10 Tips for Better Business Page Design

If you've ever worked the room at a party and avoided the intellectual in the corner who's completely out of place in a decades-old leisure suit, you can empathize with the experience many readers have flipping through the newspaper and encountering the business section.

The problem with allowing the geek in the glasses to remain a visual wallflower is that he actually is a great conversationalist with some really fascinating stuff to say. Business stories are rich with some of the most compelling life-and-death subject matter, exploring the intersection of power and money and what all of that means to John and Jane Doe.

But the visual storytelling in most business sections still does not reflect this energy or excitement. Their image doesn't begin to project their personality. And while everyone else at the party has gone through make-over after make-over in efforts to attract readers, business is still sporting that look that says he is playing hard to get and isn't that much fun to spend time with anyway.

What can business sections do to break through the perception that they're boring, dry, hard to understand, too mathematical and just plain dull? Here are 10 tips for breathing more life into the design of your business pages:

1. Ask: What does it feel like?

The most important thing to remember about business stories is that they're not about numbers, gadgets, markets or government policies. They're stories about people, and how their lives are affected by the subject matter. Too often, business designers forget to ask the most important question taught in journalism school: "How does it feel?" A well-designed business section aims every day to connect emotionally with readers.

What does it feel like to be caught cooking the books? To use a new technology for the first time? To run out of money before your children start college? To buy your first house? To compete against someone twice your size? Tap into the feelings the story evokes and exaggerate them visually. And remember: One of the easiest ways to connect with readers is to make them laugh. Don't be afraid to lighten up once in a while � business sections take themselves much too seriously.

2. Come face to face with readers.

Do you know what, more than anything else, makes people stop and look? Nothing grabs our attention more than another human face.

Research with primates suggests our brains are hard-wired to respond to faces in highly sensitive ways. We like to see ourselves reflected in the world around us (ever see the man in the moon?), and we'll even spend more time looking at ordinary objects when they're arranged in the shape of a face. We're universally attracted to faces with large heads and eyes � like Walt Disney characters or small children. And we gaze at faces in particular ways, fixating on the features that give the most information: the eyes, nose and mouth.

What does all this mean for design? First, that you can never go wrong by putting more faces in your sections � especially in those number-heavy, gadget-laden packages. And secondly, it suggests that crucial design elements, such as type, can be linked with those facial features on a page for greater effectiveness.

3. Pump up your photojournalism.

One of the major reasons business sections languish visually is that too many of them still rely on photography to create a center of visual impact. The trouble with documentary photojournalism in the business world is that most of us talk on telephones and work at computers all day. It's extremely difficult, under the best of circumstances, for photographers to make compelling images beyond stylized portraits. But there are a few things you can do to improve the odds.

First, factor in time for conversation with the photo team. It's going to take longer to talk through ways to photograph a business event than a sporting event. And the visual groundwork should begin when the writer starts gathering information, not after the story is written.

Make sure all the bases are covered in the photo request: who, what, when, where and how to contact the subject. Photos that fall short often do so, not because the photographer failed to meet the challenge, but because they were hamstrung by a lack of information going in.

Finally, avoid the biggest mistake business sections make: Asking a subject when they're free to be photographed. Photographers don't want to shoot people when they're FREE, they want to shoot them when they're BUSY. Photographs that have action, interaction and emotion are always stronger than posed situations.

4. Think beyond photography (or "how to create something out of nothing").

Don't settle for running a weak photograph, thinking that's all you've got to work with. Dig through your pockets, your desk drawer, your glove box and scan something. Some visual teams keep boxes of props. Every designer should have access to a digital camera and know how to use it. Invest in a decent library of stock photo images, especially basic, timeless concept icons that can be combined with other images (this is less expensive than you might think). Surf the Internet for visuals and graphic ideas. The possibilities are endless if you give yourself permission to think that way.

5. Brainstorm something new.

Doing the unexpected visually can surprise and seduce readers. But we've all had days when the stories are complicated, abstract or things that have been done a million times before. How do you show something that's hard to tell?

First, you have to nail down your focus. Write down the most concise answer you can to the question: What is this story about? Make a list of individual key words and phrases, and sketch simple icons to illustrate each item. Combine the strongest images and take the words away. Then take the combinations a step further by distorting size, emotion or repetition to the point of absurdity.

