Lens.

If you're into photography, notably photojournalism, you should definitely check out the New York Times new blog, Lens. I love it. 

NPR also has a photo blog, too, and they post some really interesting slideshows. But to me, it's just not as pleasurable a user experience. And you know why? Because it's poorly designed. Which isn't our multimedia team's fault. They're dealing with a very old, antiquated, inflexible infrastructure (the current NPR.org design is six years old – SIX YEARS !!), one that we're overhauling as part of the NPR.org redesign. 

It's a hard thing sometimes at NPR, what with its roots in audio presentation. Visual design is pretty new to the organization and sometimes, getting buy in/appreciation for great visual design is a struggle. In contrast, the New York Times has always presented its news visually. Good typography, grid systems, and beautiful photography are things they know and handle very well. Someone at the top of that organization is a strong advocate for good design. The designers there have really good taste and it shows.

NPR's getting there, I think. But it's a slow process. And sometimes a painful one for the likes of hyper-visual, anal designers like myself. Hopefully, though, our transition into this visual space will be successful. Honestly, I think it has to be in order for NPR to continue to be successful. With the death of newspapers, other news organizations are moving into the multimedia and audio space with a much better handle on design. As journalism evolves, I think design will be one of the differentiating factors. My career challenge at this point is to help our design/multimedia teams bring good visual taste to NPR.

Help me, oh Bauhaus masters!