August 2009 Archives
August 28, 2009
The Ashes, personalisation and print
Mike Norrish wrote an interesting piece in The Telegraph this week, pointing out that the weekend's Ashes victory had not captured the national mood as much as it had in 2005. Stressing that at the time the 5th Test ended, Songs Of Praise was getting higher viewing figures than the cricket on Sky, he said: "You simply can’t enthrall a nation on subscription TV. The 2005 Ashes series pulled in 7.4 million viewers at its peak. Even people who didn’t...
August 27, 2009
"And on the seventh day..." - Sunday newspaper branding highlighted at Summer Sundae
The goodie bag we were given at the Summer Sundae festival, featuring The Observer newspaper but Guardian branded merchandise, reminded me how odd I find the historic commandment that on the seventh day, newspapers shall be known by a different name.
August 26, 2009
Celtic fans take over Kings Cross Underground noticeboards
For a while today, Celtic fans managed to redecorate Kings Cross Underground Station with their own take on the important information they needed to know about getting to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium for their Champions League play-off tie. At first glance I thought it was an example of London Underground being extra helpful to visiting fans to London, but I soon realised that the poster had been put together by fans of the Queen's Celtic themselves (© Fivers passim) This was...
Summer Sundae 2009
Yesterday I posted about a festival I went to twenty years ago. Today it is the turn of one I went to less than two weeks ago, Leicester's Summer Sundae. It was my first trip to that particular festival, which is held in the grounds of the De Montford Hall, and which this year was due to be headlined by The Streets, The Charlatans and The Zutons. I say 'due to be', as on the Friday The Streets had to...
August 25, 2009
It was twenty years ago today...the 1989 Reading Festival
Unless major figures have died, there has been a massive terrorist attack, or a man has landed on the moon, there aren't many days of the year where you can be absolutely sure you know what you were doing exactly twenty years ago, but today is one of them. Twenty years ago today I was in a muddy field listening to New Order. I know this because one of the pubs near to where I used to live in Muswell...
August 24, 2009
Interview with a UCL Library & Information studies student - Ben Veasey
A little while ago Ben Veasey came into The Guardian to interview me about my views on information architecture and the news industry, and over the last couple of weeks I've been publishing a series of video clips of my answers to his questions. Ben is studying 'Library & Information studies' at UCL, and for his dissertation his chosen topic is British newspaper libraries. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to ask him some questions back about his studies,...
August 21, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 7 - News branding and 'authoritative information' on the web
Over the last few days I've been posting clips of a video interview Ben Veasey carried out with me as he was compiling research for his dissertation. He was asking me about my role as Information Architect at The Guardian. In today's final clip, I'm answering the question: "Can you tell me about branding and brand awareness and how this influences authoritative information?" Part 7 - News branding and 'authoritative information' on the web on Vimeo. Next... At the same...
August 20, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 6 - Measuring news consumer behaviour online
I've been posting a series of video clips that were made when I was interviewed by Ben Veasey as part of the research for his dissertation on British newspaper libraries. He was asking me questions about Information Architecture and the news industry, and today's clip is my answer to a question about how we measure news consumer behaviour online: "How has our knowledge of user behaviour developed and how has it affected website architecture? How do you assess user behaviour?"...
August 19, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 5 - Changes in the delivery of news
I've been publishing a series of video clips that feature me being interviewed by a student of 'Library & Information studies' at UCL. Ben Veasey was carrying out research for his dissertation, and asked me a series of questions about Information Architecture and the news industry. We filmed it in the rather noisy Guardian canteen. Today's clip addresses how the delivery of news has been transformed by Internet technology. "Has the delivery of news, and the way people access it,...
August 18, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 4 - Information Architecture in a news context
I've been posting a series of video clips featuring me being interviewed by Ben Veasey. He was asking me about Information Architecture and its role in the news industry. Today's clip directly addresses that question: "Tell me about information architecture services within the news context. How are user interfaces developed for customers? " Part 4 - Information Architecture in a news context on Vimeo. Next... Later this week I'll be publishing more video clips from the interview, looking at changes...
August 17, 2009
A monkey could also write the annual stories knocking A-Level students
This week is one of my least favourite weeks of the year, as the annual media game begins of knocking the achievements of our children at school. Rather than write another whole rant on the topic, here are links to a few I made earlier. Is Britain’s brightest A-Level student a boy or an anonymous photogenic teenage girl? - August 2007 Do boys even take A-Levels these days? - August 2006 It must be nearly A-Level time again - August...
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 3 - What makes good Information Architecture?
Last week I started posting a series of video clips that were made when I was interviewed by Ben Veasey as part of the research for his dissertation on British newspaper libraries. He was asking me questions about Information Architecture and the news industry. Today's clip features my response to the following question: "What makes a well designed website / product from the information architect’s perspective?" Part 3 - What makes good Information Architecture? on Vimeo. Next... Tomorrow's clip will...
