(Appropriately) Artful Design

I thought the special section in the New York Times on museums was really impressive and an example of print out performing the web in terms of a reader's experience with the articles. The section opens with a story on unique ways museums in general are trying to attract visitors in this economic climate. The article included fun pictures used in the Metropolitan of Art's "It's Time We Met" ad campaign. Inside the section, there are many features on smaller museums and exhibits.

A special section works like a magazine in that there are many pieces revolving around one topic or niche. Although articles on the NYT website link to related stories, the process of jumping from one article to the next is less smooth than scanning down or over to the next page in a special section. For this reason, I am more likely to read the related articles on paper--as I would in a magazine--than I would online.

The sense of cohesiveness of the special section is illustrated by the headline chosen for the printed version. In print, the article had the kicker "Wish You Were Here" and the deck "Pushing for Innovative Ways To Attract Visitors And Connect With Audiences." Whereas, the online version headline is "In Lean Times, New Ways to Reach out." I appreciate the cleverness of the kicker and enjoy reading the article all the more because of it. Two cakes can taste the same, but I want to eat the fancy, pretty cake with icing and chocolate jewels more than a sheet with a layer of frosting. I guess because I, like the rest of America, am shallow. Yet the clever, sentimental kicker not only ties a bow on the piece, it also shows the editors put forth more effort. As a reader, I appreciate that the editors went a bit further to make the article more pleasant for me to consume.

The online headline is less appealing, but even worse, the change makes little sense in terms of google search optimization. If someone wanted to read specifically about museums, they would not search for such generic words. Of course, the printed version is not optimal either.

Although the words are less pretty, there are more colorful pictures online. For example, the image printed in the paper of people doing yoga in the Museum of Modern Art is not in color which takes away from the installation in front of them.

It's unfortunate that despite these advantages, people still will not want to buy a paper when they can read the news online for free. Even so, the articles could have maintained their artful kickers online, and thus, part of what made them special.