Contributoria was a hugely exciting project, for Guardian Media Group. It aimed to define a new business model for journalism, combining crowdfunding and direct commissions, with new methods of production – writers could share early drafts of their work for feedback. I was hired as the sole designer (part of a very small team), to orchestrate the many overlapping user tasks, and provide a smooth flow for the different types of people using the site.
At the same time, I was responsible for the development of the Contributoria brand, designing the overall site, as well as the covers for each of our 21 monthly issues, which were published in print, online and eBook formats.
This was a hugely rewarding project, where having a vocal, engaged community of users, the opportunity to try new things and get feedback, meant we improved the product over time, learning much on the way.
Since Contributoria’s closure, many of the team (including myself) have co-founded a new non-profit journalism venture, Publish.org – do check it out.
You can read a fuller account of my experience on Contributoria on a Medium post.