Apollo Magazine

Redesign and build Apollo Magazine's website to align with the design values and quality of the print magazine. Improve navigation to accommodate the site’s expanding content and diverse types of materials. Enhance the advertising potential of the site.

We created a clear design with flexible options for commercial partners. The design was guided by the magazine, but made appropriate for the web with the aim of lasting a long time.

The build was aimed to be simple to maintain in order to control maintenance costs, whilst being fast and efficient for users regardless of connection speed. Eight years on, it remains a fast, usable website.

We worked to ensure the redesign fully united the Apollo brand between print and web, reflecting the updated design direction of the new print magazine. Working to incorporate the character of the magazine into the website design, we focused on imagery, thoughtful typography and strategic use of white space to highlight content. A horizontal approach to keylines was adopted, providing a screen-friendly visual continuity with the print layout's vertical keylines.

To mirror the magazine's aesthetics online, we removed the sidebar to optimise horizontal space. We implemented a system of versatile 'cards' for diverse content display, designed for easy reproduction throughout the site. The revamped navigation, emphasises in-content navigation and increases recirculation points. We integrated a persistent, high-contrast subscribe button in the sticky header for maximum visibility and to encourage subscriptions.

We enhanced advertising capacity by strategically placing classic banner spots and seamlessly integrating ads into the content flow using the card system. This compensates for the absence of a traditional sidebar on some pages.