Web Process Journal: March 2012

I am basing my website off the Architecture magazine (Inside). (Inside) presents national and international projects, giving insights into developments, materials and approaches of Architecture and Interior Design.

(Inside) falls under the umbrella of Nice Media who publish many other industry directed design magazines. As a result of this the website of (Inside) is a page in Niche Medias main website. It includes a brief overview of the magazine with details on the subscription service.

(Inside)

Target:

(Inside) is targeted towards industry professionals and people interested in new movements in the Architecture and Design worlds. The readership of (Inside) magazine runs mostly off a subscription service with some copies available in selected retailers.

Home Page:

The homepage is the main page for (Inside) as the website covers all fourteen magazines run by Niche Media.

Navigation:

The webpage links directly to the ‘australiandesignreview’ website, which is a daily updated website for a range of Niche Media magazines. This website is much for interactive and content based compared to the (Inside) web page.

Site Organization:

The (Inside) web page is very clearly set out with links to subscriptions, events, news and contact details. It has a sweeping image frame at the top of the page, depicting articles and projects from the most recent issue.

Links and Labels:

The links and labels are quite simple and straightforward in grey blocks and blue hyperlink text. This makes it easy to navigate but is not very visually pleasing.

Search and Search Results:

There is a search bar at the top of the page to allow for easy navigation through the site.

In Google the page only appears when you add magazine onto the search term ‘inside’.

Readability:

The web page consists of a single column of left-aligned text in a large font size, making it extremely easy to read.

Content:

There is little content on this page compared to what is offered in the magazine. The partner website ‘australiandesignreview’, offers a lot more in terms of stories, images and resources.

Colours:

Industrial colour palette-

Design- Translation from Magazine:

The design of this page is quite structured and stagnant and does not reflect the bold, visual style of the magazine. It is based on a strong grid structure and is easy to navigate, but does not sell the magazine to an online audience.

Functionality:

The webpage functions in giving only the basic information for the magazine (including a brief overview of the magazine, the subscription service and contact details.)

Opportunities:
There are many opportunities to turn this website into a daily resource for their readers. By showcasing projects and having specific online content related to each issue they could create a specifically online readership, in turn increasing the exposure of the magazine.
There could be stronger links to social media, and the opportunity to create a network amongst their readers

Architectural Review

Target: With a 114 year history, Architectural Review is a highly recognized magazine within Architecture and Design communities.

Home Page:

The homepage provides a list of recently updated projects and articles on the website, with links to other pages on the site and an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter.

Navigation:

The navigation on this site is very simple with a search bar at the top of the page and links to everything the site offers below (buildings, view, social media, products etc).

Site Organization:

This site has quite a strong structure to it leading from the search bar and title at the top, to in-site links, then onto the archive of recent stories and updates.

Links and Labels:

The labels and links are quite bold and strong ensuring that they can’t be missed and lost in the large amount of content on the page.

Search and Search Results:

The search bar on the home page is a useful way to navigate within the site. When searching in Google it is the first page that comes up, with the site also being featured in a Google ad at the top of the search results page.

Readability:
This webpage consists of brief captions beneath links to stories about recent architecture and design projects around the world. It is easy to scroll through the page and choose what you want to read, although due to high levels of content does take a whole to find the information you are looking for.

Content:

All the content on this website is very specific to the magazine and the target market. There is a large amount of resources, and links to essays and articles surrounding global advances in architecture and design.

Colours:

Design- Translation from Magazine:

The website reflects the structure and layout of the magazine, presenting the articles from the magazine, and having links to archived articles throughout the history of the magazine.

Functionality:

This website serves its purpose extremely well in presenting the content of the magazine in a digital format. It has many internal and external links of interest to the target audience of the magazine.

Opportunities:

The site can start to get overwhelming with the amount of content and links to navigate the website. It works well for someone who has time to browse through all the sections, although if you were after specific information quickly could take longer than expected.

Inside Out

Target:

People interested in interior design and home wares (not limited to industry professionals).

Home Page:

The homepage reflects the format of the magazine extremely well, with a letter from the editor at the top of the page. It has links at the top of the page and recent articles below.

Navigation:

The navigation is very easy to follow with links to internal pages at the top of the page and drop down menus when you hover your mouse across them.

Site Organization:

The site is very grid based with recent articles running down the left, and links to blogs, social media and competitions down the right. Internal links run across the top and bottom of the page.

Links and Labels:

The site design uses hand drawn imagery as the links, making it very accessible and inviting to viewers. The links are clearly set out and easily navigatable.

Search and Search Results:

The search within the site is extremely effective as it is broken into different categories to further advance your search through the search engine. It is the first site to appear in Google when typed in.

Readability:

The readability of the site is very effective with the editors’ letter introducing the site and the magazine, and below captions for recent stories on interior design in Australia.

