Mediapartis a French investigative online newspaper known for exposing numerous political and economic scandals. Its financing model is unique: funded exclusively through subscriptions,Mediapartreports independently without advertising influence. During the redesign of its website and mobile app bycmjnrvb studio, the visual identity was harmonized across editorial content, the user interface, and the subscriber area (theMediapart Club). A central challenge was differentiating these spaces while maintaining a coherent overall system. Pensum Prowas adopted for editorial content, supporting long-form reading with balanced proportions and excellent legibility.Pensum Displayprovides contrast and presence for special headlines. For the Mediapart Club and interface elements such as author names, dates, and metadata,Atlas Groteskestablishes a clear typographic hierarchy that distinguishes subscriber content from editorial material. Historically, Mediapart’s typographic wordmark was set in the seriffedTrajan. The redesign shifted to the sans-serif forms ofTrajan Sansto improve readability while preserving the essence of the original design. Theredesignalso included a refined logotype, a systematic color palette, and a consistent illustration style. These elements were compiled into a comprehensive graphic charter ensuring clarity, consistency, and flexibility across digital and print platforms.
This typography system embodies serious journalistic authority with intellectual accessibility. The combination of Pensum's humanist warmth for long-form reading and Atlas Grotesk's clinical precision for interface elements creates a dual personality: trustworthy editorial gravitas paired with contemporary digital sophistication that signals independence from traditional media constraints.
Pensum's generous x-height and balanced proportions optimize screen reading for investigative pieces that demand sustained attention, while its subtle humanist qualities maintain approachability. Atlas Grotesk's geometric clarity and tight letter spacing create efficient information architecture for metadata and UI elements. The shift from Trajan to Trajan Sans preserves historical equity while improving digital legibility through reduced stroke contrast.
The serif-sans pairing creates intentional content hierarchy where Pensum's editorial warmth signals in-depth journalism while Atlas Grotesk's systematic precision delineates functional interface elements. Pensum Display bridges these voices for headlines, offering editorial presence without the formality of traditional news serifs, perfectly matching Mediapart's position as serious but insurgent journalism.