Gabriel Campanario Design Chief, Life Gabriel was born and raised in Hospitalet de Llobregat, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. He attended college in Pamplona, in the northern part of the country, and majored in journalism.

Q: How did you get your start in journalism?

A: My earliest recollection of an interest in journalism or publishing is when I was in 7th grade and I wrote, illustrated and laid out a school magazine. My writing wasn’t that great but I loved drawing cartoons and doing the layout. With the idea of making a difference and the world a better place, I went to college and got a degree in journalism. While in college, I tried a number of jobs - from working at a print shop, starting a magazine with student-friends, and drawing cartoons for a weekly back home - but I especially enjoyed my role as design editor of Nuestro Tiempo, a current affairs monthly magazine at my Journalism school in Pamplona, Spain.

Q: Can you briefly describe your role at USA TODAY? In other words, what does it mean it be a “design chief”?

A: I manage a team of art directors and designers. We work with reporters, editors, photo editors and graphic artists to assemble all the amazing content they produce so you can read it in pages that are organized and clear. Every story is different; some deserve larger display because they deal with news that just happened, or because the issue is very important. An important story, for example, is likely to have a larger headline and be positioned atop the front page.

Q: What type of challenges in page layout and design do you encounter on a day-to-day basis, especially given your deadlines?

A: The nature of a daily newspaper is a fast-paced work environment where you have to make decisions quick and manage your time effectively. There is a bright side to that too: you get to see your work every day when you pick up the paper in the morning. And that can be very gratifying when you’ve worked on a page that you feel especially proud of. The toughest challenge each day is giving every piece of content the space it deserves, while at the same time making the whole sum of those elements attractive. We marry words and images so the resulting package tells the story visually.

Q: Obviously, reporters must strive to be objective. Is this also a concern for graphic artists and page designers? If so, how do you ensure that a page doesn't appear biased?

A: It certainly is. When you are designing a page you can do it in many different ways. Out of several photos available, you may pick one that makes someone look not as good looking as they may be. You may devote more space for a story that is not as relevant as another one because of your personal interests. Designers need to see things from the readers’ vantage point and strive for fairness.

Q: If you were training a new designer or artist, how would you describe the paper's "look" or graphic vision?

A: USA TODAY’s look is meant to be, above all, organized an easy to navigate, but also different from any other newspaper out there. The paper sits on news racks next to other newspapers, and we can’t look the same. We have to look different and recognizable right away. We also strive to be bold, eye-catching, colorful, surprising and unpredictable. This graphic vision was establish in 1982 (when the paper was founded), but remains today as we strive to present readers with stories that combine words, graphics and photos in multiple layers of information that allow each reader to find a way to enter the story and get out of it what he or she needs. For example, some readers will just read the headline, or look at the chart or photo; Others will consume the entire package. Our goal is to offer a reading experience that satisfies the reader’s appetite for information.

Q: How has the look and graphic content of USA TODAY changed in the last five years?

A: I’d say that in the last five years the graphic principles that guide this newspapers have remained basically the same as they were in the beginning. However, the introduction of a new typography in 2001 has made the look of the paper more sophisticated and contemporary.

Q: Can you describe a specific page layout or package that ran in USA TODAY that you are particularly proud of? What type of planning and coordination is necessary to produce a stellar package or page?

A: On a regular basis, the LIFE section produces center spreads with our All-USA academic teams (comprised of teachers and college and junior college students). We revisited the presentation of these pages a year or so ago to better showcase the great photography our photo editors provide. The result has been very positive, and we’ve gotten a really good response from readers. The pages have now a poster feel and the design is more consistent.

Q: How do you feel about journalism as a profession? What is your favorite part about your job? Least favorite?

A: I’ll use a quote from an editor friend of mine: “Journalism is the ultimate group project.” It takes writers, editors, photographers, designers, illustrators and a great deal of team work to put out a newspaper every 24 hours (and even more often now that provide information 24/7 through online). The best thing about it is that you are part of something important: Journalism is vital to a democratic society. Stories can change lives, affect policy, even bring governments down. The changing nature of news also makes every day different; there’s really no time for boredom.