A Change Coming On

Websites are like homes. They have framework, contents, wiring, and color. They also have healthy doses of intangibles like feel and history.

Ten years ago, I established NickerNews as a way to interact with the horse community and to fulfill a journalistic jones that I’d been suppressing since leaving my work as a newspaper reporter.

In 2008, there were 16 folks signed up for the newsletter, zero advertisers, and a grand total of three articles.

Spring forward to this year:

There are five websites and 4,000 weekly newsletter subscribers. We have a great family of advertisers, incredible guest columnists, and healthy social media pages.

Our articles routinely “go viral” and we’ve received several international awards for outstanding content.

Ain’t it about time for some renovation at this house?

Beginning next month, Cayuse Communications (the family of sites including NickerNews, BestHorsePractices, and HorseHead) will get a well-earned, much-needed overhaul. The websites will look sooo much better. They’ll be easier to read, easier to navigate, easier to appreciate.

Who better to lead this challenging, multi-faceted renovation than TJ Zark?

Zark runs the brand and design company, Hello Zark, and developed the most excellent Best Horse Practices Summit logo. Read more about that here.

This Cayuse Communication project involves a wide spectrum of challenges:

• How to unify the websites under one umbrella, through design and functionality?
• How to convey through this redesign the sites’ reputation for smart, lively content?
• Considering logos and colors, what to rework and what to toss?

“Cayuse Communication deserves a facelift that reflects the quality of content and the quality of your readers,” said Zark, who grew up on a Nebraska ranch and lent her affinity and affection for horses to the task.

The transition is also being expertly guided and framed by Dana Petersen. She runs Pixel Right, LLC.  Petersen also works as a savior; she’s the most tech-savvy employee at the Mancos Public Library and has helped many dazed and confused Internet users — too many to count, I’m sure.

I’m an experienced writer. Articles grow and flow from interviews, research, experiences, and contemplations. Until recently, though, I paid little attention to the finer points of how my words get absorbed by readers.

For example:

• Different fonts convey different feel and meaning
• White space and imagery matter
• Colors can be warm, cold, and live in families
• Seriousness, warmth, intelligence, and sense of humor (all elements of our content) can be demonstrated through design

It’s been quite a journey. This most recent renovation has taken months of effort. The work, with Zark’s guidance and expertise, has enabled me to look back and look ahead. It’s let me appreciate the missteps as well as the legacy in a large body of work. It’s allowed me, too, to see the potential for more, great things. Exciting, challenging stuff.

With careful consideration to a whole host of improvable areas, we’re nearly ready to show it off. We hope you like these draft samples.

Stay tuned for next month’s house warming!