2010 Best of the Web: Redesign/Relaunch
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
There are not many site makeovers that put “creating a sense of calm” atop their redesign to do list, but Real Simple stayed true to its brand in a major overhaul of the RealSimple.com site that actually feels as good as it looks.
The site achieves a careful balance of fresh serendipity and deep, trusted resources. The lively Daily Finds surprise the visitor with a quirky new item that comes from one of the editors. A new section of super galleries around key areas of work and home life have become central sources of inspiration for the site’s audience.
But RealSimple put a new emphasis on real utility in this redesign. Over 100 checklists help users organize their everyday lives, calculate quantities for parties and see which flowers are and aren’t in season. Just as helpful are more than 100 how-to videos that walk users through everything from removing red wine stains to making pancakes, all embodying the RS brand through the editorial staff hosts.
The redo went directly to users’ and advertisers’ hearts and minds. Since the relaunch, RealSimple.com has seen its audience expand by 55%, reaching over 4.4 million last summer. And the advertisers are embracing the simpler, uncluttered look, helping the site double revenue in the past year. RealSimple.com’s redesign demonstrates how a brand message is communicated to users in every aspect of a site, from words and images to navigation and feature sets.
Honorable Mentions:
Billboard.com and Razorfish – Billboard.com: Billboard went right to the core of its brand by making its legendary charts the centerpiece of the content, turning a music news site into a music discovery service for fans.
Bonnier Corp. New York – OutdoorLife.com: OutdoorLife.com reconnected with the roots of hunting and fishing as a social endeavor where sportsmen and -women share stories, tips and enthusiasm around a virtual campfire.
Guideposts.com: By creating rich tools for accessing inspirational resources and crafting multimedia content that brought the popular magazine to life, Guideposts.com grew its unique visitors 850% and tripled its newsletter subscribers to over 1 million.
Sports Illustrated – SI.com: SI led its major redesign with its core strengths—legendary columnists and unrivalled photography. It also leveraged the best technologies the Web had to offer. Video and personalization features are helping to keep new users coming in.
Taunton Press – FineCooking.com: FineCooking.com listened to its users and deepened its trove of multimedia content, enhanced community and maintained brand focus on food. Its 500,000 monthly uniques represent a 50% increase over last year, and ad revenues have quintupled.
Time Inc. – SouthernLiving.com: A stylish, larger and brighter look for SouthernLiving.com is more than skin deep. A fully streamlined architecture gets users to content faster and an enhanced video program holds them longer. The audience is up 11% and the site is streaming up to 270,000 video clips a month.
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