Never underestimate the power of a good metaphor. These figures of speech are your best friend in explaining complex news. Metaphors connect two different universes by transferring the qualities of a difficult object to another that's easier to understand. For any subject, there are a dozen metaphors. And each metaphor projects dozens of images.

Don't be too literal -- just because a story is about avoiding pitfalls doesn't mean you need to show pits with people falling in. Clich�s aren't necessarily bad if you can give them a clever twist. But avoid overdone notions such as:

�� Money coming down a pipeline or falling through a funnel

�� Computers in place of people's heads

�� The game board motif

�� Competing companies in a boxing ring

�� Anything under a magnifying glass

6. Look at the Macro and Micro view.

Finding new ways to communicate with readers is all about working the right angle. Look for the unusual perspective in a story -- the macro and micro views. For example, a story about crime could be told by looking at statistics from around the country, or by following the path of a single bullet. Examining the micro view is particularly interesting in business stories that deal with large numbers and broad trends (Richard Read's well-known "French Fry Connection" piece is a great example of micro-view reporting)

7. Travel through time.

Look at the chronology of the story. Was there a turning point along the way that lends itself to a lead visual? Timelines are often written right into the story. Think about "now and then" themes and look for wacky historical connections (I once packaged a story showing that when hemlines rise in the fashion world, markets rise in the business world). Timelines also allow you to do art montages, which add impact without demanding that weak art be played larger than it deserves.

8. Help readers digest the data.

One of the most common complaints about business sections is that they're too intimidating. Business news is full of numbers, and readers don't want to be slowed down by having to do mathematical equations. The goal of good business design is to take the complicated stuff � especially the numerical data � and serve it up in bite-size bits. The more complex the story, the more explanation it needs. Ask questions like:

�� What's missing from the story?

�� What's bogging down the text?

�� What are the most striking facts?

�� Who are the other players in this arena?

�� Can this story be told only in numbers?

�� What step-by-step processes can we show?

�� How does this work?

�� What's next?

Edit tightly when building those fact boxes, lists, Q&As, quizzes, glossaries and charts. Graphics guru Edward Tufte said: "Graphical excellence is that which gives to the viewer the greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space." And that good editing "is eliminating the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

Focus on one key fact or trend instead of overwhelming readers with your impressive body of research. Label things clearly. Make sure the graphic has enough information to stand on its own if readers don't get to the narrative. Avoid jargon, acronyms, technical language and the word "manufacturing" at all costs (a personal rule).

9. Learn the language.

For many visual journalists, working in business is like visiting a foreign country. Most business sections don't have dedicated designers to lay out their pages, let alone designers and artists with backgrounds in economics and finance. The philosophy of business sections varies from other areas of the paper, so it's important to ensure that everyone is on the same page about which content deserves the most emphasis.

And while they may never become fluent in the language of business, it's important that designers and artists at least learn a few key words and phrases so they can translate for readers. Simply attending story planning meetings, flipping through financial magazines and browsing business Web sites can help build a stronger acumen.

Visual journalists should ask questions using business vocabulary. This shows respect and prompts more dialogue. Don't worry if you misuse or misunderstand a term. Allowing your colleagues to correct you will give you a greater knowledge of the jargon and help you understand what you're packaging.

If you're not clear about what's being proposed, ask for clarification. Don't walk away confused or assume smarter business readers will understand something you don't. Build an environment where no question is inappropriate. Even if ideas are suggested that aren't viable, you gain insight into how each other thinks. Touch base on progress you make, and problems you encounter. Test your thinking and get reactions from each other. Just because you're not a writer doesn't mean you shouldn't write. And just because you're not an artist doesn't mean you can't draw.

10. Finally, think like a reader, not like a designer.

My motto, written in large letters on the front page of my sketchbook is: "PITY THE READER." The primary mission of business designers is to help readers understand information and why they should care about the complexities of business news. In all disagreements over which elements go where � and which elements are missing � the person who can put ego aside and make the best journalistic argument wins.

That means business designers need to edit their work from journalistic perspectives as well as aesthetic angles, to think critically as well as creatively.

Foster a culture that rewards this kind of thinking on a regular basis. Before you know it, your business section will project a personality readers will want to spend more time with.

Another resource: Curious to see what other Business sections are doing? Point your browser to www.newspagedesigner.com and browse the Business Design category to see work from business designers all around the world.