DNA wins Asian design award

MANILA: DNA has won the prestigious IFRA Asia Media Gold Award in newspaper design.

The award presented by IFRA, an international publishers’ association, recognises a newspaper’s contribution to overall layout, originality, and content. It singles out a newspaper for creativity and relevance in content.

DNA also bagged the Best in Newspaper Supplement Award. The award focuses on creative layout and innovative content. For DNA, the awards are important milestones. The newspaper has always relied on a user-friendly design, which is easily navigable, to bond with readers. Little wonder, then, that DNA has clocked the highest growth, of 22 per cent, among Mumbai’s newspapers in the latest IRS Round 1 2007 survey.

Says Gautam Adhikari, editor, DNA: “Navigation has become a key tool of communication, especially when you are targeting a young readership. It is a powerful way to define your brand personality.”

Says Sumant Verma, art director: “Form is now increasingly becoming as important as substance. And DNA’s design strategy hinges on both consistency and concept.” With DNA’s achievement – a gold in newspaper design and a bronze in supplement – the tally of the Bhaskar Group, which co-publishes the newspaper with Zee, has risen to four. Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar bagged two IFRA awards in infographics, in 2002 and 2004.