ThatsRacin.com v3.1
One might consider us ADD if you think that we just did a major release on thatsracin.com about two months ago. But that’s not the whole story.
Our parent company, McClatchy, helped us with a user study that showed our racing readers wanted more images and a more entertainment-looking site. So we dove in.
Visually, here’s what we presented yesterday as our design (again as part of the 3.0 release):
And here’s what you’ll see today at thatsracin.com:
In the thumbnails, the subtleties are lost. Click to enlarge… we’ll wait… Back? Ok, hopefully you saw how code changes even using a very similar layout can actually result in big visual impact. Some of the details include:
- New overall home page, section and page schemes
- Introduction of background img
- Bolder red navigation
- More contrast added to existing colors
- New, active logo / no slogan
- Changed home pg content well
- Larger primary image for lead story
- Moved from three columns to two
- More galleries and videos available from home page in media_bar
- Launching later, possibly today: re-introduction of our business directory
But more importantly than those details, the now feels as fast as the coverage that’s in it. Our first comment in site editor Bob Henry’s column says:
Bob, David and Crew,
As a graphic design professional in the ailing newspaper industry, I can say that this layout is CONSIDERABLY easier to navigate and no where near as visually confusing as the previous TR.com. I hate to say it, but my traffic to the site declined once the previous design was launched. I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about that now.
I really admire the new approach of dedicating the site to more a visual storytelling approach. This arena can allow for multimedia to add a whole new dimension to a story and I’m glad that you have gone this direction. I’d like to give a big “pat on the back” to the entire The Charlotte Observer and TR.com crew for tackling a new and IMO much more interesting approach to storytelling on the web and a more rich and visually stunnig website.
-Seann Anderson
We’ll take that high praise, Seann. Thanks, and please do leave us more comments if you have thoughts!
-Jason
Observer Interactive
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Michael