Content:

The content reflects that of the magazine. It presents articles and DIY projects, with special offers for subscription and links to a continually updates blog.

Colours:

Design- Translation from Magazine:

The site reflects a very homely, handmade aesthetic as seen in the magazine. It has a simple, grid based layout that it easy to navigate.

Functionality:

The webpage translates the magazine into a digital format ion a very effective way, and its design would appeal strongly to its target audience (isn’t overly intimidating).

Opportunities:

There is the opportunity for more interactivity on the home page and more visual imagery to capture the viewer’s attention.

Anthology

Target:

Anthology is targeted towards people with a strong interest in interior design , travel and lifestyle. It is an independent magazine, and has a smaller more defined readership.

Home Page:

The home page has a strong impression of a blog with continual updates featuring a photograph and a caption. Internal links to other sections of the website are placed at the top of the page.

Navigation:

The navigation is quite simple all internal with links placed at the top of the page. There are categories (as found on a blog) down the right hand side.

Site Organization:

The site is very clearly set out from the homepage to the other sections. Each section is clearly defined (into FAQ’s, current issue, subscription etc).

Links and Labels:

The links are quite simple and bold at the top, as well as unique buttons to link to social media in the right column.

Search and Search Results:

There is no internal search bar on this website which makes it difficult to find specific information. It is the fourth result in Google.

Readability:

The site is quite straightforward to read, scrolling down the page to each new post and clicking to older posts. There are movie ‘trailers’ to advertise each new issue.

Content:

The content of the site is mostly a source of inspiration and a description of what is happening behind the scenes of the magazine. It does not display content as seen in the print version.

Colours:

Design- Translation from Magazine:

The magazine has quite a distinct, crafty aesthetic, printed on a matte finish stock. This is not reflected in the website, although handmade elements can still be seen in the ‘trailer’ movies for new issues. It has the appearance of a blog with content in the left column and links in the right.

Functionality:

The website explains the philosophy and story behind the magazine and works as a behind the scenes resource rather than an online version of the magazine. The ‘trailers’ are a unique way of advertising upcoming issues.

Opportunities:

The introduction of an in-site search engine would make it easier to find specific information and articles.

Habitus

Target:

Habitus is marketed towards internationally people interested in design, lifestyle and culture.

Home Page:

The homepage has links to each issue down and chosen articles. It is easy to read, scrolling down the page to see each new article.

Navigation:

There are four simple links at the top of the page that drop down to menus when the house is hovered over them. There are links to social media down the right column and links to recent and recommended articles at the bottom.

Site Organization:

Links and Labels:

The links are text based and are very simple and easy to understand sitting in drop down menus at the top of the page.

Search and Search Results:

The links are extremely easy to follow and sit beside an in-site search engine, allowing easy navigation within the site. The website sits at the top of the Google search engine list.

Readability:

There is a brief description of each issue down the left side of the page, with opportunities to link to further articles. It is quite straightforward and easy to navigate.

Content:
The content is very similar to that of the magazine, showcasing design, travel and culture.

Colours:

Design- Translation from Magazine:

The design of the website stays true to that of the magazine, with a flip through magazine placed on the site for each issue. It has been used as an online version of the magazine, giving their readers an opportunity to stay up to date with ideas between print issues.

Opportunities:

My website will be based off the Architecture magazine (Inside). (Inside) presents national and international projects, giving insights into developments, materials and approaches of Architecture and Interior Design.

(Inside) falls under the umbrella of Nice Media who publish many other industry directed design magazines. As a result of this the website of (Inside) is a page in Niche Medias main website. It includes a brief overview of the magazine with details on the subscription service. This results in the website being the least formative of its competitors.

I researched a range of national and international design and architecture magazines including The Architectural Review, Inside Out, Anthology and Habitus. Through the competitor analysis I found that the strongest websites were those that offered more than the basic overview, contact details and subscription services. They also offered inspiring articles, recent projects, archives, and teasers for upcoming issues.

Interaction was a main strong point in the websites. Pages such as Habitus and Anthology offered movie trailers and flick through magazines, capturing the viewers’ attention and urging them to further explore the site.

The pages with excessive amounts of text on the homepage was not as successful as the viewer would be forced to scroll through the page and read the information, rather than having the opportunity to look at images and read it’s caption to pick and choose what to read.

The layout of the architecture and design magazines directed towards industry professionals tended to be mostly clean and sharp, focusing attention on images rather than text. This was very effective as the design of the page did not detract from its content (images of modern architecture and interiors). The magazines directed towards a broader audience had a more tactile aesthetic with handmade elements included on the site, making it more accessible and inviting.

Majority of the websites included an in-site search bar, allowing easy navigation through the site. Those that didn’t include this were more time consuming and less accessible.