If you want that flyer or advertisement to be read, then you are designing for attention -- you want to be sure that your message is read -- there are several lessons to be learned from that most mundane of printed material, the newspaper.
Many of these points can apply to any means of output, including web page and CD-rom, though they most obviously apply to flyers, advertisements and newsletters.
Why do newspapers tend to look like...
well, like newspapers? Primarily because their basic design works -- readers buy the paper every day.
One of the first obvious points is the juxtaposition of picture, headline and text.
A single picture will usually dominate a page, even though a number of other pictures may appear on that page.
So make one picture in your flyer or ad dominate your space.
This picture will lead the eye into the page or your part of the page.
If it is of a person looking to the left, that picture will be in the right hand half of your space -- and from this it will be obvious that the picture should be placed first.
The headline is intended to attract and to lead the eye into the story, so, unless the designer has made use of one of a limited number of other "tricks", the text will start under the first letter of the headline.
Note also how, even though there could be a mass of text, the eye will usually be led in easily, perhaps with a drop cap, and often with a first paragraph in larger type and with more leading (pronounced "ledding" and meaning line spacing).
A mass of type will be broken by crossheads, break-out quotes, maybe a side-bar (a section of the story which breaks easily from the main and with its own heading to attract the reader).
Columns of type are usually narrow because this allows the eyes to avoid tiring movements -- they can basically move down the page without having to swing to right and left.
A good working rule is that column or line width should not be more than six to seven words, or around 30 to 35 characters.
Small type can be read if it is in narrow columns (which is why insurance conditions and contest rules are printed in wide measure!) One rule of newspaper design which is frequently broken, usually by mistake, is that the reader should never be confused over what is to be read next.
When the eye reaches the end of one column it should be led to only one place to continue -- the jump should be automatic.
If it isn't, then you will lose all but the most committed reader.
Subsidiary heads or break-outs which spread over more than one column can cause confusion, as can a sub-head which may make part of the story look like a separate story.
I've seen ads which look like two ads.
Often embellishments can seem attractive, but serve to cause confusion for the reader, or distract from ease of reading.
Before you add that drop shadow to every picture, ask yourself whether the slightly larger size that could be used for a small picture without the shadow would make it easier to see.
Recently I reached a web page which looked good, but as I started to read the text, the motion from a small gif file in the corner became disturbing, and, as I scrolled down so that passed from sight, I realised that the background display in a column at the side appeared to be moving the other way -- clever, but I just couldn't read on.
Backgrounds behind text can be equally disturbing.
There is a basic newspaper design rule that reverses and tints should be used sparingly.
Many papers have not only limits per page but total limits for any issue).
However, if you do have type in reverse or on a tint, it must be bold, and it must be a size or two larger than normal body text.
Black on yellow is easy to read -- maybe even easier than black on white -- but black on red soon tires the reader, and, under certain lighting, just cannot be read at all.
Some other colours are almost as bad.
So, by all means experiment, but let one rule apply above all others if you want your design to be read -- Keep it simple!