"The headlines are too big," one lady said. "The photographs are huge," said another. "What has happened to my Tribune," a third complained.

Welcome to the 21st century.

When modern newspapers were started, they looked radically different from the handset broadsheets that came before. A simple hierarchy was developed to help people navigate the news: The most important stories were at the top of the pages and the less important ones at the bottom. Headlines at the top of the pages were larger and the ones at the bottom were smaller. Photographs were in black and white.

Later, as newspapers grew in circulation and the evening products had the highest circulations, editors developed several editions each day - including an early street sales edition, home delivery editions and a final edition that had the closing stock markets.

Very few newspapers still create multiple editions.The Tribune has two editions: one that circulates mainly in the Salt Lake Valley and Davis County and a second for the rest of the state. Both of those editions are delivered to home subscribers and sold in racks and stores.

After a while came some experts who said, based on studies of reader habits, newspapers should be designed to help readers. Harrumph.

These experts wanted newspapers to look good and offer entry points for readers to find a story. Hmmm. The experts said if a headline does not grab a reader, maybe the photograph will - or a quote box or a sidebar story or a fact box.

The Tribune has been redesigned several times in the past decade. One redesign focused on making the typeface used in stories more readable; another redesign accommodated a smaller page size. The most recent redesign focused on helping readers find the features or stories they want more quickly and on making the hierarchy of stories more understandable to readers.

As Colin Smith, design director, explains:

"The ultimate goal of a newspaper's front page is to present the most compelling information in the most compelling way. But as society changes so, too, does what is considered compelling. Just as an announcement over a public address system is preceded by a tone - a way of telling the listener 'Here comes something special' - big, important news events also need a tone to set them apart from the hum of normal communication."

While most of our readers did not even notice the redesign, some of them have noticed the larger headlines and photographs in the paper over the last few months.

Josh Awtry, assistant managing editor for presentation, cautions readers about reacting to design that may be news-event driven:

"Don't be too quick in finding trends based on this summer's coverage. Some of the biggest news of the year has been packed into the past few months. From follow stories on the Trolley Square shootings to Curtis Allgier's escape to bear attacks or enormous wildfires, it has been a whirlwind summer. As newspaper editors, it's our duty to you, our readers, to tell you today's news is something special, big or important."

And we do that with big displays that say, "Look at me; I am important to you and Utah."

As Awtry notes, "When the news is smaller or quieter, we'll react accordingly."

Smith adds: "The tone that says 'listen up,' that signals to readers and viewers the importance of information, has become more elaborate as technology has changed and new communication mediums have appeared. So while our design philosophy hasn't changed all that much in 20 years, the tools at our disposal have."

During breaking news events, Smith says, "It is imperative to communicate to readers as quickly as possible the importance of the news. Our goal is to capture the attention of all readers, whether they are long-time subscribers or simply walking past a newsstand."

There's a method to our madness, Smith says. "Large photos and headlines help convey the seriousness of the situation and viscerally connect readers to the event. Collections of numbers and facts help to quickly inform. Brief summaries of additional stories alert curious readers to more coverage. And, by using all these tools on large stories, we can offer something for every reader - no matter how much time they spend with the paper."

There's another angle to this also, as Awtry points out:

"There was a time when newspapers were the only game in town. But now, as newspapers play a role as only one medium in an increasingly crowded landscape, we have to make sure that we're doing all we can to get occasional readers' attention. Sometimes, if you're in a crowded room, you have to talk a little louder to be heard."

Psst. That's the story behind the big headlines. Pass it on.

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* THE READER ADVOCATE'S phone number is 801-257-8782. Write to the Reader Advocate, The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. E-mail: reader.advocate@sltrib.com.