NYT iPad app
this is entry #4 in my series about beautility
for me, sunday mornings include quiet time spent with a cup of coffee and the new york times. i’m trying to make that reality happen every day of the week, but i make a point of savouring sundays.
over the years, the design community has made an intense sport of heralding and critiquing the New York Times in all of its forms. while i could write a lengthy 8 minute read about all of my quibbles with the NYT iPad app (and maybe, perhaps, someday i will)… instead, i’d like to tell you why i simply love the app — why it meets the criteria for beautility — despite any quibbles.
let’s start with the fact that news is useful. the news gives us context for our lives, an awareness of the world around us, and an explanation of the forces at play that act like currents, sweeping us through our daily existence. and on the whole, the Times provides quality reporting. they cover topics that speak to me, from world news to the well-curated fluff of the style sections. while the reporting isn’t perfect, most mornings you know what’s happening in the world, what you may want to learn more about, and you will very likely generally come away with at least one article worth sharing with a loved one.
also, digital is profoundly USEFUL. i admire those of you who figured out how to read a physical newspaper without dipping its edges into your coffee cup, but to be honest, i am not that talented. also, the stack of newspaper that accumulates from even just the sunday edition presents a clutter problem, to say nothing of the poor trees. a digital subscription solves all of this elegantly. and while the times’ digital subscription model is profoundly befuddling, it is possible to determine the type of subscription that will work for you, and when you do, it works reasonably well.
now that we have laid the groundwork for why it is useful, let’s talk a bit about beauty:
designed with intention. particularly type. tomes have been written on the nuance of these subjects, but in short: i know exactly what publication it is, and it imbues me with a sense of place and trust. related: the Times Magazine section feels whimsical through type variance alone. it feels playful but on-brand.
focus on the content. while much ado has been made about the evils of “hamburger nav” — this app is a great example of implementing a (necessary) extensible navigation system that is subtle, usable, and that lets the content shine through. (for usability sticklers, note that the nav is for power users, and would not impede browsing because of the scroll!)
amazing photos. occasional videos. again, with the letting-the-content-shine thing.
so… even on days when the front page is doom and gloom — with headlines of war and photos of suffering — there is a simple, useful, beauty to be found in this experience. the app clearly and emphatically tells a human story about the world as it is happening right now. thus, every day we are invited in to learn more about ourselves and how we fit into the world around us.
