I ran across this image on Smashing Magazine tonight. I think it eloquently describes one of the biggest challenges specific to news site design:
What do you think? Is creating an effective way for users to find enormous amounts of content and features the biggest challenge news sites face?
[Photo by cutthroat7]
Author: Danny Sanchez
Danny Sanchez is the Audience Development Manager at Tribune's Sun-Sentinel.com and OrlandoSentinel.com. Danny has been with Tribune since 2005 in a variety of editorial, digital and product development roles in Hartford, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. He has also previously worked in the newsrooms of the Tampa Bay Times and The Miami Herald.
View all posts by Danny Sanchez
If you want to get some insight in to how to approach news site navigation/taxonomy, read the book “Glut.”
My take: We need to provide multiple ways to find content; no single navigation system fits all needs.
Also, I notice you’re promo for “Good to Great”. crap book. Read “Halo Effect” and you’ll understand why.
Thanks Howard; I’ll definitely check out “Glut.” I’ve currently got “Designing Web Navigation” on the backburner too.
Re: “Halo Effect” you’ll be glad to know I already received it from Amazon after you gave it a shoutout on your blog some time ago. Haven’t gotten to it yet, but I will!
While we’re on the subject of books, the Fark book has been a fun read. I’d especially recommend it to anyone who is new to journalism and to assignment editors. 🙂
Not sure if it is the biggest challenge, but it is a constant one. The hidden in plain site problem!
@Jack There are also the nagging revenue issues regarding how to best serve advertising on news sites. However, from a user perspective, a lack of findability is the near-universal complaint I tend to hear. Although we’ve got that funky left-side navigation on OrlandoSentinel.com, I often hear near-identical complaints about other sites. It makes me more and more convinced that the entire framework and user experience of news sites needs to be rethought.