Die Zeit’s co-head of art direction, Haika Hinze, describes how her German newspaper bagged the World’s Best Designed Newspaper Award in the 44th edition of the SND competition. Exclusive interview with tksajeev
What is Die Zeit secret to success?
Devotion, humor and much persistence.
How does Die Zeit differ from other print designs?
We design each page freely, there are no templates, we don’t do machine-generated layouting.
We take our time for DIE ZEIT.
Die Zeit has won the best-designed newspaper award, but less in the individual section. Why?
Collaboration plays a big role for us. For each page we have a team and the newspaper is coordinated as a whole. To ensure variety, excitement, and a good readers’ guidance, we work like a director on stage. The question is how we create a good dramaturgy with the current range of topics. It is most important that the newspaper becomes an informative event for our readers. Perhaps it is this working method that also convinces the Jury.
Some newspapers used fonts as a design element in a big way, in past years. Can we say Die Zeit rejuvenated it?
That is correct. We have for 77 years used the same fonts for our headlines. That was established in 1946 just for DIE ZEIT, and we still find it very eye-catching. Although it is the classic Antiqua, it is as powerful as it is graceful. We very much like to use the fonts as a graphic element, plants entwining initial letters, infographics being placed in headlines and things like that. Using these fonts, the way we do, makes DIE ZEIT unique!
Can you explain how Die Zeit is using design elements like white space, illustration, infographics and images to perfection?
The design elements you mention and of course photographs and illustrations in particular, are journalism for us! Visual journalism. White space, for example, can create pathos in places where too large a picture could be voyeuristic. Infographics can often explain matters clearly, and the photographs bring many stories to life.
Malin Schulz Haika Hinze (Art Directors)
How does your design team work?
Together! Above all – we work together! We debate much, we ask many questions, we do a lot of research, and we experiment quite a bit.
There is a belief that good design helps increase the circulation of the newspaper. Your comment
Yes, as design is visual journalism and nowadays simply indispensable. But it is funny that this question comes up again and again. Design is generally of great importance, each and everything has a design, needs a form. A good design provides the product or the content with value and credibility.
When young readers worldwide keep away from print , how do your readers react to your design?
The print version is still quite successful in the German newspaper market. However, strategic considerations for the future have, of course, already been taking place.
How does the editorial team support your team?
They support us well. We strongly try to work in mixed teams. Text editors and design editors come together to develop the best solution for every topic.
