Canadian Magazine Industry News
11 July 2013, PETERBOROUGH, ON
Ontario Out of Doors refreshes online presence
Ontario Out of Doors magazine (OOD) relaunched its website with a new look and feel, a software upgrade for its community message board, responsive design and an improved user experience.
It's the first major online makeover for the hunting and fishing brand since ownership switched from Rogers Publishing to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) in 2008. The redesign was one of the first major projects for editor-in-chief Lezlie Goodwin, who joined the magazine in October.
Along with content and photography more in line with the quality of the printed magazine, the site is now compatible with mobile devices and boasts more user-friendly navigation and interactivity. New features includes photo galleries and Q&As. According to web editor April Scott-Clarke, the old site was more generic, "just content on a page."
The community forum, which used to be locked to outsiders, is now open for public viewing. Users only have to register in order to post. "The forum has always been extremely active, even more so than the site itself," Scott-Clarke said.
Advertising options are now available for the community board, in the form of leaderboard ads along the top and bottom of the page, and display ads attached to the first post of a discussion thread.
To help realize the new look, the magazine tapped the talents of Scott-Clarke, Oshawa-based design firm Citrus Media, OFAH's web developers, OOD managing editor Ray Blades, and art director Tamas Pal. "Our revitalized website is part of Ontario Out of Doors' commitment to digital content," said Blades in a statement.
It's the first major online makeover for the hunting and fishing brand since ownership switched from Rogers Publishing to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) in 2008. The redesign was one of the first major projects for editor-in-chief Lezlie Goodwin, who joined the magazine in October.
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A screenshot of the revamped Ontario Out of Doors website
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Along with content and photography more in line with the quality of the printed magazine, the site is now compatible with mobile devices and boasts more user-friendly navigation and interactivity. New features includes photo galleries and Q&As. According to web editor April Scott-Clarke, the old site was more generic, "just content on a page."
The community forum, which used to be locked to outsiders, is now open for public viewing. Users only have to register in order to post. "The forum has always been extremely active, even more so than the site itself," Scott-Clarke said.
Advertising options are now available for the community board, in the form of leaderboard ads along the top and bottom of the page, and display ads attached to the first post of a discussion thread.
To help realize the new look, the magazine tapped the talents of Scott-Clarke, Oshawa-based design firm Citrus Media, OFAH's web developers, OOD managing editor Ray Blades, and art director Tamas Pal. "Our revitalized website is part of Ontario Out of Doors' commitment to digital content," said Blades in a statement.
— Jef Catapang
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