CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 From TVNewsCheck, it announced that Tribune is using Wordpress VIP CMS to redesign its websites. WPIX & WGN ae among the earliest ones to have the new designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Rubber 611 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I don't like it. It's kind of disconcerting; hard to differentiate one thing from another. The WGN logo is also cut off on the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
who?cares 253 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 WXIN (FOX 59) also has this... It isn't set up very well in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 It is very plain. The menu is set too high and it isn't very detailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fan of la tv 47 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 KTLA has had this redesign for a few months now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5276 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 KTLA has had this redesign for a few months now. They all (most) have...WGN, WPIX, WGN-AM, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Except those stations run under LMA. *Cough* KWGN *Cough* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trev57 46 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I don't like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronQ 259 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRob 920 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 The Local TV LLC. stations have used Wordpress for a little over a year. But our design is a bit more cluttered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess 1110 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Honestly? I love the new Tribune sites. These are the first local TV websites that I think were built by people who know their way around modern web design. WARNING: The following post contains web designer gibberish. You have been warned. That article linked to in the OP? I agree with almost all of it, particularly every time Jeff Jedlinski opens his mouth. The majority of local news websites these days are barely useable at best and eyesores at worst. There is too much content, too many links, with anything vital getting lost in the clutter. Many rely on old, proprietary CMS software to run. The ones that are on modern software like WordPress, like the CBS O&Os, manage to do their best to make the designs look like table-based layouts from 1999. So I think his ideas are great. Cut down on the quantity. Eliminate the top 10 list clickbait. Embrace branding opportunities and show off your content more. And design these to today's standard of responsive design. Responsive Design isn't a technique, more of a theory. The web is being consumed differently, and if you don't believe me go out and get an iPad and/or a smartphone. Those have different screen sizes, different techniques, and aspect ratios to contend with. In the past, normally this would get directed to a separate "mobile site" with less functionality, or the site would render in its desktop size, completely unreadable unless you poked the screen twice. If you want to see the effect, go to any of the Tribune sites, or the HulkieD.com thing I'm trying to set up, and drag the browser window. Notice how the design changes at certain points? That's responsive design at work. And if it looks like a pain in the ass to do, that's because it is. But the article throws around the term in a way that suggests it's more than just that. A better term would be this - modern web practices. That would be my description of the source code. The designer of the news websites, Voce Communications, clearly knows modern web practices - their website all talks about social metrics and media and WordPress etc. But the source code backs that up. The codebase, or framework, is from Bootstrap, regarded as one of the best of its type. Compatibility with older browsers is handled with modernizr and selectivizr. Audience measure is done through quantcast, the big images are a "slider" plugin known as FlexSlider, the "timeline" concept is from Open Graph, and they're using a web font by Adobe. All of these are free. Yes, free. (Well, okay, FlexSlider in plugin form is $30.) Anyone who is familiar with modern web practices knows that there is a wealth of free and open-source tools out there to build, enhance, and market a website. Most of them are expertly coded, well-documented, and can be up on your site in no time flat. And most are more attractive than paid options. The Tribune sites were using Nielsen for audience management. They were probably paying them up the ass. I'm sure they are better served with QuantCast and good ol' Google Analytics. So, in closing - Tribune has really seen the light. By utilizing WordPress, a minimalist content policy, open-sourced tools, and great design, they've created a new platform that is more cost-efficient with a good chance of increasing readership. I applaud them for that. And I hope the other station groups follow within the next few years. And I'm looking at YOU, Peter Dunn. Seriously. Your sites look like god knows what when you have these guys in the Bay Area that, when you're not telling them what they can't award products to, can create awesome stuff. The name Dave Snider should be on your speed dial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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