Charlotte Observer Launches New Website, Designed by NavigationArts

MCLEAN, Va., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Observer
(http://www.charlotteobserver.com) today launched a new website, designed and
developed by NavigationArts, a leading user experience design consultancy. The
timing of the website redesign coincides with the launch of a new design for
the print edition of the paper.
The Charlotte Observer's web strategy focused on reinforcing the brand
identity of the newspaper online rather than using the website as a hybrid
between a newspaper site and a regional destination portal. The new Charlotte
Observer site will drive a more engaged interaction with readers, increasing
dwell time, page views, and repeat visitors -- important measures considering
the potential to drive profits through online advertising revenue. The key to
the improved site is a user-centered design that conforms to readers'
priorities and expectations, while fulfilling important business goals defined
by The Charlotte Observer at the start of the project.
NavigationArts provided information architecture, user interface design,
and development services to create the new website. NavigationArts' user
experience team created a site that balances the presentation of content,
advertising, and partner promotions in a way that makes all the information
easily scannable and digestible. The new design offers a more sophisticated
treatment of multimedia content and incorporates comment functionality and
filters for the most viewed and most commented articles.
NavigationArts has a long history of working with clients in the newspaper
industry. NavigationArts redesigned the website for the Newspaper Association
of America (http://www.naa.org) and has worked on projects for The Washington
Post. NavigationArts is currently engaged with The Sacramento Bee, another
McClatchy newspaper, on a complete website redesign set to launch in December,
2008.
About The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer delivers what people need to discover and
understand the region. The first Charlotte Daily Chronicle, predecessor of
today's Charlotte Observer, rolled out on March 22, 1886, as a challenge from
one faction of the Democratic Party to a bloc led in large part by the
publisher of the Charlotte Daily Observer, founded in 1869. In August 1887,
the overwhelmed Observer folded; in 1892, the Chronicle took its name.
Trumpeting the "New South" and the Charlotte region's industrialization,
the Observer thrived in the early 20th century. Two months before the 1929
stock market crash, its publisher, sensing danger, sold his NYSE holdings at a
huge profit, amassing the cash to expand operations during the Depression by
taking advantage of cheap newsprint.
The Observer was privately owned until the Knights bought it in 1954 for
$7.225 million. Three years later, the Knights also acquired the afternoon
Charlotte News, for $1 million. A new building opened in 1971 and helped spur
a wave of uptown development that continues. In 1974, the Knight and Ridder
newspaper corporations merged. The Charlotte Observer joined McClatchy in 2006
with McClatchy's purchase of Knight Ridder.
About NavigationArts
NavigationArts is a user experience consultancy that provides Internet
strategy, usability, information architecture, interface design, and
development services. The firm creates exceptional online user experiences
that drive business value for communications and commerce.
SOURCE NavigationArts

Michael Endres, Vice President of NavigationArts, +1-703-584-8943,
mendres@navigationarts.com