Articly, read all French magazines with one app
Article has a lot to offer, but remains simple
We developed one responsive web application that offers a customised but uniform experience for all devices. The biggest challenge for me was to design a product that was suitable for every content, no matter the size, elements and source. To solve this issue we developed a system that picks a specific template for every article that is most suitable for the job.
Every choice made during the design process was made from the core values simplicity & clarity.
Mobile = King
Our target group consumes news for a large part through mobile devices. The mobile phone is no more a secondary device, so it earned at least as much attention as the desktop computer.
A slick and intuitive mobile UI is the outcome.
B2C and B2B
Sure a big part of Articly’s target group are consumers. But at least the same focus was on publishers and editors. To make this product succeed we had to contract all major French publishers. Our corporate identity helped us to full-fill this task.
Creating convincing and visually appealing presentations
Like every start-up, making presentations is a daily activity. For me it’s a must, as Art Director and Designer, to make these as visually attractive as the product itself.
Be creative, be authentic
As a company you need visuals and illustrations for various tasks. Think of presentations, newsletters, social media, advertisements etc. The challenge here for me is to ensure that these images are unique and fit within the identity of the brand. For Articly I developed a series of authentic visuals. This is something else than your well-known stock photography.
Behind the scenes
From sketches I built dolls with iron wire, tape and everything I could find in my immediate surroundings. I made the heads of polymer clay and the clothes out of pieces of fabric. For every doll I built an environment in a mini studio. I photographed this setting and then edited it on the computer. This work is inspired by the many stop-motions movies and artists such as Chris Sickels.
One team, one task
Perhaps the most important part of a startup is the team. A team that understands, inspires and strengthens each other. As an art director you are directly responsible for these keywords. Try to understand everyone and create synergy.
