Design Competition

The competition has now closed.

Design a newspaper. Start a rebellion

The Lonely Hearts Club is a new independent newspaper launching in London, January 2026.

We are part literary experiment, part romantic rebellion.

Each issue carries 285 personal ads from the quietly sincere, the mildly desperate, and the chronically curious, alongside offbeat stories on love, culture, and all the strange ways we try (and fail) to connect.

We’re inviting design students to create the visual identity for our debut issue:

a 20-page tabloid newspaper (289mm × 380mm).

No templates. No gloss. Just type, layout, and rhythm.

Design something human, tactile, and impossible to scroll past.

The Brief

Design the visual identity and layout concept for a 20-page tabloid newspaper.

Show us at least 4–6 sample spreads that demonstrate your typography, layout, and rhythm.

Make print feel alive again.

Deliverables

  • Concept design (minimum 4 sample spreads)

  • 200-word concept statement

  • Optional supporting visuals or sketches

  • Final file as a single PDF (A3 or tabloid format welcome)

Deadline

30 November 2025, 23:59 GMT

The Prize

  • £150 cash prize

  • Full design credit in the published issue

  • Paid internship with The Lonely Hearts Club to develop your design for print

Your design will be printed, distributed across London, and read by the people who still look up.

Please note: All submissions remain the intellectual property of their creators unless selected as the winning design.

How to Enter

Email your design and statement to editor@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk

Subject line: Design Competition – [Your Name]

Questions? Contact hello@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk

Print is not dead. It’s just seeing other people.

The Lonely Hearts Club

Updated 04.11.2026: We’ve clarified a few details regarding the brief, prize, and rights to ensure full transparency for all entrants.