The National Interest is an American international affairs magazine and online publication. Associated with the realist school of foreign policy thought, it seeks to educate the public on America’s approach to foreign affairs.
WDG migrated The National Interest site from Drupal 6 onto a custom built Drupal 7 platform in order to achieve their goal of promoting debates on the course of American foreign policy.
Challenge
Create a platform that eases the user experience and navigates through cluttered content.
Solution
Built an adaptive Drupal 7 platform to optimize user engagement through improved navigation and site structure.
Results
National Interest has been able to increase time spent on site and ultimately improve their conversions.
48%
increase in ranking keywords
3:11 min
avg. time on the site
Challenge
Improved Search Capacity.
The National Interest has an extremely large database of information on the site. WDG’s development team migrated all content onto the new site, as well as implemented a thorough search function. Users need to easily access data and search for specific content when needed.
Valuable Design Decisions for a Publication.
Responsive Layouts
WDG designed a site that adapts to all screen sizes and provides a compelling experience to users.
Branded Design
Designers incorporated brand components into the site design. Key brand colors, red and black, play a major role in the site. Accompanied by a sophisticated legible font, designers were able to create a sophisticated and professional design.
Strong Imagery
The design incorporates imagery into each publication and landing page. The site is very content heavy so it was necessary to incorporate images and separate text.
Solution
Enhanced Sharing Capabilities.
WDG integrated various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube onto the site. Increasing usability and access to The National Interests various communication platforms.
A major focus for this redesign was organization. As a publication, it is extremely important that readers are able to navigate the site efficiently. We worked to minimize clicks by improving taxonomies. WDG created a user experience that allows viewers easy access to publications.
Why
Mobile Friendly
Due to the high amount of traffic that The National Interest receives, it is critical that the site is designed for mobile use. The nature of their site is to publish pieces on current topics of issue, which are largely viewed through mobile devices. The WDG design provides the ability to responsively adapt to all screen sizes and still provide a compelling experience.
Result
Exceeding KPI Goals.
WDG built The National Interest’s site with their specified KPI goals in mind. The publication has seen an increase in conversions since the launch of the site. They have experienced an increase in total views, time spent on page, and subscriptions.
