The Economist
— Creative direction & product design of the website redesign
The problem…The site had become slow and was not responsive or conceived as a mobile first product. With the planned infrastructure update it was an opportunity to rethink and redesign our online presence.
Creative Direction
DEVELOPING THE CREATIVE BRIEF - Taking the site fully responsive, whilst updating the design language to reflect the progressive yet heritage soaked nature of the Economist brand. Making it resonate in the crowded, online premium news space
The process
CROSS FUNCTIONAL AGILE TEAMS: Working in a small cross functional redesign team, leading initial brain storming around the brand together with Edenspiekermann (the digital agency and product designers behind Die Zeit online) and Erik Spiekermann (the self confessed typomaniac). We researched and implemented a new typeface combination to update the typography whilst communicating the brands heritage. Ensuring that the new brand typefaces worked across all platforms including the print edition, a wide suite of apps, and The Economist sister brands including the luxury lifestyle magazine 1843 and The World In was vital to the choices.
MODULAR: The site is designed with a component based, mobile first approach, to reuse and scale all components for different areas of the site. (Designed also to be scaled across other brand sites.) Working closely with UX and editorial to reduce and streamline navigation and onward reader journeys, putting the content at the heart of the experience.
INCREMENTAL: Working with stakeholders, product managers and the cross functional team to iterate and test the new features and user journeys in an agile environment. Launching the site as a beta to an increasing percentage of users allowed data and live usage to inform the design iterations.
ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION: Commissioned a bold set of blog identities from Noma Bar, a world class illustrator who has a long and creative relationship with The Economist. These modernised and complimented the new design language with punchy simplicity, suitable to a mobile first, progressive news brand.
New typefaces were used on all social assets to create cohesive brand experiences for users on all on platforms.
