Changes Include Redesigned Article Pages, Refreshed Home Page and Section Fronts; Some Users Will See Site Preview Starting Today
The New York Times today announced plans to institute major design changes to its website, NYTimes.com, the next step in The Times's continuous process to develop a richer digital platform to showcase its award-winning journalism and premium advertising. The public redesign is planned for Jan. 8, 2014. A small portion of Times readers will see previews of the new designs starting today, Jan. 2.
The new platform makes for a cleaner, more engaging user experience and serves as a foundation for all future development on NYTimes.com.
"These improvements give our newsroom the best tools to publish in all digital forms," said Jill Abramson, executive editor, The New York Times. "With more prominent video and photography, the new features are highly immersive and enhance our readers' ability to share and comment throughout articles."
"With this redesign, not only are we refreshing the look and feel of our public-facing site, but we have also laid down the foundation that gives us the ability to regularly iterate and enhance the user experience on NYTimes.com," said Denise Warren, executive vice president, Digital Products and Services, The New York Times. "We plan to continue making improvements, including introducing personalized navigation options that will allow users to customize their NYTimes.com experience to better suit their interests."
Article designs are very similar to that of the article page prototype, which became available to Times employees and a segment of NYTimes.com users in March 2013, while the home page and section fronts feature a fresh layout, new navigation and new fonts.
Highlights of the redesign include:
A cleaner, more engaging look
Responsive designs optimized for desktops and tablets
Richer integration of photography, video and interactive story elements
Faster loading pages
More efficient navigation and improved ability to scan and discover content
Persistent ability to share and comment
Improved comments with ability to read articles and comments side-by-side
New messaging system to keep the user better informed
Larger and more impactful photography and video
Improved expression of brand through font and typography
