Tag Archives: Redesigns
Quartz makes design tweak
by Chris Roush
The Atlantic’s business news site Quartz has made minor changes to its design, reports Peter Kafka of All Things D.
Kafka writes, “The more interesting thing to note about Quartz’s overhaul is that it is one of dozens of changes Atlantic Media’s newest property has made since it launched seven months ago. Quartz editor Kevin Delaney says the site has pushed 73 code chages since Quartz first debuted, most of which have to do with the way the site’s guts function.
“The reason Quartz can do that, Delaney argues, is because of its decision to rely on an HTML5 design which essentially serves up the same page to every reader, no matter which which device they’re using to access the site. If you want to change the way an HTML5 site looks or behaves, you can simply change it — no need to monkey with an app that’s already downloaded to someone’s iPhone or Android.
“That runs counter to a lot of current digital distribution thinking, which holds that every Web distributor — from newspapers to Facebook to Netflix — needs to be thinking app first.
“No need to beat the debate into the ground — it’s really only relevant to a few thousand people, and it can take on a religious overtone — but it is worth noting that it seems to be working for Quartz. Delaney says his site is now attracting two million users a month.”
Read more here.
Bloomberg Businessweek named Design Studio of the Year
by Chris Roush
The monthly magazine and blog Creative Review – which covers advertising, design and visual culture — has selected Bloomberg Businessweek’s design team as its Design Studio of the Year.
It writes, “Under creative director Richard Turley, (not forgetting editor Josh Tyrangiel) Bloomberg Businessweek has trounced its rivals with a verve and energy that recalls the heyday of the printed magazine.
“Set-piece editions in which the decks are cleared for total devotion to one topic have become a speciality of the magazine – its valedictory Steve Jobs issue being particularly successful. In our June 2012 issue our columnist Jeremy Leslie revealed the working process of the Bloomberg Businessweek team as it put together the issue (images above, you can read his piece here).
“Last November, the team did it again with its Election Issue, shown here and chosen as one of our Best in Book winners for The Annual.
“The Election issue takes as its starting point a famous speech by Ronald Reagan in which he asked the American people whether they felt better or worse off than they had been four years ago and applies that test to Obama’s period in office.
“It opens with a double-page, black and white shot of the President’s inauguration on January 29, 2009 overlaid with facts about the state of the nation at that point.”
Read more here.
Sacramento biz journal launches new home page
by Chris Roush
The Sacramento Business Journal, an American City Business Journals paper, has launched a new home page.
Editor Jack Robinson writes, “The site redesign reflects our increasing emphasis on publishing the news you need as it happens, all day long. Much of the page will be dominated by the newest stories — including many exclusives about businesses and economic news in the capital region.
“We’re doing away with the rotating carousel of images at the top to present a cleaner, simpler display of images keyed to stories on the site. And subscriber-only stories will be highlighted in a box at the top of the page.
“Many other features — including the Business Pulse survey and list of most popular stories on the site — will remain much as they are.
“We hope you find the new home page more accessible and useful, and we want to hear from you.”
Read more here. The changes are occurring at other ACBJ papers as well. Here is an explanation from Kevin Bumgarner, the editor of the Pacific Business News in Honolulu.
In Buffett’s hometown, newspaper expands business coverage
by Chris Roush
The Omaha World-Herald newspaper in Nebraska, which was purchased by billionaire investor and Omaha resident Warren Buffett in 2011, has been expanding its business news coverage in recent months.
The expansion includes adding two new staffers to the business news desk — one experienced reporter, Russell Hubbard, most recently of the Birmingham News, and one new graduate, Paige Yowell, dedicated to helping to feed the section’s online page with breaking news, started in the last two months. It also has a new blog called Money Talks that started at the end of January.
“That gives us a staff of seven business reporters, up from four when I became business editor about two years ago,” said Deb Shanahan, the Money editor at the paper, in an email to Talking Biz News. ”We also have a business editor, a deputy business editor and a designer assigned part-time to the Money section.”
Since the beginning of the year, the department has also gotten back its stand-alone weekend sections. For several years, Money was tucked inside the A section on Saturdays and Sundays — essentially an issue of balancing sections for press runs.
The daily Money sections also are larger – at least six pages combined with classifieds, not the four pages with classifieds sometimes allocated in the past.
“I think the newspaper leaders see business news as local news we can own – news that distinguishes us from area TV, radio and web reports – and we are benefiting from that,” said Shanahan.
And yes, the paper’s business desk has a reporter dedicated to covering all things Buffett. It’s Steve Jordon, who is one of the most senior reporters in the newsroom, having been there 45 years.
At work with Bloomberg Businessweek’s graphics editor
by Chris Roush
Magculture.com interviewed Jennifer Daniel, the graphics editor for Bloomberg Businessweek.
Here is an excerpt:
What’s the next story you’ll be explaining with infographics?
I’m always juggling a few stories at the same time. Right now I’m working on a series of visualizations that show the robot take over on the trading floor and the state of high frequency trading. Another graphic about all the human organs and senses that can be replaced with machinery—3D printing skulls, implants that can draw what you think, etc. (SHAMELESS PLUG) The graphics department has a tumblr where we post what we’re up to.
What was the last thing your creative director said to you?
“Be sure to mention how I am complex intellectual enigma…no wait, a ‘dynamic thought adventurer’. Something like that.”
What do you do on a weekly basis?
Each assignment at Businessweek is a little different from the next but they all start out the same way… with a crazy amount of stress.
Read more here.
