It’s no secret that blogs are the pillar of any successful company website. A blog that is frequently updated will increase brand exposure, provide users with relevant content, and serve as an essential tool for community engagement. Blogs are a great way to establish your brand identity and build a devoted following in addition to being a low-cost marketing strategy with a high return. However, presenting the content in a way that is visually appealing is just as important as creating engaging content that is packed with information for your readers. There are a lot of different things to consider when designing a blog, like font sizes and text width, hierarchy, and calls to action. A boring design for a blog is a surefire way to lose readers or even customers. Are you a budding UI designer exasperated by boring blogs? We have compiled a list of ten online magazines and blogs that highlight the very best innovative editorial design. Amy, CareerFoundry’s resident UI designer, has been enlisted to assist us in our endeavors. She will explain why each blog’s UI design has been successful.
1. Six-two
Six-Two’s robust travel guides are powered by Contiki, a global youth travel brand. The gorgeous images in these guides immediately make us want to pack our bags and go seriously wanderlusting. Six-two have taken the popular ‘tiling’ feature and put their own spin on it—mixing blog posts in with text, and playing around with image size. Even though they have some interesting features, they have kept the color scheme pretty simple. Most of the time, they use pastel colors with a dash of dark pink. Six-two has achieved the perfect balance between entertaining and instructive content. According to Amy, the content is laid out rhythmically on a consistent grid, signaling to the reader what to anticipate. By repeating grouped elements—in this case, the image, headline, and tag—that make it clear which content belongs together, they have made the website even easier to navigate. In addition, the designer has increased the size of the group to emphasize particular parts of the content, establishing a clear hierarchy and letting the reader know what to read first! Interestingly, they’ve chosen to place the search function on the left of the interface, and the main menu on the right. The use of recognizable iconography, such as the magnifying glass for search and the downward-facing arrow for more content, ensures that this is still usable despite going against standard UI conventions. Overall, the user experience is enhanced by the straightforward UI’s ability to reduce friction.
2. Annual Report
When it comes to blog design, simplicity often trumps complexity. Annual Digest from Curate Mag is unquestionably an example of this. Aimed at entrepreneurs and young professionals, Annual Digest is an online magazine featuring a collection of thought pieces that both reflect on the past year and inspire for the year to come.
Annual Digest has absolutely nailed the UI design trend of using large fonts and images. The use of color and the easy-to-read article titles make it impossible not to be captivated. Amy says, “There is a lot of content presented on this page,” but the designer keeps the reader interested with the clever use of variety. The navigation is extremely enjoyable thanks to the use of bold imagery, large type, and subtle animations and transitions. The best thing about this website’s typography is how well it is done. The clever combination of fonts makes it look elegant and sophisticated without being too serious. The use of white space also impresses me. Having vast stretches of white space lets the content breathe, and the images speak for themselves, facilitating a high-end and trustworthy tone. Additionally, the stark monochromatic color scheme juxtaposed with vibrant orange is extremely visually stimulating. I could browse this website for the entire day!
3. Clever
An online publication published by Architectural Digest called Clever showcases home decor ideas, promotes industry innovation, and recognizes international design talent. With vibrant colors that reminisce of retro pop art from the 1980s and blocks that almost appear to be three-dimensional, this wonderful publication manages to be both chic and eccentric at the same time. While the actual design itself is relatively stripped back, it’s jam-packed to the brim with character.
Amy states, “What initially grabs my attention on this website is the Mondrian style,” which is composed of colorful mosaic-like grids based on the designs of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. I can immediately tell that this blog will be about art and design. The designer uses a progressive rhythm to create a content hierarchy, adding a refreshing twist to the content card structure most commonly used by online publications. The interface is bright and makes good use of bright colors and patterns, which can go horribly wrong if they are used too much. Even though the color scheme is bold, I believe that the designer considered accessibility when choosing the bold geometric font and the high contrast between the colors themselves. To foster unity, each of the UI elements on this page functions in a harmonious manner. This level of attention to detail is no small feat!
4. Coda story
The online political journal Coda Story writes about everything from humanitarian crises to stories about disinformation. Coda story asserts that they are “format agnostic”—meaning they don’t adhere to the structural conventions of other blogs.
The publication of the Coda story serves as evidence that political content need not be dull to be taken seriously by providing a list of documentaries, animations, longreads, and shortreads.
