscreen tablets that do, quite literally, do everything,) of mobile Internet and hands-free communication, why would anyone possibly want to carry around something physical? Why would a person want to lug around an issue of the sunday New York Times? Utko answers that question.
Utko never set out to design newspapers. He wanted to create art, to design posters and things that jumped off the page. He was hired as an art director for a newspaper in Eastern Europe and it was the most boring job he'd ever had, with boring words and boring colors. When he started working with Pulz Biznesu, a Polish economic newspaper, things changed. His covers have been recipients of numerous awards, including, but not limited to World's Best Designed by the Society for News Design.
"The secret is that we were treating the whole newspaper as one piece, as one composition," Utko states. Instead of divying up the newspaper into traditional sections, he created a newspaper as a cohesive piece of art. "Like music. [Music] has ups and downs and design is responsible for this experience. Flipping through pages is [...] an experience, and I'm responsible for this experience." The all-encompassing manner with which Utko speaks about a newspaper is refreshing. The zeal with which he speaks about designing is inspiring, but does it answer the original question? Can newspapers be saved?
At the pace with which technology is evolving, I would be loathe to say either yes or no. Newspapers provide an experience, and Utko is correct in his assertion. But the definition of 'experience' differs from person to person. As does the definition of 'newspaper' in today's world. Children being brought up in the touchpad, instant-gratification world may not define a newspaper as a tangible, readable.. thing with pages and ink and a distinct smell.
Do I think that design can help in the fight to save the newspaper culture? I definitely believe that, 100%. What was popular in the early 1900's may not be popular today. Design concepts evolve with time and we as students, media consumers and designers, are finding ourselves in another crux. This crux is the transition into a purely digital age. Design is one of the few things that is sure to survive the transition.
Jacek says that "you can live in a small poor country, like me. You can work for a small company, in a boring branch. You can have no budgets, no people -- but still can put your work to the highest possible level. And everybody can do it." No matter what, design and ideas transcend budgets or means. I believe that with the endless resource that is creativity and imagination, newspapers' livelihood can be improved. It won't solve the decline in newspapers, but it can certainly slow it down.
When you think about the history of newspapers, we really should be more sentimental. That being said, I understand the the experience that newspapers have for every individual. Until recently, I never paid attention to newspapers. I thought the news was usually depressing and most of the time, when I read something or tuned into the news on TV I'd hear something terrible and change the channel. Newspapers today, like the NY Times offer people a plethora of information, and I finally have embraced that. I am not a fan of paper newspapers though. I don't like when my hands get dirty from the print and I really don't enjoy the smell. I prefer to read the Times for instance, on my Kindle, online or through the app for my iPod Touch. While that is my opinion, that is not everyone's. I can understand Utko's argument. If the newspapers were given a "makeover" people would be more apt to check it out, even if it is only once. News will always be important, but perhaps it's time to move ahead with technology and save some trees while we're at it.
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