The Edge Magazine

The Edge is a prototype magazine site I created to curate articles regarding the environment, sustainability, and related social issues relevant to the Thompson-Nicola region.

The goal was to create a landing portal for sustainable living in the area, and to provide information and resources that residents of the area can use directly. It would also give those interested in the subject matter covered by the website a place to connect with other people, share and organize events, and disperse information.

The target audience for the site was quite broad, with only an interest in the topic and geographical location as the qualifiers. To try to cover the needs of a wide variety of users, I created a group of personas. These were developed based on research into the wide array of people who frequent Facebook groups, clubs, and events that interest the target user group.

A guideline on content had to be developed. What type of articles would be included? What information could users post? Where? How would they submit their content?

A clear focus for what the site would contain was developed. I also decided to go beyond curating articles, and also allow users to submit their own work for review and possible submission.

A list of resources would be provided, a calendar of events, and links to discussion forums and social media groups. I felt this would consolidate a lot of regional information into one place. However, I felt I needed to narrow the geographical focus a bit, because the sheer amount of information gathered from so wide an area was quickly becoming unwieldly.

There would be two main sections: articles and resources. These would require separate, clearly defined menus. An intuitive submission page was also designed, and tested.

I wanted to the overall design to be sharp and eye catching, avoiding the soft natural look that might be expected of a environmentally focused magazine. Instead, I wanted to the site to feel more action oriented, but also inviting and accessible. I avoided flashy animations, as I was going for a functional experience, over a visually stimulating one.

The prototype requires some refinement. Some of the interactivity requires some streamlining, and some elements do not line up as well as I would like. However, as a prototype, the magazine is a good start toward an online project I would like to launch in the near future.