New York state paper expands biz coverage
by Chris Roush
The Albany Times-Union has redesigned its paper and unveiled the changes on Tuesday. Those changes included an expanded business section.
Here is what editor Rex Smith told Talking Biz News in an email:
We have had a stand-alone Business section five days a week (except Monday and Saturday) for some time, but now we’re moving to six days a week – that is, omitting only Monday, when our print edition is very small. We are adding a bit of space to give us more room for business coverage on Thursdays and Sundays, which are the two largest days of print circulation, and on Tuesdays, when we’re particularly augmenting our coverage of technology. The latter issue focus matches an online issue focus on technology coverage on www.timesunion.com.
In particular, we think this additional coverage is necessary in our market because of the growth of the high-tech sector in New York’s Capital Region. A combination of public and private investments have made this a growing center of the nanotechnology industry, with both cutting-edge research (based at SUNY’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering) and manufacturing (at Global Foundries’ chip manufacturing plant in Saratoga County). We need to speak to this vital segment of our market with coverage that reflects what’s going on there and that answers the appetite for information of the players in the nanoscale environment.
Massachusetts paper expanding biz coverage
by Chris Roush
Aaron Nicodemus of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette writes Sunday about the paper’s plans to expand its business coverage.
Nicodemus writes, “Business Matters is adding new content online that will be available on Saturdays, and we are revamping content in the Monday print edition of the Telegram & Gazette. The Monday page will be redesigned and themed as Business Matters.
“Since Business Matters was launched in October 2011, Peter Cohan‘s Wall & Main column has appeared in the Sunday print edition of Business Matters, as well as on telegram.com. Starting tomorrow, his Monday column will appear in the print edition of the Telegram & Gazette as well. (His Wednesday column will continue to appear only online).
“Tomorrow we launch a new feature, called Business Monday. It is a story that looks ahead, examines business trends and generally gives readers something to think about at the start of the business week. Look for reporter Lisa Eckelbecker‘s Business Monday story tomorrow, about a local retail trend, in the Telegram & Gazette.
“Mitch Lipka‘s Consumer Alert column, which had appeared on the Monday business page, has been moved into the Living section of today’s Sunday Telegram. His column is paired with consumer news. It will now appear on Sundays.
“The comic strip Dilbert will remain on the Monday business page.
“In addition to the changes in print, we’ve made some changes online as well.
“We have launched a new Business Matters eEdition and cellphone/tablet application, or app. The browser version of the eEdition is available at telegram.com/businessmatters. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download the free Business Matters app at the Apple Store, under Worcester T&G.”
Read more here.
The New Yorker launches online biz page
by Chris Roush
The New Yorker launched a new online hub for business coverage and commentary, The Business Pages, on Tuesday.
Michelle Manafay of Minonline.com writes, “It features business content from the magazine, as well as original Web content written by Malcolm Gladwell, James Surowiecki, John Cassidy, Amy Davidson, Ken Auletta, Tim Wu, among others. Xerox is the exclusive launch sponsor of The Business Pages.
“Weekly features on the site include ‘The Idea of the Week,’ an infographic visualization of a significant business or financial issue; ‘The Number,’ a deep dive into an economic indicator, data point, or other figure that best captures what’s happening that week; a video series hosted by James Surowiecki, tied to his column in the magazine, The Financial Page; and ‘How Do They Make Money?,’ a series that asks how different people make their livings — from street musicians to shoeshine men to fishermen.
“The hub will also provide links to classic New Yorker stories about business. Among the classic The New Yorker stories retrievable is Connie Bruck’s A Mogul’s Farewell (October 18, 1993) on how Steve Ross’ death changed the future of Time Warner.”
Read more here.
San Antonio paper expanding biz coverage
by Chris Roush
The San Antonio Express-News is expanding its Sunday and Monday business news coverage.
A story on its website states, “This weekend, we roll out Business Sunday, marking the return of in-depth business news and analysis to the Sunday paper after a four-year absence. Look for sharp coverage of energy and the Eagle Ford Shale and the energy industry.
“Coming Monday: A stand-alone business section focused on personal finance.
“These upgrades mean we have to do a little reshuffling.
“Scott Burns will continue giving financial advice, but his column will be shifting to the new Monday business section starting next week.
“Our Week in Review feature already has made its move — from Saturday to Sunday.
“Finally, Social Security guru Oscar Garcia is returning the pages of the San Antonio Express-News on Sunday. Look for him at the top Business Sunday’s page 2.”
Read more here.
British daily cuts business news desk
by Chris Roush
Nathan Lane of The Drum in England reports that the Manchester Evening News in that country is eliminating its business news desk.
Lane writes, “The wisdom of this move will be seen over the coming months. But, before you resign the local paper to the annals of history, take a minute to think about the importance of local reporting.
“Local reporting gives local businesses a platform to reach out to their markets. It often champions the issues of readers and provides a valueable conduit to the national media, as stories are picked up and reported.
“Where will businesses outside the FTSE 100 and the M25 have a voice when local papers are gone? National media continue to pull back on their regional resource and even the BBC is looking at a more centralised delivery of news.
“Marketing dogma would suggest that every business is able to become a self-publishing, content marketing engine that attracts an engaged audience to serve as a pool of prospective customers. It doesn’t happen like that in the real world. Small businesses often lack the resources to plan and sustain a content led digital campaign.
“There is no easy solution to this problem. Companies have shifted spend to digital platforms and many traditional media brands have failed to commercialise their digital offers. There are notable exceptions, such as thebusinessdesk.com, which has grown through tough times.”
Read more here.
