Role: Lead Product Designer
Timeline: 2-3 weeks
Project Type: Hub Page
Links: View "VICE Mag: The Indulgence Issue"

https://partyissuchsweetsorrow.vice.com/

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Project Overview:

The Digital team requested a simple, custom landing page for the final issue of VICE Magazine, The Indulgence Issue 2021. The experience features a rotating cover image carousel, prominent Subscribe and Editor's Note calls to action, and curated article cards. The page also introduces Party Is Such Sweet Sorrow, a retrofuturist point-and-click mystery game that our team designed, built, and published.

This Magazine’s Indulgence issue explores extravagant living in a time of restraint. Read the stories in print & online now

Project Details:

Given the simplicity of the hub page, I focused on elevating the visual design of the hero section. I explored several approaches for presenting the rotating cover image carousel, with each concept showcasing all three magazine covers using distinct visual treatments.

In the selected direction, the cover images animate and transition seamlessly, while the upcoming cover gradually fills the background beneath a subtle white overlay. This treatment creates a dynamic sense of motion while maintaining readability and keeping the editorial content front and center.

The final design features a seamless rotating carousel where each cover transitions into view while the upcoming image expands into the background beneath a subtle white overlay. This approach adds depth and motion without competing with the content, allowing the editorial experience to remain the focal point while giving the page a polished, premium feel.

Concepts 1 & 2

‍These initial explorations focused on different layout treatments for showcasing all three magazine covers simultaneously. A soft white overlay was applied to the background image, which previewed the next cover in the carousel. This approach created a subtle sense of anticipation while keeping the current issue cover as the primary focal point.

Concept 3

‍This direction simplified the composition by featuring a single hero cover that cycled through all three magazine covers. By reducing visual complexity, the design placed greater emphasis on each cover individually while maintaining the same transition behavior between images.

Concept 4 (Final Direction)

‍For the final exploration, I introduced a layered composition that gave the carousel more depth and a tactile, editorial feel. The active cover remains fully visible while the upcoming and previous covers are stacked behind it with slight rotations, evoking a collection of physical magazines.

The background no longer previews the next cover, this reinforces the visual hierarchy and keep the reader's attention on the active issue.

Outcome

The final experience successfully balanced editorial storytelling with a lightweight, custom implementation. By focusing on motion, composition, and visual hierarchy, the landing page elevated a simple content hub into an engaging destination that celebrated the final issue of VICE Magazine while providing a clear path to explore articles, subscribe, and discover the accompanying interactive game.

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Outcome

The final experience successfully balanced editorial storytelling with a lightweight, custom implementation. By focusing on motion, composition, and visual hierarchy, the landing page elevated a simple content hub into an engaging destination that celebrated the final issue of VICE Magazine while providing a clear path to explore articles, subscribe, and discover the accompanying interactive game.

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Sneak Peak of "Party Is Such Sweet Sorrow"

Explore a preview of the interactive mystery game created alongside The Indulgence Issue. Play the full experience online.