A new look for the original quality compact newspaper

Today sees the next stage in the evolution of The Independent, Britain's original quality compact newspaper. Readers will notice a number of changes to this morning's paper, not the least of which is its design, which has been given a fresh, modern look.

Structurally, the paper also takes on a new appearance. The general features and arts pages, plus TV and radio listings, are now incorporated in an expanded main paper, and is in a new section, Life and Culture, which starts just before the centre pages. The only pull-out section will be our specialist supplements - on Mondays, Media Weekly; on Tuesdays, Motoring; on Wednesdays, Property; on Thursdays, Education and Careers; and on Fridays, Arts and Books.

We have undertaken this change in response to readers, who felt that the convenience of a compact newspaper was compromised by the number of sections that pulled out of the middle. But I am aware that others among our readership liked the fact that the paper could be divided up neatly and shared. I hope that those of you for whom this is a daily ritual will not be discomfited by our new format, and that in time your enjoyment will be enhanced by finding all your favourite elements in a logical, easily navigable, whole.

There is more space for news, sport and features in our new-look paper, and there will be no retreat from the qualities that have underpinned The Independent since its launch. As we approach the general election, the role for an independent paper, one that is not driven by proprietorial agenda and that has no party allegiance, is as great as ever. In our news pages, there is a daily Election 2005 section in which we shall go beyond the spin and the soundbites.

For those who take an interest in matters typographical, our new headline faces are Sun (serif) and Whitney (sans serif), while our body copy is Benton Two. The redesign work was undertaken by Cases and Associates, a consultancy from Barcelona.

We feel that the paper is more modern in appearance and more logical in structure as a result. Now we await your judgement. As ever, I can count on you to let us know what you think.