The making of the Ridus website

When we started to work, the agency still had no name. We started by thinking what a news agency website might look like. Simultaneously, were were thinking about the name.

Considering the mechanics and structure of pages: what moves where, when and how it is displayed.

We don’t want to make a modular newspaper, we want linear reading. Trying out the design and checking out how news pieces will look: both a large overview article and a 140-character tweet.

Starting to look for an element that will help to put emphasis on important news and events. Adding pseudo volume to news blocks. Important entries can move up and cast a shadow.

Finalizing the main page and showing the concept to the client.

The client approves the volume solution. We continue planning.

Creating a block for displaying important news and events on the main page.

Trying out various options for displaying news: a picture, a video, an audio clip, polls.

Assembling it all together on one page.

Creating interface elements for the new article form and for comment trees.

Having a fresh look at the design and realizing that it is too bright and active: if there ever was a news piece on a murder laid out in this design, the murder would go unnoticed, overshadowed by Mr. Design.

We decide to try to tune down Mr. Design and make the murder story more readable.

Dimming the colors.

We want to use microaccents on a white website. Showing to the client.

The client is absolutely against it. Getting back to the original volume solution, decreasing the shadow depth, calming down the colors.

Drawing the missing elements: buttons, arrows, icons.

Right before the launch, the artistic director makes the final stroke.