The Daily Mirror has surprised the industry by hiring Spanish design firm Cases Associats to redesign the paper.

The firm redesigned the Independent papers before, and has produced a dummy of a new-look Daily Mirror, a top secret which only six Trinity Mirror executives have seen.

The redesign contains new fonts, graphics and design furniture and has been created in preparation for the switch to full-colour production next year, the Guardian reported.

However, Mirror editor Richard Wallace has decided not to go for a "big bang" relaunch. Instead, the changes will be introduced over a period in the first few months in 2008 and Wallace plans to retain the Mirror red-top masthead.

One planned feature of the new-look paper will be clear design differences between important weighty news stories and more lighthearted pieces.