Platform

Helping USA Today tell a momentus story and win a Pulitzer Prize.

Overview

Think outside the article.

The Arizona Republic, a subsidiary of USA Today, was preparing to undergo a massive undertaking — an extensive investigative report on the sociological and ecological effects of Trump’s border wall. Before they set out on dozens of interviews and research, we were brought in to help them strategize, plan, and design an interactive, scalable storytelling platform to house their ambitious project.

Deliveries

Strategy, Design, UX,
Development & QA

Approach

Education and collaboration.

We flew to Arizona to host a two-day workshop, introducing their team to interactive storytelling and the power of non-linear narratives. We then set out to develop the strategy and define our audience. From there we designed and storyboarded the feature, creating an extensive UX roadmap to ensure the best possible experience for the reader.

Challenges

Maintaining the integrity of journalism.

We set out to completely transform a long-form piece for a new medium. This meant making sure the integrity of the piece wasn’t lost in the design, and that the 30 journalists and photographers who worked on the piece were happy with how their investigative work was presented.

Features

Dozens of stores, 6 unique paths.

Upon arrival, readers can explore six different paths, each one seamlessly flowing into the next. The site includes 12 stories, a series of short documentaries, an interactive map, podcasts, and an immersive VR experience.