The new-look Irish News celebrates the newspaper’s rich heritage and history while placing it at the forefront of a changing media landscape. 

The paper holds a unique and trusted position within the community, not only as a daily news source but as a publication that has faithfully documented the North of Ireland’s history, continuing to play a vital role in shaping its political and cultural future. 

A key part of our redesign process not only reflects this heritage but was rooted in research and a consultation programme that included reader surveys, staff workshops, and focus groups with industry leaders. Benchmarking against leading media titles across the UK and Europe, aligning our redesign with best-in-class editorial and design standards. In collaboration with the media group, we developed a suite of positioning statements and a manifesto, capturing a new strategic vision. 

We translated our findings into a design which gives consideration to a clearly defined content hierarchy and editorial rhythm: Daily deadlines, news cycles, and regular sections (news, opinion, sport, business) developing a grid design that prioritises newsworthiness, reader demand, and commercial imperatives without breaking consistency.

The result is a revitalised print edition that confidently balances tradition and transformation, with renewed relevance for readers and positive recognition from media experts, civic voices, and business leaders.