Readers Shape BarTalk’s New Design.

by Jesse Tarbotton and Dierk Ullrich

Welcome to your new BarTalk! On behalf of the Editorial Board, our editors and staff, we gladly introduce to our readers the new design of your CBABC magazine. Gone are the days of the “parish/village newsletter,” as one reader had humorously described the familiar format of the last 10 years. Rather, the re-design not only replaces the traditional black and blue with full colour, it also makes BarTalk more inviting, easier to navigate and livelier, without appearing lightweight.

As reported one year ago (BarTalk August 2008), the impetus for the redesign came from the February 2008 reader survey. Based on your suggestions and constructive criticism and following the recommendations of the Editorial Board, CBABC committed to a comprehensive update of BarTalk’s design.

Working with graphic artist Rick Staehling (you may know Rick better for his Friday movie reviews on CBC Radio’s “On The Coast”), BarTalk staff created the distinctive new look that you are holding in your hands. Available in print form and on the web in HTML and PDF formats, BarTalk is a no-cost publication for all lawyers in B.C. While you will find much of the contents of the publication consistent with prior issues, we have re-organized it with the aim of making it an “intuitive” read.

In June 2009, an advanced draft of the re-design was posted on the CBABC website. We invited our readers to provide feedback and specifically to indicate their preferences for the new cover layout. With resonance being overwhelmingly positive, the BarTalk team feels encouraged that the sometimes bold departure from the old format will meet our readers’ needs and expectations.

A significant group of readers are interested in revisiting the way BarTalk is delivered, in particular in expanding BarTalk Online. The demand for online content goes well beyond our core readership and is exemplified in more than 600,000 visits to BarTalk Online pages in 2008. In the coming year we will explore and offer alternatives to members who wish to receive this magazine electronically. An e-notification system is already being developed. In the meantime, we hope you will give us your comments on the new design.

Go to BarTalk Online for more information at www.cba.org/bc.

Reader Comments on New Design Congratulations on the new format! It is a vast improvement on the previous template. The whole layout looks great: more lively, more readable, more readily accessible. Great job. The new colour version looks sensational. It is really beautiful! Very exciting. I especially like the redesign of the "back pages."

This article was published in the August 2009 issue of BarTalk. © 2009 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.