This page, brilliantly illustrated by Andrea Levy of the Plain Dealer, is a great example of the value of being able to sell your ideas. How many of your papers would run a page like this?
The best argument to do so is that having fun with your work is one of the best ways to engage readers. And to use a little pseudo-science, dopamine caused by any "wow" you can generate will better imprint the experience on your readers' minds.
Of course, we need to have the appropriate tone for serious stories, but when there are opportunities, why play it safe?
Here's another example, this one by Tiffany Pease, when she was at the Charlotte Observer, that is a little less outrageous, but certainly memorable. It's also a great example of design collaborating with photography.
Here's an example by Randy Palmer at the Dayton Daily News. I love the simplicity.
The mustard squirt is something we've all seen, but how many of us would think to use it to illustrated a festivals cover? Really smart putting the branding for the section on the mustard packet.
And here's one more example, this one by the Sun Sentinel's Chris Mihal. This is the cover of the yearly Florida Travel section. The illustration is big but the type is tiny. (Click the thumbnail for a closer look.)
To me, this was like one of those word puzzles, where you find and circle the words in a sea of letters. Maybe everyone won't like this, but it makes the page more interactive.
Ok, here is one of my own examples, just to show that I practice what I preach. This is an "antique" from the Sun Journal back in 2001.
Using chains to illustrate a story about security jobs might be a stretch, but I thought if we did, we may as well lock up the whole page.
These are just a few from my collection. If you have any favorite examples, you can post them right in the comments.
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