TOPVIEW is part of the portfolio of Grupo RIC, – a Record TV affiliate in Paraná -, and it is a traditional magazine in Curitiba, with a print run of thousands of monthly copies and articles which are exclusively focused on the state’s capital. The publications approach varied themes that go from social columns to culture, food, traveling, lifestyle, and coverage of the main fashion shows in Brazil. In addition to the recognition that the print version of the magazine has earned over the years, the web portal was designed to enrich the high-class publishing market not only in Paraná, but throughout the country. As part of this strategy, the magazine received a brand new identity in the second half of February and this identity was thought through and developed by the professionals of Action Labs. According to Patrícia Tressoldi, Content and Multi-Platform Project Manager of Grupo RIC:
“In 2021, Grupo RIC changed the strategy used with TOPVIEW so that the main means of its content distribution became digital. In that context, the project developed by Action Labs is of great importance because we understand that in order for us to have a proper online position it is necessary to offer a platform with excellent usability, an appealing design to attract a good number of users. A new web portal means a change of paradigm in a moment when we start looking more and more into digital products.”
One of the challenges of the team was to be able to transfer the essence of the print version of the magazine into the online environment, providing the results that this format requires, with more responsiveness in navigation: the website was 100% planned under the Mobile First concept, which demands a more minimalist design focused on content, optimizing interaction through mobile phones for both searching/viewing content and interacting with podcasts, interviews and experts’ opinions. As for the new design, it was inspired by the trends in international digital magazines, and it gained a more fluid and clean look, which favors editorial cuts and charters. According to Felipe Eiras, Co-Owner and Head of design of Action Labs, the web portal was thought through from the inside out, having the user as the main focus of the creative process, taking a deeper look on every theme and new format, such as the social column, ambassadors and brand content.
Besides the optimized model for news, with text, audio and video content, other multimedia formats are being implemented in the digital magazine, which permits brands to have their own space to speak to audience of the magazine. The implementation of the project also included a workshop to train their whole team as far as the best writing practice for search engine optimization is concerned. And that is not all: TOPVIEW is preparing more new features for the future, including navigation through stories, which is already being used in several segments, even out of social media. Besides that, the shopping section will have its own product curation with a product collection which will be directly connected to online stores and shops, highlighting the aspect of quality for those who see the web portal as a reference.
