From Grid to Pixels and Back. Redesign and Change of Information Architecture in România Liberã Newspaper, Print Edition

When the Internet became popular, in 1995, the compulsory shift of paradigm from analogical to digital communication was witnessed. That reality (fact) forced new - spapers to adapt to online medium standards and requirements. The present article analyzes how print and online have been influencing each other, by borrowing from one another and adapting to each other’s sets of rules. In Romania the traditional medium has recorded a delayed adoption of the new media distinctive traits. Even though, lately the print has developed a new way of structuring its editorial content by embracing a radical new concept of graphical design. As a relevant case study, the Romanian daily newspaper România Liberã (Free Romania) was examined. Starting the 15th of March 2010, this newspaper has fundamentally redesigned both its print and digital editions. Significant changes have been observed on all the levels of the Information Architecture. In particular, the focus is on the improvement in print layout conception, which has developed an arboreal structure to better- hold the mandatory features of the online medium as hypertextuality, multimediality and interactivity.