MARCUS OFFERS US two pages for review. Ed has some thoughts to share below each. Then…it’s your turn!
•
FROM ED: In a word…unthrilling. Other points:
1. Might’ve worked better to place the headline and subhead flush right.
2. Good lead photo, played well. I also liked the bottom right shot. Others were, well…OK.
3. Really wish you had not run the teachers story here.Is this a photo page…or not? Having that story at the bottom says “not.” Jeez. Couldn’t that story have waited another day?
•
FROM ED:
1. Love the bullet holes. I think you did a good job placing them on the page.
2. Like the photos.
3. Like the machine guns package.
4. Hate the hook and the “talking fish” cutesy clippy art in the solunar table. Please fix that. Like…NOW! (Wow. That’s the first time Ed ever used red and bold on one word in this blog! He must really not like clip art!)
Other comments? Waiting to hear from the assembled multitude. You, too, can chastise The Daily Times for that solunar table dreck.
Ed, I know you mentioned QR codes a while back… The 4th of July page here includes a code with a caption ‘smartphone access’ under it…no comments about its usage or placement. Smartphone access to….what? And it’s floating in white space next to a photo caption?
I think the outdoors page better epitomizes proper QR code usage: it’s out of the way, above the rail. Not part of a package. The text explains fully what will happen if you scan it. And, if you take the time to scan it, there’s a payoff: sign up for solunar text updates. Some readers will want that, others don’t care about it—and won’t scan it.
I have a friend who owns an ad agency in Los Angeles. He’s the creative partner.
I was curious about what he thought about QR codes.
He made an interesting point: He said people with smartphones need a ‘payoff’ if they’re spending the time to load the QRcode reader, then scanning the code.
They get mad if the code simply takes them somewhere they wouldn’t normally have gone. Generally they consider it a waste of time. They want a prize giveaway, or entry into a contest, text updates about solunar tables, some kind of payoff….just to make it worthwhile.
Anyway, I’m trying to be a little voice of reason around here, but I’m standing in the shallow end against a tidal wave of QR usage! I’m cruisin’ for a bruisin’. In my opinion they’re not the best lookin’ things in the world, they’re square, which is not always the easiest shape to integrate, and I’m thinking the fad may be over soon.
One man’s opinion. I could be wrong, the code may take the world by storm, replace barcodes, license plates, flower tattoos, etc. etc.
But I don’t think so.
Interesting points, Lee…especially in your last paragraph. Guess there’s no way to know other than watching this over time. I think QR codes are here to stay—and that more and more ways to use them will be developed. Part of the fun will be just watching to see what happens!
I’d make a note that isnt readily apparent looking at the photo page. With in-depth description [of QR codes] running on almost all the section fronts in the flags, the feeling was that we don’t have to be as detailed on instruction when using them [QR codes] in copy for photo galleries or videos. Since we integrated them, I think we tracked about 22 percent of our direct-to-gallery visits come from QR users. So maybe we’ve educated our readers on them the last four months?