Science - September 16, 2004

Letter to the editor/ New layout

I think it’s a shame that the Wb has changed. As far as I’m concerned the new layout is not as good as it used to be. Whereas the old layout was professional, more serious and good quality, the paper now has a cheaper look with less attention to details such as the background colour for the regular features. You hope to improve readability by opting for a simpler layout, but I don’t think you have achieved this. If anything the readability has decreased, as the paper now looks messier.

‘The new heavy type for the headlines makes it clear at a glance what the most important news item is’. That’s not necessary. The position and length of the articles on a page indicate the hierarchy and the pages are clearly divided up into different subjects. The paper now ‘screams’ at me, a bit like the free newspapers you get on the trains. I find that a pity, because Wb is a newspaper that reports on and for the scientific world. To do that you don’t need to use sensationalist headlines in my opinion.

I am a faithful Wb reader, and have always enjoyed and appreciated the quality of writing and content of the paper. Compared to other university newspapers, the old style Wb always came out better. I hope for a return to the attractive, recognisable and more serious design.

Idde Lijnse
Student, Forestry & Nature Conservation

Wb would like to hear your reactions to the new style: wb@cereales.nl