Forbes.com redesign launches

Andrea Spiegel of Forbes writes about the business magazine’s overhaul of its Web site.

Spiegel writes, “With any launch there are compromises. We faced one early on with the Home page. We absolutely wanted a new Home page as part of the Channel and Section launch. It is, after all, the front door of Forbes. Our timeline didn’t leave room for us to really rip it apart, so we instead focused on a visual refresh. We brought the Home page design in line with that of the new Channels and Sections, while the underlying tech remains the same for now. A more comprehensive revamp will take place later this year.

“Other compromises: Our new video player wasn’t completed in time so that will roll out shortly after launch, and we want to expand the Social Stream with Facebook, Foursquare and other elements. We’re working on video and mobile and a single registration process (that’s a bit messy now, a consequence of renovating the house while you’re living in it). We have new search pages coming, and we’re kicking off a big effort around contributor and article pages. It all requires focus and a methodical approach, plus a great team behind the scenes (hello #forbesdev).

“Finally, you’ll notice we don’t have ‘Beta’ on any of our new screens. I think anyone in digital media today is in a constant state of Beta. You can’t move ahead if you’re standing still. We’re not big on ‘still.’ Digital storytelling is iterative; so is the news experience that surrounds it. Today is a launch day. Tomorrow we continue building for the next.”