When it comes to headlines at Expresso, the front page tends to have a very similar format (with very few exceptions). This format is a summary headline in three lines of text and always written in red. It is larger than the other headlines on the page and screams for attention. There is no question to whether or not this is the main story. These headlines are able to tell the reader what the story is about without giving away too much information–it is just enough to grab the reader’s attention so they want to continue on. But, it varies from issue to issue whether just a deck is used or some of the article appears on the front page and whether or not the main photo on the front page is part of the headline story.
It is common to see pull quotes used in feature stories in Expresso but they are not over the top or gaudy in appearance. Rather, pull quotes remain simplistic in nature–in both design and what they say. This story is about a woman who was wrongly accused of murder and spent 7 years in jail for it. These pull quotes, although difficult to see in this image, are things the woman said about her time in jail. They are able to sum up the story and express emotion in just those two quotes.
In feature stories at Expresso a small caption is usually placed in reverse type on the actual photo or illustration. This caption simply says what the image is of. Yet, in addition to that, a longer caption is placed either beside or underneath (depending on the layout) that could almost act like a sidebar or even deck-again this depends on the layout.
Section labels and names are simple, concise and to the point. Often just one word, these avoid any fluff and say just what they need to. The reader easily knows what section they are in, yet it does not detract from the content that is on the page.
Bylines and credit lines at Expresso are just the author’s name and leaves out the word “by.” Unlike what we are used to seeing here in the U.S., this is common for papers in Portugal. It is effective for this paper because that is what the audience is used to. Here, however, it might cause confusion.
