© Jeenah Moon for The New York Times
The New York Times
The story of the paper of record
The New York Times Company’s mission and values shape everything they do. So when it came time to redesign the existing nytco.com, we partnered to craft a new vision where corporate communications embodied the narrative storytelling of the Times itself.
We saw that even the best company websites presented abstract stories at the expense of useful information. Knowing we could do better, we created a hierarchy that guides users to the area that best serves their interests—be they a potential employee, partner or investor.
The resulting site displays radical transparency. What used to be a repository for company resources, press releases and financial filings transformed into a narrative-led experience that brings company values to life.
In designing interactions, our goal was to consolidate multiple use cases and varying levels of content density. By embracing the tension between visual and utilitarian content, we were able to articulate a design vision—visual harmony achieved by balancing highly structured, information-dense content with a generous use of high-caliber images and graphics.
Our design vision was implemented through progressive disclosure of information on landing pages, supported by a full content menu, detailed search and in-page navigation systems. To allow the site to grow in a controlled way, we created a scalable design framework built on a streamlined number of templates—landing pages, stories and resource pages.
Aiming to further define the company brand, we drew inspiration from The New York Times Building, adding energy and tension throughout the site’s design. By incorporating square imagery and using the marigold color prominently featured in the layers of Venetian plaster throughout the building’s public spaces, we established a highly visual and classic aesthetic.
Modularity was key in creating flexibility and opportunities for the various content types. This systematized approach allowed us to expand on the design system swiftly and effectively, and create immersive interactive experiences for the History and Awards sections.
Building our vision meant developing code with a strict adherence to the modular system. We built the site at this block level, foregoing more traditional page-level engineering to deliver an extensible and scalable toolkit that serves content requirements now and in the future.
