I look at this design overhaul, as store-front as it may seem, as
underwriting for a bigger promise we want to make: Better journalism. In a
number of ways, behind the scenes, this design encourages that, if not demands
it.
Editors and producers will be expected to sift, leverage, sort, weigh and
package the news with more care and more skill, and the payoff should accrue to
the user. We’ve given our editors a brighter flashlight, a sharper knife.
Of course, the verdict will be yours.
But here are a few things to look for:
Now our headlines will be more tailored in strength and length to what you
need to know, rather than what we had room to say: You need to be able to trust
the words.
Now we will offer you unobstructed visual news. We have led our site with
pictures covered in words for a long time. It was a signature look. But the
demands of that design left on the table or obscured many powerful images. We
believe in the power of news photos to tell the truth, not just illustrate a
point.
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Now we will make it easier to find the content you need, through a more
logical organization of features, including ways for you to join the
conversation or offer your own content.
Be fast, you have told us. Tell stories in compelling ways, indulge our
interests and our curiosity and allow us to do this easily, whether it be a
favorite photo collection, the weather or digging deeper into a topic. Surprise
us. Amuse us. And allow us to get involved.
But leave many of the choices and all of the conclusions to the users.
Some of these requests are a matter of site functionality and we know this
redesign will help in that regard. But the rest speaks to our news prowess. This
redesign or any other would be a failure if it didn’t give us more horsepower to
bring on the news and make it relevant and interesting.
Russ Shaw is Deputy Editor, News at msnbc.com
