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During a redesign, we each have a role to play
—and that certainly applies to
You've decided to do a redesign—and your publisher has signed on with a consultant to help you get the job done.
When that happens, it doesn't mean the publisher has any less work to do. On the contrary, the publisher may find that he or she has more work to do. That's because some consultants—including the one I see in my mirror every morning—can be fairly demanding.
When I work with client publishers, I have my expectations. Here are some of them:
Be proactive. It's your newspaper and your investment in both time and money. Protect your investment by being part of the process. But...
Don't get in the way. Let the consultant and your managers and staff get the job done without your becoming too closely involved. Remember the day your dropped off your first child at preschool? It was tough not to be in full control anymore but you knew you had to let go—and you know you could always check up on how things were going. The same applies to a redesign. Don't micromanage.
Be demanding. Don't settle for just any old look. And insist on more than a cookie-cutter redesign. Make sure the look you get is the one you want. But...
Be open-minded. Be willing to look at options. Trust the consultant to bring you some ideas you may not have thought of. But...
Remember the two words you never want to hear from the consultant: "Trust me." Make the consultant prove that something works for you and your newspaper.
Ask lots of questions. You're not the expert and the consultant should be. Don't be afraid to ask the consultant to prove a point. Don't be afraid of not knowing everything about design—that's why you hired the consultant in the first place.
Answer lots of questions. The consultant may be expert in design. But he's not an expert on you, your managers, your staff. He doesn't know how your newsroom operates, though he may have the general idea. He doesn't know much about your readers, though he may have the general idea. He will have lots of questions—be ready to answer them or ready to work on those answers that may take time.
Know your market. You can't answer many of the consultant's questions without knowing your readership, your advertisers, your penetration rate and the like. These will be key in determining how you're going to conduct your redesign process.
Know your competition. The consultant can look though their paper. He can work to make your new look different from theirs. But without your input he may not understand that they recently reworked their classified advertising deadlines or their obituary policies.
Know what you want. Puh-leeze don't tell me "I don't know what I want but I'll know it when I see it." Odds are—if you can't help us with some ideas—you'll never see it.
Be prepared to kick in some extra bucks for redesign expenses. You may want to sign up for a graphics service. Or you many need to buy some illustration CDs. These costs usually are not prohibitive—they're really just part of your investment.
Give everyone a chance to be part of the process. The more buy-in we get during the redesign, the better the outcome will be and the longer it will last.
Commit all departments to helping out. A redesign tends to be more of an editorial project but every department will be effected. Your classified manager, your comptroller and your retail advertising account reps should be included.
Offer your support. The consultant may need it to overcome occasional reluctance or resistance. You carry the big stick.
That's your part of the bargain. And really, it's no more than what you're asked to do as part of your job—every day.
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