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Introduction
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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Once you've become familiar with the Dispatch concept, benefits, features, and interface (or skipped them altogether), here's where you'll see the software really strut its stuff.
Dispatch can produce literally any style of web publication, from the serious formality of news sites such as The New York Times, to the clean sophistication of magazines such as Slate or Salon, to any combination or unique configuration you can devise.
And once the important design work is done and committed to Dispatch templates, the production of an issue — with all its content, images, links, cross-references, and myriad associations — is nearly instantaneous!
All of the site examples were created or re-created in-house and dynamically generated by Dispatch software. The purpose of these examples are to showcase how Dispatch can create any design imaginable. These are just three ideas, the possibilities are truly limitless.
New York Times Example
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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D E S I G N C R I T I Q U E
- Comprehensive homepage with links and descriptions to each story within the current issue.
- The feature story uses a photograph and the first paragraph to draw the reader in from the homepage.
- Each sectional table of contents page provides an overview of the current stories within its section, uses a unique layout best suited for the given section, and effectively promotes recent stories from the archives.
- The cinema and music contents pages particularly stand out with features being pushed using a photo and the opening paragraph, various bullet lists, and a complete list of reviews by title which are easily accessible via a drop-down menu.
- Internal story pages are sparse and simple providing an excellent contrast to the information-rich contents pages. Large drop caps are used for added emphasis and color.
- Internal story pages provide various archival links at the bottom of each story pulling the reader into the archives. The general site design is current-centric, pulling the reader back to the current
issue's table of contents regardless of where they are within the site.
- The cinema and music internal pages list recent reviews by title, within the body of the story.
- Ability to perform a search, and access other major areas of the site from all top level pages (homepage and sectional table of contents pages).
- A simple but sophisticated color palette is used consistently throughout.
- Full-size banner ads are used on every page within the site. Banners are presented at both the top and bottom of each page providing high visibility and increased click-through potential.
- Homepage and contents pages work best at 640x480 and lose some design sensibility when viewed at higher resolutions. (Internal story pages expand and work nicely at all resolutions).
- Contents pages don't use author bylines.
Slate Example
Last Modified: 4/4/2000
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D E S I G N C R I T I Q U E
- All inclusive homepage lists complete table of contents segregated by section. Each story includes linked page number, headline and brief summary description.
- Homepage includes headlines and links to music, film and book features appear at the top of the page.
- Homepage provides links to recent features and the ability to page back in time through the archived issues (click "go to last week" on the bottom of the page).
- Full page numbering system carried throughout the site. Easy for readers to page through the issue.
- Playful color scheme is used consistently throughout site.
- Each section has its own style, from the simplistic drop-caps and tight margins of the music and cinema sections, to the left and right toggling of the paragraphs in the books and review sections. This effect breaks up the lengthy pages making them an easier read.
- Many "smart" links to the archives from internal story pages (also in this issue, more by this author and previously in this column).
- Email links provided on each internal page.
- Full-size banner ads are used on all internal story pages. Placement of ad at top and bottom of each story provides higher visibility and click-through potential.
- External search engine friendly. Each story is connected to all the other stories within an issue by the page numbering system, and each issue is connected to archived issues via archive links and the last week link on the homepage. The combination of these links literally connect every story on this site. The end result allows a search engine spider to crawl throughout each and every story indexing this site to its maximum potential.
- Homepage: simplistic table of contents approach. No emphasis on top level stories or directional focus for the reader to follow.
- No sectional table of contents pages. Site navigation primarily relies on the homepage, and the page numbering system.
Bubbles Example
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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D E S I G N C R I T I Q U E
- The homepage uses the first few paragraphs of the lead story, and the summary capsules of the remaining features to pull the reader into the issue.
- On the homepage, the "last week" sidebar provides a complete recap of last week's issue. In addition, the reader can click on the "last week" header itself (or its cover image) to go to the previous issue's homepage, and continue moving back in time through the archived issues.
- "Page forward" and "page back" navigation allows the reader to move forward and backwards within an issue, while "last issue" navigation lets the reader travel backwards in time as well.
- "Back to top" links on bottoms of all pages take readers to top of each page.
- Use of glowing mouse-overs on main sectional navigation provides visual interest.
- Full-size banner ads are used on all pages.
- Each story includes a sectional table of contents on the right side of its page, eliminating the need for individual contents pages. The top half lists the section's current table of contents, while the bottom half lists recent archives for that section. Notice if you click on an archived story and move back in time, the current issue's table of contents remain the same, but the story archives change based on your position in both time and the issue.
- Suggested links are generally more effective at the bottom of a story, rather than at the top.
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