Metro unveils a redesign for their Canadian commuter papers

In a move to strengthen the publication’s brand and push further towards a magazine style layout, Metro has rolled out a new design in Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The sections have been reworked and simplified:

1. News – Local, Canada and World

2. Scene – Entertainment

3. Life – Health, Fashion, Finance

4. Sports – Expanded sports coverage

5. Drive (every Wednesday)

“The new Metro is, quite simply, unlike any printed publication in Canada”, says Charlotte Empey, Editor-in-Chief. “Heightened expert analysis, commentary, powerful pictures and readers’ views and opinions will enhance our editorial core, at the same time, keeping the news dynamic, compelling and fresh. But our revolutionary approach to reporting the news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Metro is known for innovation, changing print and design history more than once, and leading the pack in targeting the hard-to-reach metropolitan. This redesign is the next level.”

At first glance it’s clear that they are trying to integrate more charts, graphs, pull quotes and fact boxes into the mix. For a commuter paper where the average reader’s attention span is typically quite brief, this approach is not only visually appealing, but it lends itself well to fast paced intake.

Here’s a sample of Metro Toronto before the redesign: