As a writer whose passion for the craft often overtakes her objectivity, I used to believe that the most memorable stories belonged to their authors, and that it was their superior writing skills that inspired and entertained readers.
But after more than a decade of working in the corporate environment, I have finally accepted that readers are generally too tired, too busy or just too plain lazy to be enticed by the promise of a good read: They need proof. They want a visual two-second test-drive before they decide whether or not to spend precious minutes on a particular page.
This is not to say that corporate readers are not discerning or that sloppy copy reads any better when dressed up with elaborate design. The truth is that in any corporate publication, a great article won't be read if the layout is poor. Similarly, a stunning design falls flat if the content doesn't live up to it.
I recently read an article that seemed to contradict this. It suggested that good copy should not rely on formatting to make it stronger. It said that you should write without using bold, underscore, italics or any other formatting function. This way, if a point doesn't seem strong or clear enough you won't be tempted to simply bold the sentence to make it stand out. You rephrase it until the words do the work.
But this all changes when you get to design and layout. In newsletter production—as with any good marriage—the whole can (and should) be greater than the sum of the parts. Great content needs—no, deserves—great design, and this is where the W.E.D. principle comes in. W.E.D. refers to the harmonious marriage of writing, editing and design. The W.E.D. principle isn't just another way to improve your publication—it's the only way.
Developed in the mid-1980s by The Poynter Institute's Mario Garcia and Roy Peter Clark, W.E.D. is a practice that encourages teams of writers, editors, photographers, artists and designers to work together to tell stories in the most effective and vivid way. W.E.D. doesn't mean that the journalist or writer must be proficient in all three areas, but it does mean understanding and learning the vocabulary of coworkers so that you are able to make connections between all the different elements of a package as it is put together.
Why writers must design
As a writer, you should be able to "see" page layout while you work because it affects what you write. In the same way that you look out for a special angle, statistic or fact on which to "hang" your article, you should also be thinking of how it can be reflected in the layout. This helps you to identify themes and ideas for photos or illustrations, which in turn determines how much space you have and how long your article should be.
The best writing uses words to create images in a reader's mind. Take it one step further and visualize what your story will look like in its final format. What photograph or colors would you expect to see? What would draw you in?
Here's an example: The editor of the staff newsletter at a local mining company was short on ideas for a lead story. The newly merged company had recently announced strong financial results and won third place in a "best companies to work for" competition. On top of this, the publication itself had fared well in a local publishing competition. But how could this be transformed into a piece worthy of the cover?
In a brainstorming session, the photographer suggested depicting a winner—for example, someone standing on a podium. This inspired the copywriter to draft captions that could be superimposed on the photo:
1st Financial Results Announced
2nd Best Internal Newsletter Award
3rd Best Company to Work For
The copyeditor then suggested a headline and introduction that incorporated the letter "X" from the company name ("Exxaro"):
Headline: X marks the spot
Intro: Exxaro is clearly the place to be, with strong financial results and top scores at two events on the local corporate calendar.
The designer then deep etched the raised arms of the people in the photo, so that they formed part of the "X" in the headline.
Why designers must read
Page design is, in itself, an illustration, and even something as simple as color choice should match the written content on each page. If the designer understands the content and objectives of the story, he or she can use specific layout techniques to support it. Remember the two-second test-drive: If your reader sees a conservative gray layout, he or she will assume that it is a conservative "gray" story and won't read past the headline.
Get hitched!
Practice the W.E.D. principle by involving your photographer, graphic artist and designer at the start. Discuss the angle you're going to take, what information is needed to strengthen understanding, and what type of photo, illustration or typography would achieve this.
Here's an example: A new staff magazine was being launched to coincide with the announcement of company A's strategy for the year. Because the company recently appointed a new CEO, the editorial team agreed to feature him on the cover page.
In setting up the interview, the journalist discovered that one of the CEO's hobbies was archery. The photographer suggested doing a stylized black-and-white shot of the CEO practicing with his bow and arrow. The editor then came up with key theme words to incorporate into the headline and copy, e.g., targets, goals, aim and focus. The designer suggested running part of the copy in the shape of a target, to visually connect the theme with the company's strategic goals for the year. He sketched a few layout suggestions, which the journalist used to draw up a structure and word count for her story.
By integrating the process of writing, editing and design, this team turned what could have been an unimaginative and largely unread management article into a striking feature with a human-interest theme that pulls readers in on all three levels.
More than just an acronym
The concept of W.E.D. is, however, evolving, with the "design" aspect broadening to include online services and even video. In a recent article on Poynteronline, Ron Reason points out that the individual letters in "W.E.D." aren't as important as the philosophy—planning a project from start to finish, using the talents of all the team to the fullest and presenting the information in the best way possible.
This is exactly how your publication should work: The words inform, the pictures illustrate and the layout attracts. Together, they grab the attention that your message deserves.
