Bringing The Seattle Times' storytelling into the digital age
Lead designer
Motion design
Web design
Branding
Creating an engaging platform for the Seattle Times’ creative advertising services
The Seattle Times Content Studio needed a digital home that matched their creative capabilities. As newsrooms evolve, so do their creative services. My challenge? Design a website that would showcase their storytelling expertise while making it easy for potential clients to envision working together.
The Challenges
Transform traditional media services into an engaging digital experience
Balance established Seattle Times credibility with modern creative agency vibes
Create a simple yet powerful lead generation tool for the sales team
Process Highlights
Discovery to Vision
Collaborated with stakeholders to understand both business goals and creative aspirations
Analyzed competitor sites to identify opportunities to stand out
Created mood boards to align on visual direction
Recognized the need for motion design to elevate the site experience
Design development and exploration
Developed website architecture focused on storytelling and lead generation
Took initiative to learn Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects
Created motion design elements to bring static content to life
Built component system for easy content updates
Experimented with video editing to enhance portfolio presentations
Implementation & Launch
Worked with development team to ensure smooth WordPress integration
Applied newly-learned motion design skills to final touchpoints
Created detailed specs and animation guidelines
Launched in late 2020 with positive stakeholder feedback
Solution Spotlight
The final site balanced professionalism with creativity through:
Dynamic hero section showcasing Pacific Northwest imagery
Interactive portfolio of client work
Streamlined contact process for potential clients
Custom motion design elements that brought energy to key sections
Impact
Successfully launched as planned in late 2020
Provided sales team with professional, modern platform
Created foundation for Content Studio's digital presence
Key Learnings
This project was transformative both for the Content Studio and my own growth as a designer. While creating a platform that balanced brand heritage with modern digital needs, I pushed myself to learn new skills that could enhance the user experience. Teaching myself motion design during the project added an unexpected but valuable dimension to the final product.
The experience showed me how taking initiative to learn new tools can elevate a project beyond its initial scope. These new skills have since become an integral part of my design toolkit.