Scene Re-design

In 2017, I, along with a graphic designer, was tasked with re-designing the Jackson Hole News&Guide’s entertainment section. It had always been known as “Stepping Out” and used the same design elements as other sections of the paper.

Intent:

The overall goal with the re-design was to:

1. Market and distribute the entertainment section as a stand-alone product.

2. Modernize its look and content style to appeal to a younger demographic & tourists that frequent Jackson Hole.

3. Draw in new advertisers and build confidence in current advertisers by investing in a section re-design that would last for years to come.

Process:

We met with a focus group of readers and a focus group of advertisers to gauge what the community wanted and what the section was missing. The results overwhelmingly suggested that the section felt out-of-date and wasn’t able to stand out from the rest of the paper. Then, over eight weeks, I worked with a lead designer to create the new name, logo, color scheme, font choice, page layouts, and content guidelines. In addition to all the design changes, we also changed how the paper was printed so that it was horizontal rather than vertical. This allowed it to be better placed as a stand-alone product and slip out of the regular paper to be handheld for tourists. In addition, the print calendar, which had always been a large part of the section, was re-designed and pared-down, encouraging readers towards our website and digital content. We chose a simple name, “Scene,” and modern but timeless fonts and color schemes that would not only allow the section to stand-alone for years to come, but allow for week-to-week design and editing creativity so each issue of Scene was unique.

Result:

A section with a new name, feel, color scheme, and design. A section that appealed to a broader, younger audience through design elements and one that — through content choices — was easier for tourists to access and gain information from. We also launched it co-currently with new Instagram and Facebook accounts to draw readers into our digital content. From advertiser and reader feedback to subsequent website traffic and engagement, every aspect of the re-design was a success.