Beta USA Today Site Truly Different

Published on by David A. Kennedy

The new USA Today Beta website marries a the content and navigation of a traditional news website with the look and feel of a bleeding-edge news app. Poynter has the details of the new site and an interview with its designers.

So far, according to one of the Poynter articles, USA Today staff has loved the new design:

The client has been ecstatic. Their own feedback has been overwhelming. They knew they took a risk. I think they’re super relieved at what they’re seeing.

It looks different, feels different and the ads don’t intrude on the reading experience. So far, I have a number of questions that will be interesting to watch play out:

  1. The site focuses on the desktop experience, leaving the mobile experience not to responsive design, but apps. From a reading/user perspective – will this be the better approach long term? And does zeroing in on device experiences like this better for inovation?
  2. Why aren’t other news organizations (and other industries!) taking more bold chances with their web presence? (The web needs that.)

Tagged JournalismStorytelling