Inside the redesign of Creative Loafing Atlanta
Nine months ago (yes, nine months — how symbolic is that?), several of us at Creative Loafing were struck by a simple idea: What if we turned the paper into the type of publication that existed only in our imaginations? What was to stop us from rethinking ... everything? What if the Loaf we love could be reborn as a Loaf we love even more?
We enlisted help — from every department of the paper, from local artists we adore, from one of the country’s most inspiring design gurus, from devoted readers and even nonreaders — to build what we hope is the coolest possible paper. And after quite a bit of discomfort and heaving and seemingly endless pushing, we went and did it. The new Loaf has finally arrived.
Is it perfect? We’d like to think so. We’re enamored of those big, beautiful section titles; smitten with the provocative calls to action; gaga over the design’s elegant simplicity, the front-and-center photography, the fresh, frisky voices.
But as pleased as we are with our progeny, it’s you we have to impress.
Back in January, when I became editor of the paper, I made a promise: “We’re about to put ourselves — and Creative Loafing — to the ultimate test. We are going to try to rebuild this publication in a time of widespread doubt about the survival of newspapers. ... “The paper will be reinvented. You will see changes soon. They won’t be overnight, but they’re coming.”
I hope we did our part. Now it’s your turn. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. What do you love? What do you loathe? What’s daring? What’s straight-up confusing?
Go ahead, e-mail me. We really want to know what you think. Don’t worry, the staff and I won’t be offended, nor will we let the copious praise go to our heads.
But please, whatever you do, just don’t call our baby ugly.
– Mara Shalhoup, Editor-in-chief
