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13 Things 2009

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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology

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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]

The mosaic format of print newspapers, which encourages roving eyes and random browsing of text and images, does not carry over into the website format. While the front page of every issue of the Phoenix presents a colorful mosaic of seemly-unrelated images and blocks of text, the Phoenix website breaks down each issue into easily accessible and definable sections.

Across the top of the Phoenix website homepage run the following headings: home, listings, editor's picks (which contains more daily event listings), news, music, movies, food + drink, life (which contains comic strips and an archive of feature stories), art, rec. room (reviews of video games), video, and classifieds, which is broken down further into jobs, housing and personals. Both the video section and the rec. room section are unique to the website and use video and music to enhance the reader's experience.

The presence of headings on the website makes it possible for the individual reader to skip directly to the section of the paper directly pertaining to his needs or interests. The reader is no longer forced to absorb an entire page of the newspaper while searching for a particular article or listing. In fact, an individual can technically use the Providence Phoenix for the sole purpose of looking up club listings, and never even so much as skim a cover story. The existence of a clear and comprehensive website allows the reader to personalize the Phoenix and use it specifically to cater to his own needs. As a result, the shared experience of community members absorbing identical issues of the Phoenix is replaced by the individual experience of community members navigating the Phoenix website.

Just as the print Phoenix promotes navigation over wayfinding within the Providence community, the Phoenix website promotes navigation over wayfinding within the newspaper itself. In allowing audiences to easily categorize and prioritize sections of the Phoenix, the website discourages the aimless browsing associated with the print version.


Back to So where is the Phoenix headed?, From the morning commute to the midnight study break: How and where does one absorb the Phoenix?