ITN.co.uk re-launches as the UK’s first responsive design video news website
London – 27 July, 2012 – ITN Productions, the creative hub of ITN, has today re-launched ITN.co.uk as a video-rich news portal and the UK’s first video news website to utilise responsive design.
Developed in partnership with digital agency Metia, ITN Productions’ new responsive design website adapts to suit whatever screen a user accesses it on. The new version of the site applies responsive design principles and uses the latest HTML5 web standards to optimise the experience of visitors accessing ITN.co.uk via desktop, tablet, mobile, e-reader and touchscreen devices.
The content strategy of the re-launched site places compelling video and pictures at the heart of ITN.co.uk, supported by informative news text. Rather than act as a full-service news site, the site is designed primarily as a video portal. The vast majority of ITN.co.uk stories are video-based, with an editorial focus on impactful images that visitors will want to share and talk about. The new site places a premium on the live streaming of major events and rolling news, and can be expanded to create special destination pages for specific content relating to a particular launch, event or topic. Content is generated by the ITN Productions editorial team, who package exclusive interviews and celebrity access, ITN news and agency footage, and the best content from across the web for multiple ITN Productions platforms and partners.
Other design enhancements developed in partnership with Metia include new features to increase utility and dwell time through better navigation and the use of visual cues; a sophisticated comment module for improved user engagement and interaction; the option for visitors to share and like their favourite stories; and a new layout and branding for the site.
The site carefully controls the number of advertising opportunities in order to maximise the user experience and provide greater cut-through for brands using the limited number of ad slots. Advertising elements are also enhanced and optimised for different formats and screen resolutions through the introduction of responsive design.
“No other news website in the UK has introduced responsive design yet but we know that lots of organisations are looking at it and testing it so we’re delighted to be the first to market through our work with Metia,” said Mark Browning, Managing Director of ITN Productions. “The combination of this improved user experience and our refined product focused on the video news agenda rather than a conventional news agenda positions ITN.co.uk as a video news portal delivering something different to full service news sites. This overhaul of ITN.co.uk will ensure that our content is as accessible and shareable as possible in a noisy multi-platform news landscape.”
Steve Ellis, Chief Executive of Metia Group, added: “Moving to an HTML5-based site will enable ITN Productions to ensure an outstanding visitor experience, consistently and cost effectively, across many types of devices. As the range of internet browsing devices proliferate, and new hardware such as smart TVs or game consoles grow in importance, ITN.co.uk’s content will be accessible to audiences via HTML5 capable web browsers, without an exponential increase in channel specific delivery systems for ITN to create and support.”
About ITN Productions
ITN Productions creates multi-platform content for major global brands on broadcast, digital and corporate production. Clients that commission award-winning programmes from ITN Productions include major UK and international broadcasters such as ITV, the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, History and Discovery, with television commissions including The Agenda on ITV1, Climbing Great Buildings on BBC2, Mud Men on History and a contract to produce Dispatches for Channel 4. Entertainment content made by ITN Productions includes FYI Daily on ITV2, The Breakfast Fix on 4Music, entertainment bulletins on 5* and 5USA, The Showbiz 411 on YouTube. ITN Productions also creates news content for a wide range of clients such as, MSN, Virgin Media, Telegraph Media Group, The Independent, Metro, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Star, and the Illiffe and MNA publishing groups. ITN News is on Facebook and is the most viewed news channel on YouTube. Corporate clients also work with ITN Productions to create content, including Procter & Gamble, Direct.gov and NHS Choices.
About Metia
Metia is a digital marketing agency with operations in London, Seattle, New York and Singapore. Employing some 200 professionals, Metia delivers digital experiences, solutions, services and tools that are focused, smart and repeatable – and that generate measurable value.
