Web Design Done Well
A lot of web design talk concerns itself with what goes on around content. Page speed, design systems, seo, structures, ease of access-- the list goes on and on. This gives us at Smashing Magazine plenty to blog about, which is excellent, though it's worth reminding ourselves what it's all in service of.
In this 3rd edition of our Web Design Done Well series, we're focusing on the pounding heart of numerous websites: content. More specifically, editorial material. The Web has provided writers an unbelievable selection of tools to deal with, and as a periodic semi-competent reporter myself, I enjoy an excellent scoop.
What follows are examples of web technologies being woven in with editorial content to take it to the next level. We'll then close with broader tips on believing creatively about digital content. Even now, overwhelmed by the content assembly line, the great stuff still shines through.
We live in a mobile-first world. There is no point in being precious about this. Yes, publication spreads have a particular class about them. Yes, a desktop view offers you a bigger canvas to work with. The truth is many people will be seeing what you publish on a smart phone, so lean into it. For a similar technique, these 'tap stories' by The New York Times and Input are likewise outstanding. For those interested in more reading on mobile-centric editorial, The Story by legendary paper designer Mario Garcia is heartily suggested.
The New York Times Shows Rather Than Tells #
For all the dreadful things the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered, it has at least led to some breathtakingly excellent reporting. This interactive New York Times piece discusses how face masks work by taking readers to particle level. You can see how fibers capture particles, and why different masks have various levels of efficiency. Any fool can make complex subjects tough to understand, but making them easy to understand? That's an art type all of its own.
There are a lot of elements at play here. Graphics, color, animation-- there's even an augmented truth experience if that drifts your boat. What might so quickly have been a dry, stuffy topic is brought to life. And most significantly of all, it's vital information. Things like this is why Gabriel Gianordoli was voted World's Best Designer at the 2020 Society for News Design awards. Smashing.
The Washington Post Visualises Exponential Spread #
The pandemic has actually likewise required information visualization to the front pages of publications all over the world. This post on exponential dispersing from March 2020 (keep in mind that?) does an incredible job of imagining how and why particular infections end up being genuine huge issues real quick. From full-blown simulations to little inline sparkline charts, this is editorial that makes the most of its digital setting.
What I especially like about this one is that it never ever feels gratuitous. Every visual enhances the story, to the point where you nearly pity anyone having to discuss the very same concepts with words alone. It being readily available in more than a lots languages at the click of a button is another wonderful touch-- a suggestion that the Web is in fact borderless. I can only envision how many people worldwide this post has actually assisted.
The Marshall Project Mixes Media #
Here The Marshall Project presents hard-hitting journalism about the US criminal justice system with the beauty and bittersweet charm of a children's storybook. In "The Zo", imaginative writing, striking illustration, mesmerizing narration, and a crucial story combine. This is multimedia editorial completely flow.
They say that tunes can take numerous forms. The very same is true of editorial content online. What you see above was motivated by a 96-page academic paper. That it might discover a brand-new audience as an animated series online, then be nominated for not one but two Emmys, is testimony to the transformative powers of the internet.
SBS's Interactive Graphic Novel Is No Novelty #
Mentioning the transformative powers of the web, how about an interactive story. We're all knowledgeable about movie adjustments, radio https://ionline.com.au/website-design/ play adaptations, miniseries adaptations, and so on. Why not websites adaptations? That's simply what Australian broadcaster SBS set out to do with The Boat, an interactive retelling of a short story in Nam Le's book of the exact same name.
The page's opening sequence pulls you right in, its words tilting and tumbling with the waves as you check out, with the noises of thunder and rain filling your senses to the brim. As the story settles, Matt Huynh's illustrations wander by like memories. It's an extremely vivid experience, gorgeous in its own right as well as a smart method to bring literature to more youthful generations.
The Pudding Monkeys Around #
I want I 'd stumble upon this in time for the sound edition of this motivating sites series. No matter, it's here now. In a really superb showcase of digital editorial, The Pudding does not a lot describe the Infinite Monkey Theorem as live it through music. Do not know what the Monkey Theorem is? Well, what are you waiting for, the page will do a considerably much better job of describing than I could. I'll wait.
By using interactive four-note examples, the post includes the reader while also making the idea basic to understand. As a last, delightful touch, the page is itself a live, ongoing experiment, randomly working its method through increasingly complex tunes. You can expect it to get "Seven Nation Army" right in about 19 years. One questions whether a monkey typing at a keyboard for enough time might develop the best JavaScript structure. Hope springs eternal.
A List Apart: A Class Apart #
For all the talk of data visualization, music, augmented truth, and other classy tools, there's a lot to be said for getting the basic. Pages don't need to be the web equivalent of the Vegas Strip to be appealing. A list Apart reveals that better than many. Its method to content will constantly hold a place in my heart. Title, illustration, copy, blue links. Stunning.
What I now understand was an unsettlingly long period of time back, I discussed the 2 branches of 'brutalist' website design. The gist of what I said was that a person technique is loud and brash, the other resolutely practical. A List Apart reveals the charm of the latter done. The multimedia toolkit is a terrific property to have, however even now there are times when only words will do.
Thinking Creatively About Content #
For better or even worse, the web is absolutely awash with content. A great deal of it is terrific, a lot of it is not. A great deal of the talk around it has the cold, calculating cadence you 'd earlier expect from industrialists talking about assembly lines. The examples shared above ideally talk to the value of withstanding the desire to churn things out, however let's be genuine: most sites don't have the resources of, say, The Washington Post.
There are methods to think creatively about content at all levels, from individual blog sites to worldwide publications. Here are a few of them:
Question your default technique.
We are animals of routine, consisting of in how we tell our stories. Make the effort early on to step back and ask, How could I do this differently? Perhaps a photo essay would be more prudent than an article. Maybe a heat map is much better than a table. Specialization is necessary obviously, but don't let it blind you to other, frequently complementary ways of doing things.
Use totally free resources.
One of the fantastic gifts of the internet is how much remarkable totally free stuff there is. Like, actually free, on function. From photography to graphic style to data visualization tools to audio modifying software, the resources you need to change your material are just a click away. Our giveaways tag is a good location to start.
Give content multiple forms.
As The Marshall Project showed especially well with "The Zo", stories can find brand-new audiences when they take various shapes. Composed an article? Great, why not tape-record an audio version? Produced a data-driven report? Pretty cool, though is it as cool as it might be if you started plugging those numbers into D3? Just one way to learn.
Experiment.
The examples here are the best of the best, however it's worth pointing out there is a tremendous total up to be gotten from trying new ideas and embracing the occasional failure that brings. Model is crucial to the innovative process. If you try something and it does not work, fine, no matter. It's the only method to get to what does work.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to material, but appreciating the story is necessary. Web technologies are supplemental, not the main event. Don't let them be the tail that wags the pet. The very best outcomes come when the story agrees with how it's informed. That's the sort of content that sticks with individuals for years.