SYNTAX re-brands and redesigns The Jordan Times newspaper

Thursday, May 20, 2004

Amman - SYNTAX, the Amman, Jordan based multidisciplinary design, media and technology consultancy has recently completed the re-branding and redesign of Jordan's leading English language daily, The Jordan Times. The new design of the paper appeared on newsstand April 13, 2004 and has thus far generated an overwhelmingly approving reaction form readers and the media industry in Jordan.

Over the past few years, Jordan has been witnessing a publishing frenzy of sorts, with new Arabic and English titles appearing and transforming the magazine and newspaper landscape in the Kingdom.

SYNTAX's involvement with The Jordan Times started in 2002, when it was commissioned to develop a tabloid sized format and structure for the paper's Weekender supplement. The successful launch of the Weekeneder resulted in a
commission to re-design the daily paper. Working closely with Acting Editor in chief Jennifer Hamarneh and her team, SYNTAX carried out a reader survey to gain insights into reader perceptions and to develop a blueprint for a new structure, design and branding for the 29-year-old paper.

Readers of the Jordan Times were asked what they wanted from their daily newspaper, what they liked and what they thought could be improved. The answers were that they expected a strong focus on local and regional political and business news, issues and opinions, coverage of Jordan's culture, arts and entertainment scene as well as relevant coverage of the emerging modern lifestyles in Jordan.

Another factor in the redesign was that in the age of the web and satellite TV, a newspaper's role has to significantly change. Faced with a flood of information, readers want their newspaper to be well organized, clear and "user-friendly".

All-round improvements

The redesign of The Jordan times left no aspect of the paper's presentation untouched:

Flying a new banner. An-all new, classic identity We felt that Jordan's only English language daily deserved an elegant, timeless, clear and humane identity and a color inspired by the rose shades of Petra.

Logical! A revamped structure
More focus on local news and events and a logical page sequence taking the reader from local to regional and global news in one go. Two pages of opinion and analysis transition you into our daily features page. Business picks up the pace again followed by sports, listings and lifestyle.

Engaging. A totally new back cover.
A lifestyle and Amman-focused back cover for readers who read the paper backwards! Our CITY page tells readers what is going on in Amman (and other cities) and covers Amman's arts, culture and entertainment events.

Find what you want. Better navigation
* A new front-page navigator intelligently guides readers to the paper's highlights.
* Topic indicators help readers make their reading decisions
* AT A GLANCE: a package of short news items that give readers a quick overview of the day's other news that didn't make the big headlines.

Easy on the eye: A clean, modern layout
* A clean modern layout style and an uncluttered presentation of information
* Informative boxes, graphs, maps and info-nuggets
* Crisp typefaces for text and headlines.

Reader reaction to the redesign has been overwhelmingly positive. A notable endorsement came in the form of a letter to the editor sent by Mr William F. Lee, editor, The Jordan Times, 1978-1981.

"It is a delight to see that Ahmad Humeid and his team have worked the same magic on the daily paper that they have previously applied to the Weekender, one of the most attractive and readable weekend supplements of any paper I know," Mr Lee wrote.

"I am sure your splendid new design will help to put the daily paper on the world media map," he added.

SYNTAX has been a pioneering force in the area of editorial design in the Middle East since the mid nineties, having been heavily involved in groundbreaking print and electronic publishing projects such as the first incarnation of BYTE Middle East, Popular Science Middle East and Arabia.com.

For more information please contact:

Ahmad Humeid ,CEO, SYNTAX
voice +962 6 5933 991
fax +962 6 5933 991
e.mail: ahmad@syntaxdigital.com
web: www.syntaxdigital.com

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