抱歉，本文中文版本正在制作中 The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) enjoys a global reputation as a leading high-quality newspaper. Ten years after its launch, its media portal now has a new design that makes visible its aim of living up to that reputation in digital form as well. This marks the dawn of the future for the newspaper.
Early on the NZZ realised the necessity of augmenting its print media with a website. The website was relatively simple, indicating that the focus of media use was still on the printed newspaper. Today that is shifting more and more toward a media portal, and experienced web users have high expectations of such a portal.
MetaDesign developed a concept for NZZ Online that provides readers and advertisers with an entirely new realm of possibilities. Users will notice a completely new page layout and navigation that enables them to find their orientation quickly despite the large amount of information.
And NZZ Online now provides the publisher with completely new marketing opportunities through larger, more varied, multimedia compatible advertising formats.
Since the launch of NZZ Online’s new look, the website has been successively expanded to offer more service to its readers and more opportunities to its advertisers. Property and finance platforms show that the opportunities the internet offers go far beyond those of the classic newspaper medium.
Based on new user behaviour studies, the structure and navigation of NZZ Online were completely redesigned. Despite its extensive content the website remains clear and user-friendly.
The design gives editors the flexibility to follow up lead texts introducing a topic with longer articles visible with just one mouse click.
Directly beside that the latest news can appear along with the weather forecast and special topics from other sections or formats.
This concept offers the publisher the opportunity to develop additional formats around the core product, such as the innovative ’Domicile‘ for property and modern living or the new finance platform.
Old look
The Internet offers entirely different alternatives than classic media to respond to the fact that we live in a visual world. Thumbnails within an article can be enlarged with a mouse click. An image can be the start of an entire sequence of photos that gives the big picture. Videos of interviews can be integrated, giving the reader an impression of the person’s facial expression, gestures and intonation that go far beyond the spoken word.
Web 2.0 features enable direct contact and exchange with a website’s visitors. That addresses a direct need of a growing number of users and enhances reader loyalty.
For advertising-driven companies, NZZ Online is a superior medium with an attractive reader structure. It now offers a broad spectrum of modern, attractive formats.
Special topics such as the weather or the stock markets deserve utmost clarity so that information can be absorbed at a glance.
“NZZ Online’s new look is a big step. It sets a standard and will have an impact on all of NZZ’s future online activities.”
Albert P. Stäheli, CEO Neue Zürcher Zeitung