August 14, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 2 - Perceptions of Information Architecture as a discipline
Yesterday I posted the first in a series of video clips of me being interviewed by Ben Veasey, talking about Information Architecture and the news industry. Today's clip is my answer to the question: "Tell me about attitudes and perceptions towards information architecture, and how has that changed over time?" Part 2 - Perceptions of Information Architecture as a discipline on Vimeo. Next... Next week I'll be continuing to publish the video clips in this series, and on Monday I'll...
August 13, 2009
Interview with Martin Belam: Part 1 - Internet and intranet navigation trends
News and Information Architecture
A series of video clips of me being interviewed by Ben Veasey about the news industry and information architecture.
August 12, 2009
Baby P killer images lose their impact online
As the clock turned midnight on Monday night, the anonymity order preventing the publication of the names of Baby P's killers expired, and it was obvious which images were gong to dominate the press front pages the next morning. The chance to vilify Tracey Connelly and Steven Barker by name was something hitherto denied our newspapers, even though the public could find them out with just the briefest of Google searches. Since the deadline was in the middle of the...
August 11, 2009
Free newspapers or free wifi - which appeals more?
Free newspapers or free wifi
If a cafe, bar or pub near you offered the choice, which would you prefer, free newspapers or free wifi?
"Bang Bang" - What B.A. Robertson can teach the news industry about the price of scarcity
With varying announcements about potential future paid-for-content models from the FT and News International titles, there has been a resurgence in the debate about getting people to pay for visiting newspaper websites. Malcolm Coles yesterday wrote a great blog post looking at ways that News International could succeed in monetising their content. I think it addresses a lot of issues and niche content that does exist, that the naysayers of the 'information wants to be free' crowd tend to sweep...
August 10, 2009
'Fabiola' by Francis Alÿs at the National Portrait Gallery
Just over a week ago I went to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Francis Alÿs exhibition 'Fabiola', supported by the Dia Art Foundation. He has spent years gathering reproductions of a now lost painting by Jean-Jacques Henner. Split over two rooms, the viewer is confronted with around 300 slight variations on the same image of a young woman in profile wearing a red veil. At first, of course, it is the similarity that strikes you. Gradually, though, it...
August 7, 2009
Does the embedded video deal lead to papers burying bad BBC news online?
The deal to share BBC video content with leading national newspapers websites, including that belonging to The Guardian where I work, moves us into some murky uncharted waters. Joanna Geary of The Times, who are not taking the video content, said that: "I’ve got this horrible feeling that the BBC deal proves that many articles produced by newspapers provide little or no uniqueness to help distinguish them in a flooded market." It is early days for the deal, but it...
Birmingham City Council - an inspiration in how not to do web procurement
There was much chortling this week at the discomfort of Birmingham City Council after the details of their hugely over-budget and late new website were released, following a Freedom of Information request by Josh Hart. I have to confess that given a budget that big to spend on delivering 'a website', I'm not quite sure where I'd start over-spending first - gold-plated servers was one suggestion in the office. Maybe it is the expense on the website that has led...
August 6, 2009
Day #2 at Guardian Hack Day #2
Last week The Guardian held a second internal hack day. I gave a lightning talk about "Graceful Hacks", and yesterday I posted some of my thoughts on how the first part of the day panned out. Hacking ran from midday on Thursday until midday on Friday, and the presentations were held on the Friday afternoon. In total there were around 45 hacks, which was a phenomenal amount given the size of the teams, the time available, and the amount of...
August 5, 2009
Day #1 at Guardian Hack Day #2
Last week The Guardian held a second internal hack day - codename #ghack2. Sadly due to presure of work, and my coding skills being rustier than ever, I didn't get to do a hack myself, but I did contribute a lightning talk, and spent most of the final session videoing the presentations from the front row, so I felt I chipped in a bit. Hack Day Social There was an excellent twist to the format with a 'Hack Day Social'...
August 4, 2009
Reasons the music industry has lost the plot #12 & #35
The campaign leading up to the release of the new Muse album has been really interesting, with an online/real-life game of hunt-the-USB-stick called PROJECT EURASIA Well, the campaign was interesting until it got to the bit where they actually release the music for sale. Today was the digital release of single "Uprising". Sort of. Or as they put it: "Following the worldwide radio premieres yesterday, Uprising is now available to download in some countries. Release dates vary around the world"...
"Graceful Hacks" - UX, IA and interaction design tips for hack days
"Graceful Hacks"
UX, IA and interaction design tips for hack days
August 3, 2009
The tyranny of chronology: Part 6 - The video
Last week, the Media Standards Trust YouTube channel published the videos taken at the News Innovation Unconference hosted by NESTA. Amongst them were clips of me presenting 'The tyranny of chronology'. Photograph of Martin Belam at 'News Innovation' by Adam Tinworth The first video clip covers parts 1, 2 and 3 of the written word version of the presentation. The second part on YouTube includes parts 4 & 5 of the article. The final part on YouTube covers the Q...