Reaching into one of the Reader‘s bestickered yellow boxes this morning, you may have noticed something different about this week’s issue: the paper has been redesigned.
Every few years, the Reader gets an itch to freshen up what we present every week to you, our dear readers. In 2004, the paper had its Wizard of Oz moment, transitioning to color after three decades in black and white. In 2007, the four-section broadsheet became a tabloid. And in 2011 came the introduction of the B Side “flip.”
This week we’ve scratched the latest itch. The new presentation most conspicuously welcomes the Music section back into the fold—no more pesky flipping required! You’ll also notice some other tweaks to the arrangement. Reviews and write-ups of recommended and notable arts and culture happenings—plays, films, exhibits, comedy shows—are now front and center in Agenda. City Life offers dispatches from around town, including favorites like Space and Chicagoans, as well as a best-bet event for every day of the week. As you go deeper, there’s more in-depth coverage: political columns, longer pieces on the arts, stories about the city’s changing face. The no-longer-segregated Music section, dominated this week by Lollapalooza coverage, is followed by a Food & Drink section that, frankly, has never looked so appetizing. And like any great meal, the paper finishes with dessert: everyone’s favorite must-reads—Savage Love, Straight Dope, and Early Warnings—collected toward the back.
Consider this redesign more a makeover than reconstructive surgery. The old advertising slogan holds true in this case: “New look, same great taste.”