Style profile: keeping an eye on i

I always like to stop and take a good look at publications that manage to push the boundaries of news design, while still holding true to the core of news journalism.

A while ago I came across a 2009 newspaper startup that I had to simply stop … and behold.

And yes, I said startup.

i is a daily newspaper in Lisbon, Portugal with a circulation of around 36,000 (and rising).

The attention paid to the design of this publication is phenomenal. And not only that, i has reinvented the traditional newspaper structure.

Sections are organized by:

1. Opinion (Think): op/ed section to start off the paper
2. Radar (Know): a quick overview of the past 24 hours
3. Zoom (Understand): in-depth, longer articles
4. More (Feel): cultural ongoings, including sports

I’ve rounded up several design samples to get a better feel for i‘s style.

Here are some page one designs:

Page designs from inside the paper:

This feature was printed over eight spreads. The end result, a life-size image of the Prime Minister.

i‘s style doesn’t end with print design:

Here’s a video clip about a typical day at i:

This is a publication to keep your eye on. It has given the traditional newspaper model a dramatically modern makeover, and it’s catching the attention of a new, younger generation of newspaper readers.