We are concluding a study unit all about color in my Multiplatform Design & Storytelling class at Columbia University’s School of Journalism. Our discussions have taken us through these various topics:
- Color temperature—which is the right temperature for the content and look & feel of the title?
- The staircase of color—my theory that when one color dominates it helps move the eye from top to bottom on a page or screen.
- Color and culture--respecting how color is perceived, and even used, by different countries and cultures. A color that may be attractive to one group could mean something else to another.
- Print versus mobile for color use? …and yet, so many of the rules of color apply the same to a screen or a page.
- The impact of black and yellow, as seen in this example from WIRED magazine.
- The power of red and black—showed a lot of examples, including this one brought by a student, from the New Yorker.
The students’ choices
Here are some of the examples the students collected to discuss effective use of color for mobile devices. I admit I did not know some of these titles.
Refinery 29: Interesting and unusual combination of colors for this site that describes itself as ” a modern woman’s destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. Read on for breaking entertainment news, fashion tips, health, and more.”
The student who picked Refinery 29 as a favorite says that from the moment she enters the site the colors create a “happy and bright” environment.
Go here:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us
The Skimm: Also a site that has content specific for a female audience, and a favorite every semester with my Columbia students. The student selecting this entry describes Skimm’s color palette as “a predominantly turquoise, blue sea, purple/teal/ scheme that plays well along its content offerings.”
Go here:
Bustle: Also caters to a female readership. In their own words:Covering politics, sex and relationships, fashion, beauty, entertainment, and more, Bustle empowers women to be curious, to be themselves, and to be excited about owning their place in the world.
Go here:
2020: busiest news year.
Not that we are surprised, but, it is official:
New York Times Publisher and Chairman A. G. Sulzberger provided employees across the company and the world with a look back on the breadth and impact of their work in 2020 — a year when the value of independent journalism was on full display.
“There’s a strong argument that 2020 was the single busiest news year in the 170-year history of The New York Times,” he said.
Inquire about our mobile storytelling workshops!
Every week I bring my mobile storytelling workshop to a different newsroom around the world. I begin with a 90-minute presentation about the essentials of crafting/editing/designing stories for mobile consumption. Then I break the participants into groups and for two hours they produce a mobile story which they then present to the entire group for evaluation. It works all the time.
Another type of Garcia Media program is when we sign up for mobile storytelling coaching after completion of the first workshop. Once a week, or as planned, I work virtually with a team of reporters, editors, designers on actual stories that will be published as linear mobile stories. Let me know if you are interested in more information: mario@garciamedia.com
Professors: get your review version of The Story on time for fall classes
As an academic, I know the importance of having the right tools to advance our students, especially on the important subject of mobile storytelling. Please drop me an email if you would like to sample The Story in its digital edition: mario@garciamedia.com
Start writing or type / to choose a block
The full trilogy of The Story now available–3 books to guide you through a mobile first strategy. Whether you’re a reporter, editor, designer, publisher, corporate communicator, The Story is for you! https://amazon
TheMarioBlog post # 3277