Thoughts, tips, and processes for building a content-focused design practice from a New York Times Design Director
During my time as a New York Times Design Director, I led the design of the homepage and lead a comprehensive effort to define and systematize our wellness coverage and editorial strategy. Using examples and obstacles from these projects, I will invite the audience to consider a design practice that merges human-centered design with editorial strategy.
The core suggestion of this practice revolves around ideating, prototyping, and developing diverse and innovative editorial formats that enable content producers (and editors) to dynamically deliver information.
From setting up cross-disciplinary teams to conducting research, and from prototyping to launching dynamic editorial tools, I will explain the processes and guidelines that were the most useful when combining editorial and human-centered design. I will give examples of obstacles, failed projects, and successful tools.
Ultimately, I offer a different perspective towards innovation as developed by The New York Times: innovation that puts content at its center.
I sketch out a design practice that emphasizes versatile but simple technological tools that offer the front stage to content. Not only does this return the power of communication back to the content producers and editors, I will suggest that looking at “products” as communications tools opens the door for innovative and thoughtful content experiences.
