iHNed.cz
iHNed.cz, the website for Czech daily, Hospadarke Noviny, engaged Garcia Interactive to re-think their site. The project started with a thorough discovery process that included talking with stakeholders at different levels of the company, from the executive floor to the newsroom to marketing. We also had the opportunity to speak to advertisers to get their perspective on the iHNed.cz brand. From this process we discovered that the new website needed to be simpler to navigate for their busy and hurried users. Additionally, after an analysis of competing news sites revealed that they tended to look alike, we knew there was an opportunity to design something more modern that would distinguish iHNed.cz.
One of the things we discussed early in the project was designing a shorter homepage. The previous homepage was at least five scrolls deep, giving the page an overwhelming look. The idea of a customizable module on the homepage that scrolls sideways helped create a shorter page, while allowing the user to select only the content he or she wants to see.
Early on, the team at iHNed.cz, led by managing editor Lucie Tvaruzkova, wanted to focus their content strategy on four pillars of information—news and business, sport, lifestyle and opinion. With that direction, the design team at iHNed.cz created unique fronts for the pages representing those pillars. Each page template exhibits a bit of its own personality, relevant to its subject matter, from the energetic green-on-black color palette of HNSport to the focus on columnists in HNDialog. These customizations differentiate iHNed.cz from other sites in the region.
Overall the project was an excellent exercise in thinking deeply about presenting content online. Whereas the process before the re-thinking was dominated by what was in the printed newspaper each day, the new iHNed.cz is driven by a forward-thinking process that makes the online content richer in information, more incisive and ultimately more relevant to a diverse and evolving audience.
The top part of iHNed.cz before the redesign