O Globo a Mais was a digital magazine, for mobile devices, published by O Globo newspaper. I was part of the team responsible for the initial launch of the magazine. This allowed me to participate in the various phases of the magazine’s development and to gain new experience in diverse fields. During my time in this position, I had various responsibilities, including creating workflows, graphic design and adopting media standards and interactive infographics.
Before the magazine was launched, we had to adapt the initial graphic design (originally by Cases y Associats), to interact with the iPad. When the magazine was launched in 2012, Apple had only recently released its tablet devices, and at the time didn’t have the required software available. In short, we had to find a new way to communicate with the readers.
In the first year after the launch, I completed a usability test while doing research on my masters degree. Based on this study, I published a paper (link) for an international congress. The following year, O Globo contracted Mercedes Sanchez Usability Consultancy to analyse the experience of the magazine.
Based on the two research projects above, we could discover many usability mistakes in the design. During this time, we were able to launch O Globo a Mais version to Android tablets, smartphones and desktops. We redesigned the project based on the user experience, adapting it to different device sizes.
As a result of this innovative project, we won a number of awards. In 2012, we won the Journalism Esso Award in the category for best contribution to the press. We were awarded the prize of ‘most creative idea’ by InfoGlobo company. And, the Olympic’s special issue won an award of excellence from the Society of News Design (SND 34).
The project’s great success was a result of the integration between design and content, providing the best digital storytelling of news.
