'Inquirer' editors speak about changes

Students returning to campus this month may have noticed the The Philadelphia Inquirer has taken on a new look from when they left last May. Editor Maxwell King and Mario Garcia, the Inquirer's design consultant, spoke to members of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts last night in the Harold Prince Theater about these changes. The paper will maintain its "character and content -- simple, straight forward and hard-hitting," King said. King, who became editor of the Inquirer in 1990, said that often when a new editor takes over a newspaper it gets a dramatic new design -- one which he said is frequently met with angry reactions from the readers. And King said that he was already happy with the small changes that began appearing in January and does not intend to make such a radical departure. King said he began working with Garcia in early 1991 to plan for the design changes so they would reflect the content of the newspaper. Garcia, who works for the Poytner Institute for Media Studies in Florida, said the changes are designed so they will work with the story structures. Many of the changes are also being made to accomodate the color capabilities of the Inquirer's new printing plant in Montgomery County, King said. Other changes include the addition of more regional sections for suburban Philadelphia areas to improve readership. King devoted much his speech to a history of the design changes at the Inquirer since 1969 when it featured about 13 stories on the front page. King said the number was steadily reduced in an effort "to clean up the front page." He supplemented the lecture with a slide show of front pages of the newspaper throughout the years. King also said that there has been little reader reaction to the design changes -- which he said is exactly his intention. And although circulation figures have remained flat, King added that he hopes that the overall design and editorial changes will lead to a 10 percent increase in circulation over the next two years. After King spoke, Garcia stressed that one of the most important components in recreating the newspaper's design was the color palette. He added that the Inquirer's pastel colors match the city of Philadelphia. Garcia said that he determined the city's color palette by visiting local art galleries. Garcia said he chose to work on the Inquirer because of its reputation and found the job challenging. "It's one of the greatest newspapers," Garcia said. "It was an interesting experience."

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