Lonely Planet: Featured Story Concept
Info
Lonely Planet offers a large variety of digital content for their readers, spanning from news-related content to engaging featured stories that focus on the story and the storyteller. In this concept, I wanted to explore what a new layout could look like for a featured story that leverages modern editorial design elements.
Year
Jan 2023
Client
Lonely Planet
Services
Web, Editorial
Concept approach
The current state of featured stories on the platform lacks the visual impact necessary to captivate users and encourage engagement (below). The basic editorial layout fails to leverage the power of modern design aesthetics and interesting visual treatments. The goal of this concept was to create a more captivating and visually appealing experience that will increase engagement, decrease bounce rate, encourage sharing, and entice visitors to return.
The current state of featured stories on the platform lacks the visual impact necessary to captivate users and encourage engagement (below). The basic editorial layout fails to leverage the power of modern design aesthetics and interesting visual treatments. The goal of this concept was to create a more captivating and visually appealing experience that will increase engagement, decrease bounce rate, encourage sharing, and entice visitors to return.
Designing the concept
Above, on the left, shows the current template the Editorial team uses for their stories. And on the right is my concept that elevates the featured story and makes it more visually enticing. The centerpiece of my solution is the integration of large and immersive photography, allowing users to truly immerse themselves in the story. The captivating images will be complemented by bold, punched-out typography, which will add a touch of beauty and draw the user's eye to the content. In addition to static elements, I added an inline video that seamlessly blend with the content, creating a dynamic and engaging storytelling experience. We find that users often enjoy varying forms of media on a page like this. At the end of the story, I included a section that features both the author and the photographer since both contribute to the story and ultimately helps connect the audience to the creators.
Above, on the left, shows the current template the Editorial team uses for their stories. And on the right is my concept that elevates the featured story and makes it more visually enticing. The centerpiece of my solution is the integration of large and immersive photography, allowing users to truly immerse themselves in the story. The captivating images will be complemented by bold, punched-out typography, which will add a touch of beauty and draw the user's eye to the content. In addition to static elements, I added an inline video that seamlessly blend with the content, creating a dynamic and engaging storytelling experience. We find that users often enjoy varying forms of media on a page like this. At the end of the story, I included a section that features both the author and the photographer since both contribute to the story and ultimately helps connect the audience to the creators.
The conclusion
This case study highlights the need to spend more time on Lonely Planet's flagship, evergreen featured stories as the design better supports the amazing stories the authors are wanting to tell. Although the team decided to invest resources on some other short-term projects, the concept provided inspiration and kicked off discussions on resourcing this initiative at a later time.
This case study highlights the need to spend more time on Lonely Planet's flagship, evergreen featured stories as the design better supports the amazing stories the authors are wanting to tell. Although the team decided to invest resources on some other short-term projects, the concept provided inspiration and kicked off discussions on resourcing this initiative at a later time.
Mandi Cummings
Sr. Product Designer
I was lucky enough to have Dustin as a manager on the creative team at Lonely Planet. When I moved over to his team, he opened the door for me to transition into a new role that I had been interested in pursuing. He took the time and effort to make that happen for me and I am forever grateful for that. He's a manager that genuinely cares about his team and their personal growth. He creates a space for everyone to feel involved and gives them opportunities to bring innovative ideas.
Mandi Cummings
Sr. Product Designer
I was lucky enough to have Dustin as a manager on the creative team at Lonely Planet. When I moved over to his team, he opened the door for me to transition into a new role that I had been interested in pursuing. He took the time and effort to make that happen for me and I am forever grateful for that. He's a manager that genuinely cares about his team and their personal growth. He creates a space for everyone to feel involved and gives them opportunities to bring innovative ideas.
